Ford Aerostar

colinp

My 92 Aerostar 4.0 L Eddie Bauer has a dead digital instrument cluster but it has power.

What is the cheapest way to fix this please? Is there a relay or fuse somewhere that will restore function to the instruments cluster (speedometer etc) or does it need replacement?

Thanks for all replies

littleh

While press and hold the volume button down, press the + or minus of the "tune" button to adjust the time.
HIH,
littleh

oldfartcanfixi

I own a 1993 Ford Aerostar, 3.0 liter. Both the brake light and the ABS light are illuminated. The brakes work great. I did have a broken adjuster on the right rear drum and after I replaced it and drove the car backwards to set the brakes is when the lights came on. Fluid level is just below max.

platino

Hi,

the 87 aerostar has a digital tacho and some other electronics. why a thermometer for those inside and outside temperature is missing can I not understand! there probably someone has from Fords not too ends thought... :-(

Peter

zed049

I have a 4.0L '93 AWD with 177,000+ Kilometers on it and I'm about to leave on a trip of over 6,000Km late this week. I want to change the sparkplugs on this puppy so as to get better fuel economy. I bought the van with 92,000Km on it and have not changed out the plugs since, so who knows how long they've been in service.
Any tips out there as to how to go about this plug change? I can gain access to the plugs on the driver's side of the engine from the hood, but the other side I don't know about. I have a shop appointment later this week. They tell me the book hours for a sparkplug change list at 2.5. At $58 Canadian an hour, plus tax, that figures out to $167 or so.
Your timely tips I shall surely most appreciate!!!

gr1

I am new to the Forum,
I test drove a used 93 , with 165,000 miles on it.
The airbag light keep blinking, and when I made a sharp left turn it shuttered a little but only when making a sharp left, not straight or right turn,
The seller does not speak English hardly, and I got conflicting answers from him, and I don't speak spanish.
Any thoughts on this ?
A tune up was done 3-4 years ago accordinly to him.
It seemed to drive ok , When I lifted the hood , it was running with the AC on and the AC seemed to make alot of noise . ??
Anyone use Duralube with thier oil and notice a difference ??
Thanks
GR1

littleh

You can gain access thru by removing the pass. tire and the (inside) middle cover on the floor .
The 4.0 L is known for its very picky with spark plugs and wires.
You should use either Motorcraft OEM (expensive) or Autolite (better price, similar quality) parts ONLY.
Use Double Platinum plugs with anti-seize. Be careful & patien when remove the old plugs. I would change the air filter, all fluids also, O2sensor.
HIH

carter3

The gas struts for the hatch back were weak so I went down to my favorite auto parts and got 2 new ones. I quickly replaced them only to find that I had difficutly closing the hatch. It seems as if the hatch no longer lines up with the latch. Also the strut pops off of the mount.I discovered that the stupid metal clip that holds the strut on is the problem. I heard of some one else who had this problem. Is there a solution ? Or is it poor engineering ? I will check back in a few days. I also discovered the the front fenders are so easy to remove and replace, just 5 bolts and the radio antena, I even found the correct color at the local pick and pull yard, and the price was reasonable, $20.00 each. More later.

normh

My brother-in-law is the owner of my old Aerostar van that I bought new. It has about 150k miles on it now and it keeps having a problem that no mechanic can seem to diagnose. You will be driving along and it will die in the middle of the road. It will re-start and run on for a while without doing it again. Fuel pump has been replaced. Any ideas anyone?

littleh

I would check the spark module while it dying.

jimmj43

Check the fuel FILTER! Many fuel filters use paper. Paper's ok as long as it's just FUEL passing thru. WATER, on the other hand, tends to cause paper fibers to swell - cutting off fuel flow. <-- I had that problem with a Chevette. At highway speed it would die (unless I let off on the gas). At rest it would start, run and rev normally. But under load at highway speed, it'd die out.

jimmj43

Duralube = "golden"

I've used it for years and count it amoung the very few products that actually meet/exceed their advertising/expectations. Rain-X ROCKS!

'83 Pontiac Grand Prix, 5L w/200+KMi running in mid-summer in Miami rush hour with A/C on full. Noticed temp guage pegged. Took 10 minutes to wrangle out of traffic into a parking lot. Blown lower radiator hose. NO water! No steam, even! I could hear the motor oil boiling!
Gave it 5 - 10 minutes too cool down, then added water. Started up smoothe as silk. Note: Hot as it was when I pulled into the parking lot, there was no pinging/laboring/dogging - kinda scary!

carter3

Yes, check the ignition module that is most properly the problem, also check the coil and the pick up in the distributor, rotor and related parts. And the fuel filter as the other person suggested. I had the same problem at one time.

stuart4

Having 3 Aerostars in the family and several years of occasional problems, we have experienced an identical problem. The fault is a fuel pressure regulator that is mounted on the fuel injection "rail". The failure mode is that excess pressure is present at the injectors, and basicly floods the engine. Thepressure regulator should be relieving the pressure and returming the "extra " fuel to the tank.

peijing

I have an 86 Ford Aerostar 2800 with AC and need to replace the fuel pump. Anyone out there have any suggestions on how this can be done with out a lift.

jg

jimmj43

Look for a cracked front wheel rotor. My '92 has a prominent "thumping" when the brakes are being applied and a "sometimes" loud "click/clank" as the brake is released upon stopping. I looked and sure enough, the right front rotor is cracked! Item: In a panic stop situation, it's possible that the cracked rotor coule literally break in two and allow the wheel to fall off!

jimmj43

Check / replace the transmission modulator <-- It's a vacuum-controlled device that tells the tranny when to shift. If its diaphram is cracked, transmission fluid will be sucked into the vacuum system into the intake manifold and it'll get mixed and burned with the fuel/air mixture. Got any smoke in your exhaust? If you do, that's another clue that something other than fuel is being burned.

jimmj43

'92, 3.0 w/200K+

I bought it cheap because I needed wheels! Shortly after I bought it I noticed that it'd slip in and out of overdrive at highway speeds. I asked around and the consensus was that it sounded like it was time to replace the filter and fluid. Three "events" happened at the same time and resulted in my current problem: Even in PARK, the transmission is "engaged" in a forward gear. The engine won't rev. <--Imaging having the selector in DRIVE while standing on the brake and giving it gas. The engine runs, but bogs down and won't rev. Ditto in NEUTRAL. Ditto in REVERSE! That is, regardless of where the selector is set, a forward gear is engaged! The only way I can back up is to get out and push.

The 3 coinciding "events":

1. I tried to run the van up onto plastic ramps that had been sitting out in the sun. They didn't hold up and the van collapsed down with a "thump". I then reverted to jackstands to lift & hold the front end up.

2. I replaced the filter and fluid - with the THREE quarts my parts store guy told me I'd need. I cleaned the "fuzz" (metal) off the magnet inside the pan.

3. Bourbon & Coke was my copilot in this endeavor, so it's entirely possible I nudged something (a switch or its wires?) in the bottom of the transmission while replacing the filter & pan.

The result was that I had no REVERSE; PARK, NEUTRAL and REVERSE all had forward gear engaged and the slipping in and out of overdrive at highway speeds persisted. I later found out that 4-1/2 quarts of fluid is needed and by adding fluid the overdrive slipping in & out problem was resolved.

I've been in the troubleshooting/repair business for 40+ years and my gut instinct tells me I have a minor solution to a major problem. My handicap is that I'm not a "Ford Guy" and I don't know the quirks of this vehicle.

I'm hoping for some (inexpensive) help.
Thanks.

rix444

Doesn't matter where I set the dial: vent, def, floor, I don't get any air. The blower is working, but just a little air comes out of the defrost. Must be a stuck flapper. How do I get at it, or check it?

Maybe related; only get heat in the back half of the van, even in MAX AIR' setting on the front panel.

Claires

Rix444, you might also want to ask about this in the Climate Control Problems - All Cars. I think this might be a good resource for you.

tmodel1937

If your problem is the same as mine, it will be leaking around the rear window. The inside molding around the rear window hides the leak. Take off the struts, the molding and the back panel so you can see, then try the hose thing again. If it's leaking from around the window, it will have to come out, and new sealant applied. Not an easy fix, for the attaching screws usually have come out of their rubber mounting points, which I repaired with a 2 part Urethane adhesive. Note!!! Use plenty of sealant or it will still leak!
Another sore spot is the rubber seal around the hatch. After aging it sort of collapses and it too will leak.
Hope this helps, good luck!!!

carter3

I have a '93 aerostar w/3.o liter, and 256000 on the odometer . My rear window on the hatch back was leaking, so the window was removed, the old sealant scrapped off and new sealant applied, gently replaced and the little bolts tightened, I waited two days before checking for leaks, the operation was a success. The gas struts on the rear hatch gave me some problems, make sure that the correct struts are used and installed correctly, the thick cylinder part attaches to the hatch and the shaft connects to the "door frame". I made the mistake of putting them on the wrong way and it gave me problems. I also had to remove the head liner and readjust the hinges and the striker located on the bottom of the door frame, because the new struts caused the door to be out of alignment and not latch properly for some unknown reason.Resealing the window , replacing the struts and adjusting the hinges is a two person job and should only be attempted when you have plenty of time and all the parts, it can test your patience. I replaced the heater hoses ( new from Ford, $32.00 each) I used the ones for front heater only, I then went to NAPA and got two 5/8 in. plastic "t"s and spliced in the heater hoses for the rear heat. The hoses for rear heat from Ford costs $73.85 each !!! It seems the engineers did not care about the owner preforming maintence on these vehicles and the problems that he might come across, like what a stupid idea, making hoses that fit only one vehicle and Ford is the only who makes it so you have to pay through the nose for these parts!!! This van is a good vehicle if you maintain them but a little more common sense should have been used when designing these vehicles, for ease of maintence.

greekdriver

HI

I AM FROM GREECE AND I HAVE A GOLD AEROSTAR 11/1989

EVERYBODY TELL ME IT IS A BAD CHOICE THIS CAR A IT IS NOT FOR A EUROPE AND GREECE BUT I LOVE THIS CAR AND I FEEL GOOD WHEN DRIVE IT.

THE ONLY PROBLEM ITS I CAN'T FIND PARTS TO REPAIR IT AT EUROPE

IF SOMEBODY KNOW TO HELP ME PLEASE...

NOW THE AUTOMATIC TRASMISSION LOST OIL FROM THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND I CANT FIND THE PART..

HELP ME FOLKS ....

domesticdadca

Hi i have a 93 and the door is jammed as well. I took off all the inner panels and wd 40 all the moving parts. I am also missing the door handle on the outside because its busted. so that may be part of the problem as well. When i go to open it i have to push a mechanism inside the door near the front of it and it then opens the door. other than that i dont know what else i can do for now. I hope this helps a bit.

carter3

So you have a jammed door on your van? Which door ? Please be more specific about your problem. It may be better to replace the entire locking mechinsm or even the door. I will check back in a few days.

carter3

I own a '93 xlt w/3.0 litre and 253000 miles. Well I have finally fixed my heater and rear hatch problem, now on to other stuff. I was at the local pick a part yard and came accross another van with 4 bucket seats, the interior matched mine. I was really tempted to get them when I noticed that the seat belt anchor points were different from mine, those seats sure looked good. I noticed that pick and pull had several Aerostars ( average 15 to 20 veehicles ) from '88 to '97, so parts are availble here in San Antonio,Tx. Pick and Pull even has 1/2 price weekends once a month. I can find just about any part, including interior parts, in all colors,I even found a front fender that is a perfect match. Also the first parts to be removed is the computer, located under the hood, on the drivers side, left of the brake master cylinder, and the door panels, the ones with electric windows and locks are the most popular. I found the center console, for my van , but I had to take parts from 3 different ones to complete mine, so now I have an option that did not come with my vehicle.I paid $15.00. Going to pick and pull helped me learn how things go together. Most of the vans are sold to pick and pull because it is hard to pull the engine or to work on it, as Ford recomends. I have also noticed that they sell from $800 to $2400 depending on the year ,condition,options, ect ect.The average price is $1200-1500. These are good vehicles if you maintain them and take your time when working on them. You would be suprised as to how popular they are. Question.... Have you seen the solid red tail lights and what year did they come on the Aerostar van ???? They are red with the white back up lens, no amber lens for the turn signal. I'll check back in a few days..NBC

melsgtp

I am looking for the amount of Aerostars ford build between 1988-1990.
Thanks

littleh

it came on the 97 year

gruesome

I just got a pristine 1996 Aerostar XLT. Is there a way to (1) Adjust the height of the brake pedal. It currently is so far off of the floor that I must lift my entire foot off the floor to use it. I would prefer to leave my heel on the floor and pivot the ball of my foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal in order to operate it.

(2) the accelerator pedel is hard to push down. Is there a way to make it easier to push down, perhaps by changing a return spring somewhere?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

kitc

I have a 92 Aerostar and one would think it would be a breeze to change the windshield wipers. However, I have sadly found this NOT to be true. The manual suggested buying FORD wipers and reading the directions on the container. WELL, I didn't buy FORD wipers but the ones Pep Boys sold me and they are already open so I am hoping to use them. I cannot figure out (nor can the two men who tried to help me) how the heck to get the old ones off, (which would hopefully show me how to get new ones on!!) If anyone can explain this seemingly simple "repair:" to me I would be SOO grateful!! Thanks!

eeess

Can anyone tell me what is entailed with replacing the transfer case in my 1991 Aerostar AWD with a 1993 transfer case? Maybe drive shafts or transmission extension?

Thanks,

cagedriver

hi everyone. i have a quick question/request. i just replaced the two heater hoses on my van, but i think i may have them reversed. can anyone tell me which hose goes to the outlet on the left side (when viewed standing in front of the motor) of the water pump? i currently have the lower heater hose going to the small outlet and the upper hose going to the larger outlet on the left (when viewed standing in front of the motor).

thanks!

also, i managed to change all plugs and wires/cap this weekend without dropping the motor. it was a combo of hitting them from the side, under the van, and from the top of the motor.

carter3

Congtulations, on changing the plugs, wires,etc on your van!!! How many times did you curse and bust your knuckels ?? You have joined the few who can complete that job. Great work !!! I learned quickly to read the book first before attempting any job. Did you know that Ford recommends unbolting the front sub-frame and the lifting the body to replace the engine?? But I have watched the workers at my local Pick and Pull yard remove the engine and transmission from the front without damaging the vehicle, so it can be done...I also had to replace both heater hoses, so I go to my friendly Ford dealership and they charge me $32.98 each for the hoses on the van without rear heater. Each hose is made special to fit the water pump or the theromstant housing, so you can't get it wrong..How do you like those stupid connectors for the heater hose? Ford could have done a better job!!!! Did yours develop any leaks ?? Mine started leaking at the connectors at the heater core, one of the O-rings ( there are 3 on each hose) did not seat properly and started to leak, so I had to fix it, I was not happy about reaching into that small corner to disconnect it, what a pain.. What year is your van, the post '93 has different hoses, due to the addition of some valves on the hoses, therefore more stupid connectors and a higher cost ot he hoses. I hope that this info helps you some how....more later ....NBC

littleh

Aerostar prefers either Motorcraft (expensive) or Autolite (similar quality but better price) double platinum plugs & wires. Don't forget the air filter & PCV & O2 sensor.
Soory that I don't know about the 3.0L engine heater hose system.

littleh

Go to Schuck and let them figure for free. They exchange them for me in less than 5 minutes (all 3)

summerstj

I have a 96 aerostar that was in an accident and I would like to know is it possible to put the 4.0 engine into my 97 aerostar which is a 3.0.They told me I may have bad head gaskets as it was heating up very quickly.

aussieexcile

This may sound dumb but could someone just indicate where the transmission fluid is added at. I have a 1992 aerostar. Thanks

bladekun

My first post! My parents drive a 1989 Ford Aerostar Eddie Bauer, regular length. Man, this van is just spectacular! It's in great condition, with only 128k on it, for a 16 year-old car. I just love this car :surprise: :P

monkeybusiness

Hi, I have an 89 aerostar with 100,000 miles, in good condition with the exception of the engine, the oil pressure is low and the engine knocks when it goes uphill. I was given the van, and am wondering if it's practical to rebuild the engine. I believe the engine was driven without sufficient oil but am not sure as to the cause of the engine troubles. I would be inclined to keep the car because of it's otherwise good shape. Any advice? Many thanks! Patricia

carter3

This is hard for a guy to admitt that I put the trans fluid in the engine, I am so embarassed!!! But I did . You are going to need a funnel with a long tube because the trans fluid goes in a tube located under the hood, above the engine, the same place that you check the fluid level. Have some rags handy. Good luck, NBC

carter3

I own a '93 with the 3.0 litre engine and I would prefer to have the 4.0 engine also, I have seen other vans that had the 4.0 removed at my local Pick and Pull yard, but everything was gone. I have watched the workers at Pick and Pull remove an engine from an Aerostar from the front, Ford recommends to unbolt the front subframe and lift the body. I would guess that the engine mounts, exhaust system, mounting brackets for the a/c, p/s, ect could be different. Also the 4.0 may have a different wiring harness, computer, and sensors, ect. It would be a big project to undertake. The good part is that you have a complete donor vehicle .The Aerostar is a good vehicle,that can be reliable, but it does have its flaws, I feel that Ford could have done a better job engineering the vehicle. Good luck and keep us posted if you take on the project. NBC

carter3

Unfortuntly, a bad engine is the reason why so many Aerostars end up in the Pick and Pull yard. Ford recommends that the front sub frame is to be unbolted and the body lifted to replace the engine, it is a lot of hard work. I have seen others remove the engine from the front like a regular vehicle, but that is also a lot of work and you have to be carefull not to damage the vehicle. Many mechanics charge more because it is a van and there is not a lot of room to work, it is very crampt and most people who work on Aerostars end up with busted knuckels and use a lot of curse words. I guess that it depends on your mechanic, how much money you have, and how much you like the Aerostar. It is a good, reliable vehicle if you maintain them and have the patience to work on them. But Ford could have done a better job engineering them, good luck and keep us informed on the progress. NBC

monkeybusiness

Thanks, it's nice to know what I'm dealing with. I don't drive much, so could muddle a long for another year or more, however then I would be driving a 18 or 19 year old car, and perhaps it's not practical to spend so much money (they thought $2000) on such an old car, as other things might be getting very old. Do the motors go bad because they weren't any good? Or is it that the vans are very good and outlast the motors? Thanks! Patricia

ohio7

Hi all,

I've been on the Taurus forum for over 5 years (own a 2000 Taurus SEL) but am in need of some help from you Aerostar owners.

Our agency just recently got rid of our 1997 Aerostar and gave us a 2005 Caravan. Now one would think that we'd be happy, BUT, we all hate it!! We want our old one back cause it was so perfect for hauling all of the tall items that we haul constantly. It had the perfect back-end loading area - high in the center and almost square at the corners. Also, the space behind the 3rd seat was enough to put some items without taking the seat out (which was a pain - new Caravan - just as painful). :mad:

My boss told me to get the dimensions of the back-end (height and width) so that I can research to see if a new van exists that is close to the old van.

Any help would be appreciated.

I might add that we had absolutely no trouble with this van and most of the miles were in the city (Washington, DC).

twillard

Hello;

I'm currently trying to do some minor repairs on a 1992 Ford Aerostar 4 WD Eddit Bauer edition full sized van.

Problem is, the fuse box cover states: Consult manual; but I didn't get a manual with my used van. So I don't know what fuse goes where.

Can anyone help me out by listing what each fuse # does, and what size fuse should be in the slots?

odontocetos

:sick: My 88' Ford Aerostar was real good but i don't know what happened.
My car just stopped yesterday and now it won't start again.
I check the fuelpump shut-off switch (inertia switch) and that's not the problem.
Please help me. :sick:

carter3

"Do motors go bad because they weren't any good?" That could cover a lot of ground. Some engines (motors run electricty, engines run on a fuel and usually internal combustion.) are of poor design and poor quality due to the cost of producing the vehicle. Some engines were not intended for a long life, they were cheap to design and produce and made of low quality materials, remember a profit is usually more inportant than quality. Most vehicles are produced to make a profit for the manufacture and the dealer . Most vehicles start to break down shortly after the warranty ends, by that time they are sold to the 3rd or 4th owner and the vehicle reliableity goes down hill because people either don't care , can't afford to maintain the vehicle, and the manufacture does not care because they already got their money. If the owner does not abuse and properly maintains the vehicle it can last a long time. When the gas crunch back in '73 came about the Big 4 Manufactures ( GM, Ford,Chrysler and AMC) rushed to make small cars with small engines cheaply, with a steel block and an aluminumn head or and engine with aluminum block and head. Because this was new to them , there was a lot of problems with the quality of these engines. So quality and proper maintence work together, keeping you on the road. Now an engine produces a lot of damaging wear and tear on the internal parts, the engine does wear out, in order to slow down on the wear and tear, maintence is so impotant. No engine lasts for ever, that is why preforming maintence costs money. It is up to you to decide what is best for your situation. I own a '93 Aerostar that I had buy because I need a vehicle right away, now it has 2540000 miles and I drive it everyday. My red-neck friends laugh at me because I invest a lot of time in the maintence, but it pays off. I hope that I did not confuse you more. Patricia, good luck to you. NBC

carter3

There could be a lot of reasons. Start withe the basics, air - fuel- ignation. You need some help with this. check if there is any spark going to the sparkplugs. The coil, ignition module, wires, coil wire need to be checked. Also the listen for the fuel pump to go on when you turn the key. You did not say what the engine does and does not do. It can be easier to figure out if you tell us what the symtoms are. Did you put gas in the tank? I had a problem like yours it was the iginition module, it would get hot and the engine would stop and only restart when it cooled down. Give us details. NBC

odontocetos

Thanks, i found the problem!!! that was the ignition module, but now the problem is the alternator, it don't works. :sick: :confuse:

carter3

1993 Aerostar xlt, 3.0 litre,auto, p/s,p/b,p/l,p/w/,a/c. Tilt wheel and cruise control. Green outside, gray inside. Engine and trans rebuilt spring 2004. New tires w/ Ford rally wheels. Vehicle has 254000 miles on body and chassis. Highly maintined and not abused. Sorry to see her go. Bought a truck, I don't need this reliable vehicle. She has given me great service, after I fixed all the bugs. Any questions leave message here. I will check here in a few days. NBC