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Ford Aerostar
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Comments
I bought the van brand new, but I've been driving it since last year, when I bought my wife a brand new Toyota Sienna. Now, the Sienna runs great, believe me, but I'm starting to think that I should have just bought a newer used Aerostar for her, instead of a new car!
Anyway, my question is: Does anyone else have trouble changing out their alternator serpentine belts on their Aerostars? I've changed mine out 4 times, and each time it's been an extremely tight fit. In fact, I have to take out the idler wheel bolts and let it hang down in order to get the belt around it. I then tighten the three bolts one at a time. Does anyone else have this problem?
..a new belt can be tricky,as it's gonna be tight.
follow the serpentine belt guide under the hood,i've had no trouble!..sounds like you're dissasembling the tentioner,where ,all ya gotta do is release the tention..
ALSO.. after you remove the snorkel hose to the air filter(two clamps,one plug for the m.a.s.,)
it's fairly easy to get to the belt..
the plugs and wires are the most difficult ones i've ever replaced!!the only way to change the passenger side one's was to remove the wheel,and go in through the wheel wheel..another tip,get a stubby(one inch) wobble extention ,..i think the engineers do stuff like that on pourpose,but,just a socket and ratchet are just a hair short..??
my -91 w/a 3.0 with 210,000 still flashes the "check engine" light..maybe it's the o-2 sensor..but,whitch one?? at $40 bucks each,i'd rather know than guess..guess i'm just cheap..
guess i'm drivin the right truck!! it keeps starting and running!!luck to all with their's!!
Only set of wires leading into plug on your exhaust near rt front wheel, as I recall. I did have to put a cheater on the wrench to break it loose, though. Easier if you can get it up in the air on a rack.
BTW, I will have a full pre-purchase check done by my regular car mechanic, but your comments & suggestions will be most welcome! Thanks!
phil
Our Aerostar has served us well but has always seem to have some little problems along the way. Biggest disappointment is the interior. Several of the screws holding the interior covering on the sliding door have come off (despite constantly retightening them). That is probably my biggest pet peave. The engine and tranny have held up well. Caution on tune ups - Almost everytime I've had to replace the sparkplug wires as well as the sparkplugs because the the boot is on the plug so tight that the wire or boot ends up getting torn trying to get it off. Even my local mechanic has had this problem. They are just hard to get to. Otherwise our van has done its job well hauling two adults, two teenagers and two younger ones (5 & 8). Good luck!
http://www.krown.ca
their product is the only rust protection method endorsed by the Automobile Protection Association of Canada (a consumer support group)
http://www.apa.ca
when they did the initial application on our 97 Aerosport, the guy showed me the area that is most likely to rust on the vehicle, it is the boxed in area that runs along the bottom 1/4 of vehicle.
They actually pump/spray their oil onto the inner surfaces of this area.
At the shop where my vehicle is treated, they have recent pictures on the wall of 10-15 yr old Aerostars, with NO rust...which is remarkable, considering that we have all seen old Aerostars on the road with their rocker panels and/or the bottoms of their doors flapping in the breeze.
1. In 1997, cruise control failed.
2. In 1998, air-conditioner failed.
3. In 1999, air-conditioner failed again.
4. In 1999, thermostat needed to be replaced.
5. In 2000, none.
6. In 2001, brakes needed work.
7. In 2002, none.
8. In 2003, none so far.
If anybody is considering a used Aerostar, I highly recommend the 1996 model year because, according to Consumer Reports, 1996 is the most reliable Aerostar ever made in history since 1986. 1997 was the last year but the reliability isn't as good as 1996. 1995 isn't as good as 1996. I have heard fewer problems coming from 4.0 Aerostar engine than 3.0. Our Aerostar is still currently on its original engine and transmission.
The only weak point I can think of is that Aerostar RWD doesn't do well in snow. One time my dad drove on a snowy road, the Aerostar slipped or skidded many times if turning right or left. He almost nearly got an accident. So I do not recommend the Aerostar for snow drive. The Aerostar has no problem on rain drive.
Walter Chan
Major repairs include 3 rear ends (don't know what was up with that - 2 done under warranty, the last one was a salvage yard item and has lasted longer than the other two. The steering assembly was replaced at about 85,000 miles.
Ours has a possessed radio. The volume increases and decreases by itself.
The weather stripping around both back side windows has been replaced due to leaks.
This vehicle has been extremely reliable and will likely be part of our stable until the motor gives up. And where else can you carry a sofa or a washer and dryer under cover like you can in the Aerostar? Wrestle those back seats out and the XLT has an amazing carrying capacity.
Thanks in advance.
I may need new seals if I have a leak.
We just put about $1500 into it last year for front-end bushings. It clanked like an old truck over bumps - the bushings were metal-to-metal. the tie rod ends went a few years ago, why Ford made them out of plastic is a mystery. New brakes, rotors, bearings, 2 water pumps - the usual replacements over it's life. the major components have stayed together very well.
Like I said, I just wish they still made 'em.
It's time for a new van soon... looking at a Toyota Sienna (I wish it was a Ford). This new Freestar is going to go down in flames like the Windstar, I think. Ford does not do front-wheel drives very well, I think.
It has 252,000 kilometers or 150,000 miles on it.
Everything else seems good on it except the heater fan but I think that is tied into the electrical trouble.
We too had the demon radio problem, which is definately a wiring problem, because it seemed to come/go with temp changes.
Our '92 Aerostar finally died with 123,800 miles on it. After installing the second new air conditioning compressor in 3 yrs,and spending $1k, the transmission seals gave out in the mtns of VA. enroute to a new home in WI.
Tranny guy wanted $1800 and 2 weeks to fix it, which would necessitate 4 day round trip to retrieve it. Alas, Aerostar, we knew you well.
The rear sliding door has not been closing completely shut. When you shut the door, it is slightly ajar. This problem has been occuring for many years. The only way to resolve this issue is to place your hand on the rear of the sliding door and apply the correct amount of pressure while closing it.
Also, the A/C and heat have not worked correctly for about five years. I have taken it into the Ford dealer to be checked, but they did not fix the problem. It sounds like the fan is running, but no air is blowing out of the vents.
1990 MY is almost 15 (!) years old, and 154,000 miles is pretty much, although many Aerostars are running great for more than 200K miles. (OK, not great, but still acceptable!)
Maybe it's time to think of a new(er) one!
On the other hand, the Freestar is much better than any Ford van, and most customers confirms that. But since sales are very slow, you can get very big rebates - up to $7,000 at many dealers!
So if you like that SEL model which have a MSRP of $30K, you can take advantage of these large rebate deals and have it (at some dealers) for just about $23K.
The main advantage I can see to go with Ford, is that you're used to Ford style. For many people it does not make a big difference, but for many other people it could. If you're used to a column shifter, headlights on the dashboard, and wiper controls at the stalk on the left side of the steering wheel, you'll like the Freestar. On most imported models, the wiper controls is on the right side, and headlamps on the left stalk.
The Odyssey's are good but have transmission issues that Honda is currently addressing. I have a '99 that had the tranny replaced at 78K with a rebuilt. Fortunately Honda picked up the cost in full. The transmissions have been warrantied to 100K. So if my new one goes bad I'm SOL.
Ford FWD vehicles are about as bad as Ford trucks are good. If you buy a Ford, make sure it is a truck.
My mileage is about 176K.
Is this typical of the '95s (mileage wise)? The mechanic said the pump was bad (transmission). Am also getting the rear brakes and new master cylinder (I think its the original??). Have to bring my car to another shop, recently put on a new rack and pinion and there is PS fluid all over the place (mechanic said the Rack and pinion was binding and showed me where the leak was). I will give the other shop a hard time (I am not paying a dime since it's supposed to be under warranty,12 month/12000).
I just got my alternator replaced last Thanksgiving and have been good on the maintenance. I just hope nothing else needs repaired as I am putting some major money into the vehicle, but I figure it beats car payments for the next 4 - 5 years.
Please post your opinions.
Thanks.
Thanks.
One other thing. I serviced the transmission once and the fluid that came out was black. I installed a new filter and fresh fluid and really had no problems with the tranny other than when the vacum modulator blew.
I need assistance in changing the radiator fan from my wife's van. The fan is cranked in numerous places on the base. I bought a new one and tried to remove the old one but ran across this problem. According to the Chilton manual (8057) 26100 covering Aerostar from '86-96 the fan clutch is attached to the water pump with left-hand threads meaning that I must turn the large nut clockwise as viewed from the front to remove. I have the special tools to hold the fan clutch while loosening the nut. I tried turning the nut clockwise, but the wrench spread, slipped and took some metal off the nut. Then, I noticed that the fan cover has big letters that reads "Right hand threads on Fan Clutch." I tried loosening the nut by hitting on the wrench counter-clockwise, but still not able to break loose. What threads are on this fan clutch to the water pump nut? Is it usually very hard to break loose. Please help before the fan comes apart and causes secondary damage to the engine, radiator, tranny line and other.
Thanks in advance for any help you may provide.
Respectfully,
Ed Ortiz
I have a Aerostar 3.0 (130bhp) commercial van with 66k miles. I would like to know what the maximum towing capacity is for my vehicle. The trailer I plan to tow weighs 950lbs and will have a 1100lbs load in it. Any help would be much appreciated.
Many Thanks
Steve, Host
Thanks again
the problem im having is that a few years back we knocked the rear whiper fluid nozzle thing off, and that allowed water into the van during a rain storm, well we go that fixed and cleaned the water out... last week i found out we didnt get all the water out and proceded to rip out the back of my van. upon removal of the carpet i set it out to dry, the cardboard under that was gone for good, and the soundboard under that was lifted from the frame and there were puddles under it. keep in mind this is like 4 years later and im finding puddles.
in the process of me getting the carpet and such out i kinda had to break some of the molding around the bench seat attachmehts, and the step from the side door. there not horribly borken but along with some other parts i would like to replace i figure i might as well replace them.
problem is i cant find anywhere to get the interior parts i need, ive got a 1992 blue xlt, and would like to keep it that way, i only need the interior in good condition, donesnt need to be running, just need the interior. but alas im having no luck thus far, i did find replacement carpet for $250, but im not looking to drop that much on carpet and that just the beginning of th parts i need.
any advice for a poor college studnet like my self
thnks (and if any one has comptuer problems feel free to email me, im very knowlegable)
Thanks!
This year had rear ABS and this has happened to me before with the light coming on. The sensor gets corroded and stays on and locks up the rear brakes for the first several stops. My shop took it out, cleaned it up and put it back in. Lasted 3 years, now it is doing it again.
I have the reg. length 3.0 and I had the tranny fluid changed and flushed at 60,000. Never have had a problem. So far, I have had a steering rack, alternator, ball joint, blower motor, water pump, and issues with the radio. I feel this has stood up pretty good as I am up in central Canada where the winters are severe. Always starts, biggest problem is lack of traction on snow and ice. I am trading it in on a Freestar Limited.
Could the Trans Axle cause this because I also hear a "growling" of the front end when I turn sharply to the right!