1999 Mercury Sable Logo
Posted on Jan 24, 2009
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Transmission i got a 1999 Mercury sable and when i shift it in gear the car dont move can u tell me the problem

  • stuntman8218 Jan 24, 2009

    the fluid is full its real black and so is the oil

  • 240cpa May 11, 2010

    Check for low level of trans fluid. If low, refill carefully so you won't end up with too much. Start with maybe 1/2 quart and then recheck. Could be a solenoid going out.

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Richard Lilja

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  • Master 401 Answers
  • Posted on Jan 29, 2009
Richard Lilja
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It would appear that the transmission is worn out! The transmission fluid is supposed to be red in color with no bad odor about it. When it turns brown & has a burnt smell to it -it means the fluid was low at some point and it got real hot (with an fluid & filter change it could be saved).
When it turns black it means that the fluid now is usually past the saving point as is contaminated with lots of metal filings in it. If you change the fluid & the filter at this point you've got a 50 /50 shot at maybe getting it functioning again -at least for a short while.
I personally would try the fluid & filter change if just to get it running again (although it may have some issues) although the real answer is to start looking for a new vehicle (due to it's age) or have the transmission rebuilt if the car has no other major problems and you think it would be worth it! BTW a rebuilt transmission goes for about $1200 which is probably more than the car is worth.

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Why cant I shift my 99 mercury sable sedan into gears from the steering column anymore? Why do I have to put it on the gear I need, put on the emergency break, then have to get out to shift it into g

Sounds like a shift cable or rod broke. This is dangerous as you probably figured out. Some emergency brakes do not work well for Reverse either. There is so little fabric on the Emergency brake that you are lucky it still works for you.

There is a safety lockout on the gearshift which requires a foot on the brake pedal. Otherwise you could just move the gearshift back and forth and see that the shifter is no longer connected to the transmission.

Look at some autoparts sites for the shift cable assembly. Once you see what is a good assembly you should be able to see where yours is broke. Youtube may have a video to show how to repair your car.
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Mercury sable 1999 shift gear wont move into gear

Check to see if the Brake lights come when you step on the brakes. If they do not, your problem is a switch mounted on the brake pedal lever.

This switch often gets knocked out of position by the drivers feet. Or the switch can also be broken. The signal from this switch will release the gearshift.

Please comment on my info.
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I have a whining noise coming from my 1999 Mercury Sable. Starts at about 20 MPH and increases getting the loudest around 40-60 mph then holds steady, have shifted to nuetral and whining stays. I believe...

Could be anything connected with the front wheels.
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2000 ford mercury 3.0, shifter wont move. had a fender bender, put it into park and it wouldn't come back out.


For car not changing gears it can be shifter assembly issue, or it can also be transmission issue. Get the shifter assembly inspected with ignition OFF.

For more troubleshooting, I suggest you to get the Following help link checked, its complete step by step procedure to inspect gear shift issues: -----

GEAR SHIFT ISSUES

http://alltypesofpartsreplacing.blogspot.com/2012/11/gear-shift-issues.html

==========

These will help.

Thanks.

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2000 sable- can't shift out of park. shifter glides and needle on dash moves there's no gears shifting. is the transmission blown?

That is what it sounds like. I would check the transmission fluid level. I f it is full, you probably need a transmission. If it is low or out of fluid, then you need to find the leak, repair it, and cross your fingers and hope there is no permanent damage to the transmission.
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2000 sable- can't shift out of park. shifter glides and needle on dash moves there's no gears shifting. is the transmission blown?

Not likely a blown transmission. More of a shifter cable issue. There is an adjustment nut on the ****** end. It could be loose or missing. If the nut is fine you have a broken cable.
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Car dont takeoff on drive pocition,so i have to go down on 2 shift then shifting manual to drive an keep roning normal.

if the car move correctly in all other gears you have a bad transmission if the shifter is loose with a column shift replace the column if the shifter is not loose you have to adjust the linkage at the transmission
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2003 Mercury Sable will not move in any of the gears. It went from working perfectly to not moving in forward or reverse. It has 121,000 miles on it.

It sounds like it can be either very cheap or very expensive to fix. If you know a little about cars look under the hood at the transmission which is behind the engine.

The engine should only crank in Park and Neutral. If the engine cranks in any gear the shifter is not attached to the cable anymore. The shifter or cable is broken.

You should see something like a shift cable attached to a stem coming out the transmission. You need to determine if the cable moves or rods move. You may need to look under the floor shift too! If either end is not moving when the shifter is moving, then you just need a shift cable.

However, if the transmission levers are moving and the engine cranks only in Park or Neutral then it is the transmission.
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Car wont move.

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Problem with Transmission Not shifting into forward gears

When was the transmission rebuilt and was it done by a shop with a warranty? I have yet to see an alternator cause damage to a transmission but there has been stranger things. If the alternator was hooked up wrong or a wire was left off, the system could be loosing power to one of the ECMS. Or one of the ecms could of been damage if the wrong battery terminal was hooked up. That I have seen. For the moment, it sounds like the car is in limp home, which is a safety feature by the manufactures that does not allow the car to be driven. Are there any lights on, check engine light, transmission light ect when the car is running?
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