I have a 1996 Ford tarus( 4 door) and the engine check light keeps coming on. I have taken the car to SEVERAL mechanics, which I have had my Filters cleaned, my spark pluggs replaced with brand new ones, a new coolent pack, several oil changes, but the check engine light keeps coming on. Every single time I go to a mech., they tell me that Fords just do that, but the inspection station doesn't want to here that. So, I reaching out to anybody, how to I fix this bleeping car.

 

A faulty distributor-cap or the #6 spark plug wire couldbe causing themisfire.
Also replace the distributor (Rotor Button) if you do end up replacing the(Distributor Cap). If its a bad spark plug wire, I suggest replacing all of the wiresas a set.
One other possibility could bethat the #6 Fuel Injector is faulty.

If the Distributor-Cap, Rotor Button & Spark Plug Wires were neverreplaced before in the past, or if they have been replaced before but have high mileageon them now, I would go about replacing them all with new stuff. If that doesn't solve the problem, then I would be suspecting the #6 Fuel Injector

 

I always suggest replacing plugs in a set and gapping them before replacing. Inspection mechanic sounds like he's being a di**head. How many miles are on the engine?

 

Hi. I am new to this Forum. However I been on the Ford Truck Enthusiast Forum under a different name for years. I have a 2000 Taurus Wagon and my check engiine light used to come on regularly and the engine ran rough. I spent $2000.00 over a period of5 months having a #6 misfire corrected. I should pull out the folder full of bills to list all the thingsa "master" machanic did to fix my car, but it would be kind of depressing. They cleaned the injectors, replaced the #6 injector, replaced the cam position sensor, did a smoke test and discovered an intake manifold leak, changed my new Champion plugs with new Autolite plugs, then I had to lend them my car for four days so they could get full knowledge of what causing theproblem. They were leaning toward changing the computer when I said"Now's the time to say goodbye ...".
I got to the point were I was going to ignore the lightand just drive the car, which I did for another month before the light started flashing codes at me! I called the mechanic that services the company cars where I work. He told me when it starts doing that, it's time to stop driving it and start towing it in. Since his shop was 30 miles away, I decided to bite the bullet and drive it 3 miles to a Ford dealership known to rip it's customers off.
I have owned a 1989, 1994 and this 2000 Taurus. They all lost anti freeze mysteriously. I had them pressure tested and dye tested to see if oil was in the antifreeze ( the pal that I mentioned above alsodid that on the 2004) and they all tested to be fine. So I reserved myself to beleave that Fords just lose anti freeze.
I left my car overnight at the dealership and they called me a few hours later the next day. They said that I either had a blown head gasket or a cracked head. It wound up that I had both. I asked them to save the head and I dye penetrant inspected it. Sure enough, it was cracked bad. The car runs fine now.
So I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but are you losing antifreeze? I hope not! Another thing. Don't believe that a mechanic knows more than you do. I kept second guessing this guy and he kept showing me his diplomas. I told him it was a vacuum leak and I wasn't too far off. Good luck.

 

Aluminum heads crack much more easily than cast iron when faced with overheating. That's one downgrade from old to new cars. The next is that they try to get away with cheaply made and installed head gaskets (which can crack an aluminum head in the right circumstance). The only reason they use aluminum alloy is because (obviously) - it's lighter by a couple pounds. The first thing a mechanic should do when engine has an antifreezeproblem is pressure test the cooling system. Oil is very obvious in a cooling system if you have a trained eye. Antifreeze and oil don't really mix and the oil adheres to the cooling fins and inside of the radiator under the radiator cap. The big bills usually come when a mechanic is in a rush and doesn't bother to look.

 

i had the same problem i tryed a lot of new thing that wernt bad but it went away after i replaced the cam shaft sensor...