You are here: Forums Vans & Minivans Ford Aerostar Ford Aerostar

Ford Aerostar

520 messages,  Last post on Nov 16, 2009 at 4:57 PM

You are in the Ford Aerostar Forum. Your Host is Karens

What is this discussion about? Ford Aerostar, Van

Messages Page 21 of 53 1 ... 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ... 53 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

#194 of 520 dougd by pjksr Jun 06, 2002 (8:02 am)
My 91 Aerostar (4WD w/ 4.0L engine) never got better than 19 mpg on oxygenated fuels, introduced in the mid-90s. Previously, mileage was 21 mpg... I'd think your mileage in the South should have been higher, without the oxygenates in the fuel. Maybe it was your roof rack luggage?   You may try a container of Techron fuel injector cleaner, to help clean up your valves...
#195 of 520 pjksr by dougd7 Jun 12, 2002 (9:24 am)
I'll try some injector cleaner. I figure I lost 1-2 mph with the roof luggage but I didn't figure on loosing another 2 mpg. Could have been the sparkplugs were worn enough to lose 2 mpg. I've lost 4 mpg on my 92 Acclaim when the plugs really wore out. Another thought is maybe the O2 sensor is getting long in the tooth and may need to be replaced. My Acclaim really dropped mpg when the O2 sensor went bad (almost undriveable). Around home our combined city/hwy mileage (80% hwy) is around 20 mpg - sometimes up to 21.   And about the oxygenated fuels - they only use it in the winter correct? So that shouldn't have been an issue. I remember getting fuel at Texaco (a truck stop in Alabama) and other convenience store type places. In fact at the Texaco I remember getting mid-grade fuel (91 octane) and not the regular 87 octane. Didn't seem to make a difference.   I just changed the oil/filter at 162k miles. Everything is good to go for another 5k miles.   Also the sliding door latch needs replacing. The spring that holds the top "hook" up when the door is open has broken and to close the door one has to make sure the hook is "up" before sliding the door closed. I haven't checked with our local mechanic as to cost. Any thoughts? TIA.
#196 of 520 96 Aerostar Ext AWD by forceonedm Jun 12, 2002 (12:52 pm)
We have just bought the van and love it. Its huge compared to our Oldsmobile. Three things I am wondering about and hope someone has come across it before.. The sliding door jams about 6 inches from closed if not lifted slightly, it comes off the runner a bit. The dealer says I may have to have the runners replaced at up to $400 Cdn for parts. Any advice to save money? Next, the front wipers don't sweep fully, leaving about 4 inches un-wiped on the drivers side (somewhat annoying) and when they go down the passenger side wiper hits the plastic cowling making an annoying tapping sound. Surely this is not normal? Lastly, has anyone found they have a line that appears on their rear carpets right down the middle of the van that seems to be coming up through the carpet. Its not greasy, is slightly tacky and has no smell. Other than this we love the van, the size, power, comfort and pretty good handling for a truck. Replies to this message: wut4 (May 27, 2005 1:05 pm)
#197 of 520 Aerostar Air by calvinme Jun 16, 2002 (2:51 pm)
We have a 93 Aerostar 3.0L 4 speed auto trans.dual air conditioning. We had the air repaired at a Midas Muffler shop that advertised Air work in the news paper.   The 93 used the old type of refrigerant that's been outlawed. So when the diagnosis said the compressor was bad they replaced compressor,accumulator,and coil to accommodate the new refrigerant. We think they did their job right.    However it cools great sitting still or going 30 mph but when you accelerate or clime a hill or drive over 55 mph the air shuts off till the engine is no longer in a strain then it comes back on. does anyone have any suggestions as to what the problem might be? Thanks Calvin
#198 of 520 Aerostar air shutoff by stantont Jul 13, 2002 (10:09 am)
The air shutoff under load may be normal; most cars do it at some time. It happens because the airflow control flappers in the heater/a.c. system are moved by engine intake manifold vacuum. When you open the throttle, the vacuum drops. There is a small vacuum accumulator under the hood (a black plastic reservoir on the firewall just below the back edge of the hood, with a vacuum hose connected by a one-way valve to the engine's intake manifold). On a sustained open-throttle run, like a long climb, the reservoir runs out of vacuum. Then all the flapper doors revert to "normal", which happens to be "heater" mode; all the front cold air gets sent to the front floor vents (if you are wearing sandals you can feel the sudden shot of cold air on your right foot). The rear air goes through the rear heater core instead of the rear a/c. All this time, the a/c compressor is still trying to cool, but there is no air flow through it to get to you. As soon as the throttle is closed again (steady cruise or idle or downhill), vacuum is restored and the air flappers again send air through the a/c core.   If your car does this whenever you open the throttle even briefly, then something is wrong with the vacuum accumulator system: either an air leak somewhere (bad vacuum hose), or perhaps a bad one-way valve. Our Aerostar does it on long climbs, where long means maybe a minute or longer; anything under that time it does not happen. Any sustained load makes it happen, so for example a long pull in D4 with a heavy trailer will do it.     Almost every car we've ever owned would do it on long mountain stretches, though the more powerful the car, the less it happened, since the engine wasn't pulling as hard on a given stretch. BTW, a downshift to D3 or even to second on really hard pulls would often spin the engine up just enough to restore vacuum, and the a/c would cool again.   Hope this helps!
#199 of 520 Aerostar air again by stantont Jul 13, 2002 (10:18 am)
I just reread your note. The air shutoff I described should NOT happen at steady cruise at any speed; if it does, then there is definitely a vacuum leak somewhere. Since this just began after a/c work, I suspect some vacuum hose was either disconnected or plugged back into the wrong place, or has hardened with age and split when it was moved. If all else fails you could buy a bunch of vacuum hose and sytematically replace all the vacuum hoses on the engine. But do get a good diagram before you start to be sure all the hoses are put in the right place; I would definitely NOT assume they are all correct now.
#200 of 520 93 Aerostar Ewt. by mars101 Sep 02, 2002 (10:06 am)
We have owned the 93 Aerostar Aerosport with the 4.0L engine for approx. 6 years. It has been a very dependable van. We have almost 300,000km's on it at present, when we purchased it there was almost 100,000km's on it. The body is still 100% rust free even with it seeing heavy winter use. We do oil spray it regularly. Aside from the regular maintenance and parts replacement, brakes,tires, etc, we have found little to complain about. We are still on the original power steering pump and air conditioner, both still work great. There is one thing however, I have been noticing the last couple of months. When I drive over rough road sections, such as railway crossings, I get a loud rattling and thumping noise. I have had the front end checked out by two reputable service centers and they claim everything is fine. There is nothing to indicate that the shocks may be bad as they seem to work fine, no front end diving or bouncing. The steering also appears to be tight, as there is no excessive steering wheel movement or wandering on the road. Any thoughts by anyone would be appreciated. I would like to fix this annoying noise as we plan to keep the van on the road for some time yet. Replies to this message: wut4 (May 27, 2005 1:19 pm)
#201 of 520 Aerostar front end rattle by stantont Sep 19, 2002 (7:34 am)
You might have the shop check out the inner and outer tie rod ends; our '95 EXT with 130,000 miles needed them replaced this year. Steering felt just a tiny bit loose (less than 1 inch play at steering wheel rim), but it was enough to cause a rattle, and after the change, the steering felt noticeably more precise. Slow wear like that comes on gradually, so you tend not to notice it. For us, we suddenly noticed it when we got another car (a new Accord), and realized it's steering felt more precise than the van's.   BTW, Consumer Reports pans Aerostars for reliability, but ours has been excellent. The only repairs (other than normal maintenance) have been two sets of front brake rotors and pads, shocks, and a thermostat. And an annoying switch in the tailgate that kept telling us the tailgate was open when it wasn't. I finally cut the wire rather than spend money on an annoyance.   All else is original: a/c, steering, auto trans, engine, etc., etc. Paint is still excellent. And NO rust anywhere. The van has done yeoman's service, pulling a 2800-lb boat trailer and occasionally a very large U-Haul trailer (4500 lbs?). And I once carried 1700 lbs of building materials inside for a project at home....
#202 of 520 Aerostar front end rattle by dobbs2u Sep 21, 2002 (12:44 pm)
Just wondering, do you have the Aluminium Ford wheels with the removable centers? I was just driving our '94 Aerostar and while passing over a set of railway tracks the front wheel centers rattled very loudly. Just a thought.
#203 of 520 93 still going strong! by infidel Sep 21, 2002 (4:10 pm)
Hello! I've got a 93 Aerostar with 200,000 miles on it, still going strong! 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?

Messages Page 21 of 53 1 ... 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ... 53 Prev Next Last

Go To Msg # Search This Discussion

You are here: Forums Vans & Minivans Ford Aerostar Ford Aerostar