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Ford Aerostar
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Comments
Rgds,
Meekvan
45K miles. The acceleration and braking seems
rather poor. Is this typical or symptomatic of a
serious problem. Please advise.
i have a 1986 Ford Aerostar van window XL with a 2.8 v-6 and 4 speed-auto tranny. i have about 275,000 miles I think could be more!!! mine is very gutless and braking is not good. I have replaced rotors 3 times because of warpness. Tranny is good so far. I do think the engine is very tired though! I do know what you mean! I have semi-matalic pads front and back too!!!
Thanks
John
I have a 95 Aerostar XLT extended van with 85000 miles on it. I plan on towing a tent camper with it this summer. I am installing a class 3 hitch, but I was wondering if I should install a transmission cooler. I know it couldn't hurt but I was just wondering if it might just be a little bit of overkill. The camper weighs about 2800 lbs fully loaded. We will be towing this camper from Rhode Island to Florida this summer. Any thoughts or suggestions ??
It's going to the junk yard real soon. Located in Minneapolis. Contact aurora_ray@yahoo.com
My aluminum transfer case is showing a very strange and potentially dangerous symptom. The transfer case comes in two pieces, held together by about 15 very large bolts. Anyway, where the bolts contact the aluminum cover, there is serious corrosion. If the corrosion continues the case will be come loose. This could cause tremendous vibration and cause the drive train to fall apart while driving! This car already has had the recall done on it.
How about checking under your E-4wd and letting me know it you have the problem too.
aurora_ray@yahoo.com
Bortzj@dnb.com
The dealership can pull the Diagnostic Trouble Code and tell you what the problem is.
This may be covered under a Federal warranty on safety equipment, your extended warranty, or Ford may have a recall or TSB on it.
Check for TSB/recall at www.nhtsa.dot.gov
best of luck
Has anyone else out there with a '91 had transmission or cooling system problems? We actually looked at the 2000 Windstars, but were scared away by all the transmission problems we have heard about.
Has anyone else had trouble with their van bumping or chugging?????
Is there a way for me to check my timing? According to my Ford 2 volume set service manual... the timing is preset and cannot be adjusted. If I were to look in the right area with a timing light... would I be able
to tell if my timing did get knocked out?
If the problem turns out to be what I think it might be... is there anything else I should pay attention to (i.e. replace) while I have the
front end apart on this vehicle? I'm hoping to salvage this vehicle as can't afford the cost of a new vehicle. Know what I mean?
Thoughts? One other thing... prior to this incident I thought I heard the development of a whining noise in the front end. Not sure if this
is a coincidence or if my alternator was on its way out.
Thanks for any helpful advice.
Greg
So far I have not had any overheating problems and would like to keep it that way.
Thanks for your input
Why is this important to me? Around town I like to keep the vehicle in "D" so I don't have to worry about undue stress on the tranny as the computer is constantly deciding if it should be in "D" or "O".
I noticed on the '97 Aerostar that was a button that appeared could be depressed on the gear position selector. I pushed this in expected some light to come on the dash indicating "O" disabled or something to that effect. Does this button somehow disable overdrive? If so, should some indication be observed?
Thanks.
Greg
I don't believe repair costs are that much higher than other vehicles. If you are going to shops that bill at $80-90 an hour, charge "book time" and sell you parts at full retail, it will seem expensive. Probably doesn't mater what car you drive, actual repair costs will be similar. (But maybe not frequency.)
If you paid 800 for a major brake job - you got screwed. You can buy new rotors, pads and drums for $360 and it takes 2 hours MAX to do in your garage. (If they didn't replace the parts but turned them, take off 200.)
A few items are pricey on the Aerostar. Some labor charges are higher for a van due to access.
BTW, Who explained the AWD requires "syncronized" tire replacement? The tire salesman I bet!!! Sounds like non-sense to me. Some story about tire size and differentials, huh?
Any 8 to 10 year old car will begin to fail. Even minor items will be as expensive as a new vehicle. Why would one expect that a brand new part for a '90 car is less than a brand new part for a 97 or 99?! Labor to install is the same also.
I couldn't afford to drive the vehicles I drive if I didn't do most of the maintenance and minor work myself. (Q45, F250, Aero, Dakota) I am amazed at how folks are ripped of for their repairs....
Now it sits in the driveway needing a $1700 overhaul. I think I will cut my losses and sell it for parts or a handyman might want to get it going again.
Overall it has been a great vehicle.
Duuhhh, I waited 2 weeks until it was almost undriveable to look at it. Low 2 quarts fluid.
Didn't see any puddles. In fact maybe a couple drops in garage(plywood on floor). Anyway, it sorta fixed it. But had 120K miles so decided to have filter/fluid changed. Brought it to a mechanic I had used once for inexpensive tuneup. I wasn't gonna try those plug changeouts!!!!!
He is a trasmission specialist(oooh-wow!right?)
Ok, he's very low key, toyota specialist, but said he could do no problem. But warned me that in this situation changing fluid/filter might help, not make difference or make it really worse.
I said, hey, do the maintenance($55) I'll take the chance(had only done trans/fluid once before, not complete torque/convert job.)
It ran fine as when I left it with him. A month later it's slipping a very little very seldom My wife takes to get engine oil change. They check tranny fluid , and they say "tranny fluid is brown! burned, needs changed." I told them the story, they say ok we do full fluid change, suck out ALL the fluid in tranny and torque converter and do filter again. $100.00. "OK, I say do it"
(better than new tranny!)
last week (2 weeks later) it's almost a quart low but not slipping.
Moral of the story?????
Have your tranny fluid checked often, keep it full. CHANGE TRANNY FLUID/filter every 20,000 miles!!!
Tranny specialists say your tranny should last forever if you do.
Recently took a road trip, checked the oil level day before, and because the way the dip stick smears the oil when stick is removed, it is difficult to read level accurately. Thought level was OK. 1 hr into trip, a knocking sound starts & progressively gets louder. Never imagined it was the valves tapping. Stopped for gas & had attendant check oil, it was DRY ! It took 2 1/2 qts ! The noise went away. 2 questions:
#1 Did I do permanent damage ?
(I went about 50 miles until next gas station)
#2 How can you tell if you're burning oil ? (short of checking fluid level every other day)
If yours only took 2.5 quarts then it wasn't dry, as they typically hold a total of about 5 quarts (depending on engine size). However, if the low level condition did cause the noises you heard, and you drove it 50 miles that way, then I'm surprised it still runs at all. When an engine makes noise due to inadequate lubrication, damage is being done. Time will tell how significant the damage may be. Good Luck.
The only service I've given it (for upkeep/repair) is a new belt & thermo at time of purchase, new 1CV boot change and 1front axle replacement (boot tore and sand ruined joint), new flex piece for the exhaust (muffler now starting to have small leaks), tires, rear shoes, battery, tranny filter change, brakelight switch, F,R diff fluid change and new plugs and wires. Everything else is original and frequently maintained.
Shortly before purchase, the transfer box and driveshaft were replaced due to some Ford recall TSB. Also, it has had it's Ford recall for the dashboard accessory wiring harness.
It was NOT fun changing the plugs and wires. If hauling weight often, recommend TRUCK shocks and swaybar for rear (1"+). The PS pump makes a WAAAAA noise when turning, which I've heard on other Aero's. Once in a while in the summer, upon startup the engine will puff out a small cloud of smoke--failing O2 sensor? (miles, probably), worn valve seals? (oil consumption is unmeasureable). My mileage isn't too spiffy. 17~18mpg (summer), 14~16 (winter-snow). It doesn't matter where or how I drive (empty or loaded). It's best mileage is at 50~55mph. The tranny or rear end's gearing is to blame. The engine spins pretty fast in top gear (est. ~2500rpms@55~60mph, close to 3000 at 70mph).
I find the benches to be the heaviest things on earth. I love the utility of this van. I've hauled 32 sheets of 7/16" OSB (40~50lbs each) with the door shut, not to mention other more massive loads. How many OTHER 4WD vans can do what the Aerostar can? These new mini-vans with "car parts" just don't come close. The Aerostar is a TRUCK. scottbartholomew@hotmail.com
Other than that the van is good we like it..
Many thanks for any help you can offer. Aloha from Hawaii,
Monnie Monaghan
THANKS IN ADVANCE
I would be dubious about purchasing any car with 93,000 miles on it. On the other hand, you could figure if the car was junk, it would have been scrapped a long time ago.
Ragsalion
ford aerostar that I bought three months ago with 153,000 mileson it. It has a hum in the front end that get louder as speed increases. Local Ford dealer thinks its the front differential and estimates that repairs could run from $800 to $2,500 (OUCH). Anyone else out there had similar problems that you could tell me about and what the cost to fix was.
thank you
Joe
You may also want to check out the sidebar link on the above page for a comprehensive guide to buying a used car. Good luck!
Steve
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I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this vehicle. If your interested in buying one, here are some things you might consider: *The 3.0 is a very durable motor but not powerful or economical. It uses oil and only God knows where it goes. *The Aerostar aint pretty to look at and most are rear wheel drive only so you should be able to get a good deal no matter what. *Avoid models earlier than 92 unless you want a leaky rust bucket. *Transmission can be a weak link so find one that was treated with care (was serviced and not used for regular heavy towing) Look for a transmission cooler mounted in front of the radiator. *Keep an eye on the motor oil pan. Mine has a tendency to bubble and rust. The best thing about the Aerostar is that it is very heavy duty (for a "minivan"). Its actually more like a truck. Whether your hauling kids or sheets of plywood, the aerostar handles both with ease. Good luck!
Well, we hadn't had rain in our area for a long time, until yesterday. We discovered that the van leaks along the drivers side. It showed no evidence of leaking when we bought it. The funny thing is that it seems to be leaking on the drivers side door (the carpet there on the edge is wet). It also leaks from the 2 rear windows on the driver's side. It's kind of a rolling drip on the inside. Has anyone else had this problem?
I was wondering if maybe there is some sort of drain tube that might be clogged? Or am I stuck with replacing window seals??