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Ford Aerostar

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

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#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?
#204 of 520 Bring back the Aerostar! by infidel Sep 21, 2002 (4:17 pm)
#205 of 520 changing belts.. by windblownhair Sep 29, 2002 (11:05 am)
if you put a socket on the tentioner,the nut in the center of the pully,turning right(tight), the spring tentioner loosens the belt.. ..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!!
#206 of 520 92 check engine lt by navyair Jan 02, 2003 (10:57 am)
My flashing check engine light was an O2 sensor in the exhaust pipe. Cost me $21 and took about 10 min to change out. First came on only going through mtns and under load. Then came on steady. Ditto, the no problems starting/running.   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.
#207 of 520 1996 Aerostar: Good used vehicle? by nicevoice Jan 05, 2003 (11:26 am)
I've seen a 1996 Aerostar van that I'm thinking of buying. I'll be getting the VIN number from the owner and will do a Carfax check on it. The van has 115k on the clock...owner says she's had a new transmission put in it, but can't remember when that occurred (owner out of town right now and all paperwork is at her house). The van appears in great shape - everything seems to work properly and there's never been any bodywork, never in an accident - it looks clean! Does anyone have any thoughts/comments about things I should look out for? Potential nightmares waiting to happen? Any ideas on how much it should cost to replace timing chain and major belts and pulleys? Owner says high mileage is due to her regular trips between NYC and Miami - lots of highway driving. It's been a family van, used to haul kids, skiing and camping equip. Does not appear to have suffered any abuse! I really like it, but I don't want to buy myself a headache. 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 Replies to this message: littleh (Oct 11, 2005 7:52 pm) vak222 (Dec 15, 2005 6:33 pm) littleh (Feb 18, 2006 11:19 pm)
#208 of 520 nicevoice by dougd7 Jan 07, 2003 (11:56 am)
I have a 93 Aerostar that now has 180,000 miles on it. Which engine does it have? The 3.0L V6 get better mpg but strains when really loaded up. THe 4.0L is good for power but the mpg is lower. We've had to replace the water pump twice in the past two years. Guess it was bad luck. This is not an easy vehicle to work on. Changing belts, oil changes are a pain. If you can you are better off letting a garage do the normal maintenance (tune-ups, oil changes, changing belts, hoses, etc).   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!
#209 of 520 Steering/Popping by elcam81 Feb 25, 2003 (9:08 pm)
I am not a Ford guy, but I have a '92 Aerostar that has been in our family since new, via In-Laws and now mine and I really like this vehicle. Recently I had the rack&pinion replaced, steering column bearings and shaft replaced and all was fine. Last week I had the intermediate steering shaft replaced because of a clicking and popping in the steering column but this work didn't help. Ford says they find no reason for the noise, and it's okay to go down the highway at 75 mph. Not willing to bet the farm on that statement. Anyone had this clicking/popping problem? Thanks Replies to this message: sunshine8 (May 23, 2005 9:04 am)
#210 of 520 Spark plugs and wires by 68torino May 21, 2003 (10:14 am)
A good trick when changing plugs and wires is to add a little dab of neverseize to the plug's threads before installing. Add a little dab of spark plug wire grease(pick up at parts store) or silicone grease to the inside of the boot that goes over the plug. Next time these will be easier to remove. Doesn't help the first hard time but after will be easier.

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