Hi guys.
My wifes 89 Areo 3.0L XL is having a problem with either the cooling system or something.
Here's the scoop:

The van runs just off of the C in the temp gauge. Very little heat comes from the heater. Takes about 30 minutes of running to get luke warm air.

Ok, this weekend I thought... It's got to be the thermostat. I went and bout a 195deg thermo. Removed the old one, and it would open by blowing on it...LOL Installed the new.
I also put a new radiator cap on it, and filled hew with premix fluid. Did the "Burping" (yeah, I was drinking beer...LOL) Burped the residual air out of the system.
Well... Still no effect. Runs about the same temp, but we get luke warm air a bit quicker... About 10 minutes quicker...

I thought it might be the clutch in the fan, I felt the resistance, and seemed fine to me. The water pump is also working properly. (Fluid movement with cap off)
So here I sit, beer in hand, scratching my.....well....hehehehe... Head.

Any suggestions?

 

pretty good odds you have a partially clogged heater core. I was able to substantially improve mine by disconnecting hoses and gently running garden hose water first in one direction than the other. Lots of hair ***** were coughed up.

Ken

 

But would that account for the very low running temp?

 

Check your temperature sending unit. I had to replace them on both of my vans. These things do go bad periodically. Also, clean out the connector and crimp it down a little before you put it back on.

I would do what Ken says and flush out the heater core first. Pretty easy to do. Just remove both hoses and force water through with a garden hose. When you put them back, make sure the inlet is on the bottom of the heater core, or you won't be able to purge all the air from it.

 

Try to touch pipes, radiator and heater core. This "hand-test" alowes to find different problem... If the metal around the tempreture sending unit is low, look at the gauge. What a result? The next: fan clutch was the sourse of my heating problem. I had to change it. And if its very cold outdors, close the radiator by plastic... Old method...

 

I had this exact same problem a year or so ago. Engine would not warm up, no matter what, and lukewarm (if that) heat.

Heator core blockage would explain little or no heat, but your biggest clue is that engine gauge still at C.

Turns out the Aero has 2 temp sensors. If I remember correctly, one goes to your gauge, and the other sends signals to your engine computer. This is the one that needs to be replaced probably. I happened to have a spare one lying around so I changed it and BAM heat came back strong, engine temp needle went back to the middle.

End of problem.

Try it.

And by the way, if you have not tried the water down your brake vacume line when the engine is nice and hot trick you don't know what your missing.

All the pinging and rattling went away immediatly after running about 1/2 pitcher of water into the running engine. I was hesitant, but had tried seafoam and no results except enough nasty smelling white smoke to bring the fire dept. (not really, but darn close) she still pinged bad.

After using the water (steam cleaned the head I guess) it runs like a bat outta hell. No pinging, power increase was unreal. Runs like new Aero.

Try it!

Dave

 

I will try that!!
This thing already runs like a bat outta hell for a 3.0L. Very impressive. But this might take care of the studdering idle and mild (very mild) ping. My wife says I'm hearing things. You guys ever get that? Is it so wrong that we have such tuned hearing that we can hear the slightest miss, ping, clunk, whizz, bang, whizzzzzle, and psssssssst? But we can't hear the wife yell for us to take out the garbage... Ironic isn't it?

I have read about the sea foam treatment. How fast should I put the water in? And is it a wise idea to do it when the engine doesn't get off of cold?

So what you are saying about the temp sensor, is the computer controls the cooling? Odd. I don't see how replacing the sensor would help with engine temp... I could be wrong.

You know whats odd? My Bronco II with the 2.8L V6 runs about the same temp... Odd

 

boy that sure is odd that temp gauge indication hasn't changed since replacing an obviously faulty thermostat. Does Ferd use a switch to do temp too?

Ken

 

When was the last time the cooling system was flushed? It should be done every other year, and if I remember correctly, your '89 was neglected some. Also remove the heater hoses and directly flush the heater core(s). I know this is the worse time to do it, but if you want heat, you are going to have to (or pay around $100 to have someone do it.)

I would also go ahead and replace both your temp gauge sensor and PCM Temp sensor (that controls how rich you run) I can't recall off hand where the PCM one is, but the gauge one is located at the thermo housing. Both are fairly reasonable ($5 for the Gauge, $20 for the PCM) and a DIYer.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

 

temp senders, heater core, thermostat valve and radiator all build up chemical and oil based coating after several years of operation....from water contaminates-chorine, ground and water system minerals...from combustion chamber head gasket and intake manifold gasket leaks into cooling system....
creates a chemical, mineral, oilly pus goop coating on cooling system components that makes the sensors lazy and slow or no response and reduces heat transfer in radiator/heater core....
some one on forum suggested a hot run flush with Joy dish soap in cooling system...works great...foams the goop out...flush with clean water multiple times and fill with distilled water/antifreeze 50% mix.

don't use the strong caustic commercial acids/alkalines in a can...almost impossible to flush from system and ....
will eat up and destroy these thin modern aluminum radiators, cores, head gaskets and sensors....

i soap flush every 2 years when i change antifreeze

 

I have read about the sea foam treatment. How fast should I put the water in? And is it a wise idea to do it when the engine doesn't get off of cold?

I did it after arriving home from work (11 miles, 55 mph) and needed to hook up to the trailer and go straight to efland to get a load of firewood (1 hour away) I was nervous about the load on the way home, poor girl had almost no power. I heat the house on wood only, so the prospect of all I could carry for free was to good to pass.
I used about a biggie size cups worth, maybe a little more.

1. Start it up (should be hot already from a drive)
2. Unhook the brake booster (she may try to stall, cover hose with finger until you are ready to start sucking water)
3. Get your hand on the throttle, under the hood, or get an assistant. Do it yourself from the hood is better.
4. Start sucking the water by placing brake vacume hose in the cup. Not too fast. Treat as if you were drinking the water, give it a good swallow, then stop the water, keep it revving so it doesn't die on you, let her catch up. Keep revving, it will try to stall out if you go to low on RPM.
5. Keep repeating till your out of water, feel squirrly, get some more water, clean her real good (I've done it twice now)
6. You should start seeing some white smoke as well, I have dual exhaust, so it was pretty bad
7. Put your brake hose back on the booster, go drive it...see the difference.

I pulled the wood home (loaded trailer and inside van as full as I could) at about 75 mph. NO PINGING. I turned off the radio and listened to "nothing" all the way home I was so pleased


So what you are saying about the temp sensor, is the computer controls the cooling? Odd. I don't see how replacing the sensor would help with engine temp... I could be wrong.

Not sure exactly the process, it does NOT make sense. However, I do Know that she has two sensors, and thats what each one is for. When I replaced the Engine temp sensor, the gauge went back to reading normal, and heat worked again. I know that before the sensor was replaced that the engine under the hood felt "normal" but the radiator hoses were always kinda "warmish" and not hot like usual. This corrected itself after the sensor was replaced.

Someone told me when the sensor is bad, then engine continues to run in "warm up" mode. Although i don't think this has anything to do with the water temp, more of fuel mixture (cold engine=choke) so my gas mileage also went up after replacing the sensor.

One last thing i can't explain about why the heat came back. I had replaced the heator core earlier in the summer, it sprung a leak, so I am quite sure it was not blocked.

If someone else could elaborate would be great.

Also, is it possible to do the water trick for cleaning the carbon out too much? Once or twice I'm sure is fine, but can it harm the engine? I'm pretty much thinking that whenever she starts to ping, in goes a little more water.

Dave

 

Thank you Dave for that very informative post! Also 93nighthawk, krankshaft, and 96_4wdr great info!
I will do the water trick, replace the senders, and a full flush. Couldn't hurt!

When I replaced the thermostat, it was real gunky. Looked like it had that green algae slime all over it, and the channel it sat in. Yuk!
The coolent system flush is top priority.

I will let you know my results!

 

One more tip for you but only at your own risk!

I've got a ford transit and have had several where the temp sensors only hover just above C .If it's faulty it will be obvious when you take the Rad cap off and suffer third degree burns from volcanic steam jets emerging. Plz note this is not the tip !

My tip involves the heater flushing. The heater unit is a dumping ground for clumps of rust which build up on the inside of the hoses ok we all know this ! but water flushing some times will fail to flush this sometimes . On stubern ones i use a combination of compressed air and water both ways in order to shift the debrie with success but if your unit is old you could pop a leak. So not too much pressure . Very fast way of sorting the job especialy if your mains water pressure resembles a runny nose on a cold day!
P.S. Small blow torch on the end of the sensor will send your gauge souring if it's working.

 

Stopthebus!

I have one quation: what a Transit? Old or new (RWD or FWD). The new transit has a special electric pump for heating, like in Gaselle, so circulation of water does not depend on RPM... and this pump removes air out the heating core for 1 minute... On old models of Transit this pump is used for rear heater only...

Viva la Espania!!!!