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Ford Windstar Problems

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Comments

  • 97star97star Member Posts: 6
    Actually I have several things going on right now. Foremost is the problem that my '97 will almost stall when the cooling fans activate when my A/C is on. It runs great otherwise. Any thoughts?
  • mlpntrmlpntr Member Posts: 61
    Don't run the AC?
    I would have your alternator, battery, and serpentine belt checked.
  • 97star97star Member Posts: 6
    No A/C? I'll tell my wife that one! Funny you mention the serpentine belt. I just replaced it with the Ford JK6-1036 that it calls for, and it does not fall inbetween the lines on the tensioner, it just lines up with the upper line. I should have the altenator checked. I've replaced it twice. At $200, Im glad I bought one with a lifetime warranty, and it's the easiset thing to replace on the engine.
  • mlpntrmlpntr Member Posts: 61
    I agree that the alternator is one of the easiest things to change. It was easier than changing the bulb for the headlight.
    When was the last time you changed the alternator? You might want to go ahead and test the voltage on the battery. It could be starting to go bad.
  • mlpntrmlpntr Member Posts: 61
    I just had the tailgate latch break on me. I was on a weekend trip when it happened. Funny how I leave town and all these little things break. The rearview mirror fell off too.
    OK, the tailgate is an easy fix. pull off the panel on the inside. I had to crawl back there (lay the rear seat down first) and pull it from the inside since the door wouldn't open. There is a little yellow plastic clip that attaches to this little rod and snaps into the handle. There is your problem. Make sure it's snapped into the handle and then put it around the rod and use a screw driver to help latch it. If it's broke then you will need to replace it. Mine wasn't broke, though, just cam undone. I'm assuming the heat caused it.
    Then you're ready to reattch the panel. Pull all of the yellow push screws out of the hatch itself and ttach then to the panel. You might need a screw driver and pliers to make it easy. Then you snap the panel on all around and your done.
  • mlpntrmlpntr Member Posts: 61
    Check out this site and file a complaint for everything that has repeatedly gone wrong. Transmissions, sway bar, electrical, check engine light. Everything. With enough complaints Ford will have to do something.
    http://www.mycarstats.com/
  • 97star97star Member Posts: 6
    I replaced the altenator about 2 years ago. I pulled it today and the auto parts store said it failed. Got the new one on. haven't had the stalling problem. In the mean time while i had the belt off, i measured the idler pulley. It measured 89mm. I replaced it with the correct size, 82mm. You never know what you get when you buy used. The reason I hadn't noticed the tensioner being wrong is that the old belt was 1" longer, so the tensioner was in the correct spot. That helped my belt problem, now my tensioner is in the correct place, with the correct belt. The battery checked in at 12.77 volts.
  • mlpntrmlpntr Member Posts: 61
    Very cool. I'm glad it worked out for you.
    By the way, I'm a 32 year old single mom. I learned a whole lot about cars because I was tired of paying the mechanics to rip me off. The only time my van goes into a shop is when I am physically unable to do the repair myself. Most mechanics hate when you tell them what the problem is and how much you're willing to pay to fix it. Especially when you where a dress. LOL
    I also love it when they try to tell me something else is wrong and I tell them that I already checked it and it checked out fine.
  • jaeasonjaeason Member Posts: 1
    It came off. No one admits to abusing it (naturally). It doesn't look broken, just no longer attached to the seat. Anyone know how to hook it back up? Looks like a threaded post is supposed to go in the seat, but how to get a nut on it???
  • 97star97star Member Posts: 6
    I think you are very cool. I can appreciate women working on mechanical things. My mother was the first women in our state to be licensed for clock repair. I know plenty of guys who won't get their hands dirty. As many problems as todays cars can have, and if you have money to spend, repair bills can add up quickly. It's seems as if I'm always learning. On to my next problem.
  • mlpntrmlpntr Member Posts: 61
    Thank you. You made my morning.
    I for one don't have enough money to keep throwing it at a mechanic. Being a single mom makes money a little tight. It takes 2 incomes these days to survive.
    I will never buy another Ford. LOL
  • kevinvt1kevinvt1 Member Posts: 1
    i have a 2001 ws i got this van d days ago and today on the way home from shopping with my wife and 4 boys the transmission blew .. its funny becase i had a 99 like 2 years ago the transmission went i figured this would not happen 2 times to the same person but this sucks i think they should recall all ws to fix this stuff
  • windstarsick1windstarsick1 Member Posts: 1
    forget the 2000 windstar we bought our in 2004 and in the last 4 months have put in 2 transmissions the engine light stays on and the car just wont acelerate fast enough to not get you killed on the . stay clear
  • jimskinsjimskins Member Posts: 11
    The van won't redline because of the rev limiter. It is to protect the engine so you don't over-rev it and blow it up. Why would you want to redline a Windstar anyway? They have enough problems. I am on my second one (first one was a lemon) and my current '02 has had a bunch of problems. I cannot wait to get rid of it!
  • mlpntrmlpntr Member Posts: 61
    1. Lift gate won't open - There is a clip that holds a little bar to the handle. This clip is plastic (it's a Ford so what can I say?) On the 95's this clip is yellow. In high temperatures the clip will expand and come unfastened. If it doesn't come unfastened it will just break. Take the inside panel of the liftgate off. Yes, it can be done with it closed. You can manually release the trunk by twisting the metal piece that the lift gate cables are attached to once the panel is off. Take a screw driver and refasten the clip around the bar. Can be done with tiny fingers but a screwdriver makes it much easier. Reattach the panel and enjoy the use of your lift gate again.

    2. Rearview mirror false off - Again a high temperature (and sometimes low temp) problem. There is a professional mirror adhesive at autozone you can buy. The cheap stuff won't work because of a coating on the windshield.

    3. Sway bar snaps - Go to a junk yad and pick up another one (about $45), buy a repair manual for your model,order the link kit from Auto zone ($14), Do it yourself for much cheaper than the dealership. Then you might want to file a complaint here http://www.nhtsa.gov/

    4. Reverse (or any other gear) won't engage - This is where you will need a sledgehammer. File a complaint at http://www.nhtsa.gov/ and then take it to a mechanic for a complete transmission overhaul unless you can drop a tranny and fix it yourself. The overhaul will cost about $2000. Basically the pistons in these lovely tin cans are made of alluminum and break apart. Have them replaced with custom parts (not Ford) if you can. The custom parts are made out of steal.

    5. Check engine light comes on and the van shutters right around 40MPH or 1500 to 2000 RPM's (codes P0301 to P0306). You may also notice gas in your oil - If you are unsure of the gas in the oil then remove your dipstick and sniff it. If you smell gas then guess what? This seems to be a bad computer. A mechanic will tell you it just needs a tune up and then it will need wires, then a coil pack, then it will need fuel injectors, finally they will tell you that the computer is bad too. When you first take it in request that they put a new computer in to test if that's the problem before you pay hundreds of dollars in useless repairs.

    6. To lean or too rich (codes P0171 to P0175)- You have a bad MAF sensor. It is in line with the air intake and right near the air filter housing. It has wires hanging out of it. Pick up a new one at your trust auto parts store, buy a manual while your there, and take the 10 minutes you would spend stressing over how much the repair would cost by a mechanic and just replace it.

    Please feel free to ask me any questions. I will answer what I can from personal experience with my lovely Ford Windstar. I will be purchasing a Dodge Caravan when I trade this one in. If you want to know if you should purchase that Windstar you saw cheap in the paper then ask yourself why it's so cheap. If you can't come up with an answer then read the thousands of posts on this forum. If you still don't have an answer then go to http://www.nhtsa.gov/ and read the complaints, TSB's, investigations, and recalls for the Windstar. If you then decide to purchase it then I have some ocean front property in Iowa for you to take a look at. I'm selling it real cheap.
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    Hi, michel4,

    This would be a great question for the folks in the Smart Shopper Forum. You might also want to ask your question there.

    MODERATOR

    Need help getting around? claires@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.

    Tell everyone about your buying experience: Write a Dealer Review

  • arnalaarnala Member Posts: 7
    Dear Mike,
    Could you provide me the "new" Part Number of the "redisigned" valve cove? May be you have it from the dealer when they said "it needs the redesigned valve cover that will prevent oil from traveling into the intake manifold via the PCV Valve and ruining the internals of the intake manifold".

    Could you comment me how is working the car after the works done (2005)?

    Could you provide me the part number of the PCV valve used?

    I have a Windstar 2000 and I belaeve it is the problem.

    Thanks a lot
    Arnaldo M
  • arnalaarnala Member Posts: 7
    Hello,
    Do you know how mutch it cost? (MAF sensor)
    Thanks a lot
    Arnaldo M
  • arnalaarnala Member Posts: 7
    Hello,
    Do you konw the kit number?
    Please let me know.

    Thanks
    Arnaldo M
  • arnalaarnala Member Posts: 7
    Hello
    Could you inform me how mutch it cost? What technical bulletin is it?
    Thanks
    Arnaldo M
  • jon04ctsvjon04ctsv Member Posts: 1
    Hi everyone,

    My daily driver, '96 Windstar with the 3.8L is knocking really loud. At first, it only happed around 2500rpms, but now it's gotten very bad. It knocks really loud from 2000-3000rpms. It happens when I'm on the gas or off.

    Does anyone know what it is? It definately sounds like it's coming from the bottom, maybe the right side. It's got 157,000kms on it and we've had it since Day 1, and done oil changes every 5000kms.

    Thanks in advance.

    - Jon
  • fordstarfordstar Member Posts: 2
    A mechanic told me that the 3.8-liter powertrain in the 1996 Windstar is compatible with the 1997 model only. I was wondering if this is true and if a transmission off a 1996 would work in a 1995 Windstar, or a '95 engine in a '96 van. I am talking about the 3.8-liter only. Basically I have a 1996 with no engine and a friend has a 1995 who needs a tranny :-) Any advice is much appreciated.
  • champagne4champagne4 Member Posts: 2
    hello, i was relieved when i read your message and im praying the same for the 99' that i just purchased,is your van also a gas guzzler? did you have problems with your van not picking up speed right away? and should i be worried that they just had alot of work done put into the van before purchasing? please share, i have a 2yr warranty on the van but it doesnt cover the brakes that they claimed were brand new.....
  • jimlabjimlab Member Posts: 5
    Just changed the oil/filter on our 2000 3.8L Windstar. This is the first oil change since we got the car about a month or so ago. The previous owners had just had a new engine (short block) installed before we got the van. After dumping 5 quarts of 5W-30 and running the engine for a minute, I checked the dip stick and found that the oil level was just touching the bottom of the stick. A quart and a half later, I finally got a decent reading on the dip stick. The manual claims 5 quarts, but it took 6.5 quarts. Did Ford design a new oil pan with a deeper sump on the new short blocks than the factory original?
  • kbuntingkbunting Member Posts: 1
    How does one eliminate the tension on the belt to remove it. I need to replace alternator and found the tension idler pulley but it does not move away from belt. What is the procedure for removing the tension so the belt can be removed?
    Trying to repair this evening as neighbor's wife just broke down with alternator problem.
    Thank you,
    K Bunting
  • pepper4pepper4 Member Posts: 10
    Hi
    Anybody recommend any?
    I saw a actron cp9135 at auto zone that looked ok.

    Thank You
    Mike
  • pepper4pepper4 Member Posts: 10
    Hi
    I replaced air bleed motor and it fix the the problem .
    It me a few min to replace it. Bought the part at Autozone
    and it was around $40. :)
  • jeffyscottjeffyscott Member Posts: 3,855
    Just got our Windstar back after it had spent 7 weeks at a Tech College. Head, front cover, and intake gakets all replaced. While they had the engine out, also replaced water pump, timing chain and gears, plug and wires and a few addtional miscellaneous items.

    I only had to pay for the parts...just under $1000 :D and that was with all OEM parts.
  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    Hi, Folks,

    You've probably noticed new discussions appearing all over the forums. What's happening is that we are closing generic, everything-in-one pile discussions like this and creating smaller discussions that deal with specific areas of interest. You'll find a number of discussions listed at the top level of this group: Ford Windstar

    When you're ready to post, please check the discussion list there for the appropriate discussion to post in. If you don't see a discussion that fits your question or problem, feel free to create one. We can deal with accidental duplication of topics as things progress.

    While you're at the top-level, don't forget to click on "Track This Group". That way, you'll be able to track all of the discussions that are already here, as well as any new ones as they are created.

    Using the "Read New Posts" link will mean you won't miss anything on the Windstar board. If you see a discussion that doesn't interest you, all you have to do is click on the "Remove Track" link within the discussion.

    Thanks for your understaning and help in making this group a great resource of information for Windstar owners!

    MODERATOR

    Need help getting around? claires@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.

    Tell everyone about your buying experience: Write a Dealer Review

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