The car will not go into gear, the auto shift lever feels different and has no resistance. It is my nephews car and I have not seen it so I am using his info. Does the car have mechanical linkage to trany or is it electric? Is it possibly just an electrical problem or do we have a smoked transmission?
Thanks.

Buying Chiltons tomorrow just trying to get a heads up.

There's a Transmission Range Sensor (TRS) on top of the transaxle housing, attached by linkage and cable to the gear selector.

Ahhhh that would make sense.. . Posibly a broke cable or even a bad sensor.
Thank you.

I have checked the linkage and cable, they are working fine. Can the Transmission control sensor keep it from going into any gear? Has anyone else solved the problem by simply diagnosing the sensor and or replacing it? Probably just a shot in the dark and a new transaxle is on the horizon.

Check with the Taurus Car Club of America (TCCA).

Have the same problem on a '92 taurus. There is a metal shaft that runs down the stearing column that often breaks. Thus the movement without resistance.

My 03 Tarus just stranded me in the Walmart parking lot. Same problems as listed here. The shift lever had no resistance and would not go into any gear. While watiting for a tow truck, I decided to look under the hood, as if I would know what I was looking for. Yikes! Right there in front of me was an obvious problem. A big bolt had lost its nut and was barely sticking through a little bright colored lever. Well, that didn't look right. I monkeyed around with it and managed to get the bolt to hang in the little shift part long enough to get it into drive. Couldn't switch gears but drive was enough to get me home. Tomorrow.. off to the Ace hardware to buy a bolt and nut. The old bolt looks pretty rusty. Hope I can get it off the part that comes from the main gear selector lever.

kpasa111, apply thread locker or a lock washer, to prevent it coming off again.

1997 ford escort lx will not go into 3rd gear and rpm's raise in between 3-4 when trying to get car to shoft into 3rd.