My RPM keeps spiking on my 1990 Mercury Sable and I don't know what's wrong

[tcshupe95]

I have a 1990 Mercury Sable (automatic) & it won't shift into gears right. I can barely go 35 miles per hour without it jumping to 5 on my rpm gauge. Some have told me it's because there are no fluids in my car, and others think it's my transmission filter that needs to be changed, I bought brand new fluids for my car yesterday and it has not made a difference.

 

[LTC8K6]

Sounds like it's not shifting out of 1st gear.

 

[BudAshes]

Wow there is a 1990 mercury sable that still runs?

 

[pcgeek11]

Clutch packs are burned out. Rebuild or replace the transmission.

But then again that will cost more than the car is worth. Seriously.

Donate it to a junk yard and get a new car.

 

[BudAshes]

Is it just me or does anyone else get slightly turned on by this picture:

 

[tcshupe95]

Sounds like it's not shifting out of 1st gear.

Yea it won't shift out of first gear and we don't know why....

 

[BUTCH1]

Yea it won't shift out of first gear and we don't know why....

Probably a bad solenoid (if it's an electronic tranny) so it might be able to be changed by dropping the pan. As already noted though don't throw a lot of $$ into a 1990 anything unless it's a collectible or highly sought after model and the Sable does not fall into that territory.

 

[Art&Science]

Torque convertor slipping bad.

 

[tcshupe95]

Now it won't even drive two miles down the road. It's acting like it overheated but our temp gauge doesn't say it's getting hot and the temp gauge works perfectly....... we've had to push it hope the past three times we drove it...

 

[LTC8K6]

Now it won't even drive two miles down the road. It's acting like it overheated but our temp gauge doesn't say it's getting hot and the temp gauge works perfectly....... we've had to push it hope the past three times we drove it...

Is the coolant level correct? The coolant temp gauge needs coolant to be flowing past it to read the coolant temp correctly.

A slipping trans can add heat to the engine cooling system if the car has a trans fluid cooler.

What did the old trans fluid look like? Was it black? Or was it a clear pink color?

BTW, it was probably not a good idea to keep trying to drive the car once the problem began.

 

[nakedfrog]

Now it won't even drive two miles down the road. It's acting like it overheated but our temp gauge doesn't say it's getting hot and the temp gauge works perfectly....... we've had to push it hope the past three times we drove it...

So what exactly do you mean by "it's acting like it overheated"?

 

[RLGL]

Give it up and send the poor thing to the scrapyard. You might even get paid for the beast

 

[ComputerWizKid]

Is it just me or does anyone else get slightly turned on by this picture:

Yes it is not just you both cars in that photo turn me on
The Mercury Sable and the Chrysler Minivan (Looks like the base Plymouth Voyager as I can barely make out the word Voyager)