Hi All!
New Areo owner here, a rookie at minivans in general as well. A very good friend had heard we were buying a 94 Aerostar and warned us against it saying he had heard about their "bad rep" for wiring fires and cooking themselves on the side of freeways! I've read through nearly all the posts on the Aero forum and haven't seen one post regarding wiring fires, or ignition switch cookouts......anyone have any light to shed on this? Making me a bit nervous to hear that but I wanna hear from other owners and not just the "I heard something" crowd who have never owned one. My '94 has 125k on it and runs very well, no probs except for a leaky real trans seal (which btw is what made the orig owner sell it....she thought the trans was on it's way out cause it was slipping! Topped the trans fluid up and it works fine!)

best wishes, Ray

 

Welcome to FTE and the Aerostar forum. Cograts on the '94. I can't speak to the wiring fire supposed problem, I've only had my '91 E4WD since July. But this has been a very good vehicle so far. Just got a bunch of snow today, so we will see how each other does while driving. My first four wheel drive. If you run into any problems there is a great bunch of people here to help.

 

Way back in '93 or '94 there was a general recall by Ford for ignition switch replacement - for several makes and models not just Aerostars. There has not been any rash of ignition related fires reported here. You provide any Ford dealer with the VIN number and they can tell you if your vehicle had recall upgrade performed.

 

I had a problem with my first aerostar, but was not ingnition wiring related. It was an 87, and the wire harness between the alternater and battery went up in smoke, and caused a fire in the engine compartment. The problem was the connector at the alternator. It gets corrsion buildup at the contacts of the connector, and begins to heat up. Eventually, it will overheat, and cause a fire. If you don't use a special grease when the alternator is replaced, this can cause a problem. I now have a 95 aerostar, and the connection is no longer a quick disconnet type. It is now a terminal stud with a lug and nut. Much better design.

 

Check this out. There were a few electrical recalls over the years...

NHTSA Recall History

1990: Upper portion of fuel tank can develop cracks due to extended exposure to high ambient temperatures; fuel vapor or leakage could occur. 1990: Inability to maintain pressure in master cylinder could increase brake-pedal travel. 1990: With quad captain+s chairs, tilt-forward latch of right-hand seat in second row may release under severe frontal impact. 1990-91: Ignition switch could short-circuit, causing smoke and possible fire. 1990-91: When automatic transmission is in Park position, pawl does not always engage park gear. 1992: Powertrain bending resonance or transfer case output shaft bushing displacement can result in structural failure leading to fluid expulsion, driveshaft separation, or loss of vehicle drive. 1992-97: Structural failure of transmission and/or transfer case can occur, resulting in fluid expulsion, driveshaft separation, or loss of drive. 1992-97: During start-up, arcing could potentially cause pitting, which, over time, might create short circuit that leads to overheating and potential fire. 1994-95: Heat generation in wiring harness to fuel pump assembly can cause electrical short; vehicle could experience loss of power and become immobilized, fuel gauge may be erratic, and possible heat damage could lead to fire. 1995: Underbody spare tire can contact brake lines, resulting in fracture of line. 1996: Certification label shows incorrect rear tire inflation pressure. 1996: When in secondary latched position, driver's door may not sustain specified load. 1997: Accelerator cable may be kinked during installation, causing the core wires to eventually fray with wire strands breaking one at a time.

Scott

 

they had a recall on the 93 because of fire caused by a possible over load in wires to correct this ford replaced the 1 wire with a 2 wire system and solved the problem.

 

Speaking of recalls, I tried to go to a ford dealership recently to check what recalls had been issued for my model year, because I wanted to check to see if they were done. Anyways the dealership said they couldn't lookup anything on a car older than 94. (Had a bad experience with a 89 grand prix that the prevous owner did not take in for a recall, So I got the joy of the engine mounts failing and dumping my engine onto the street, really want to make sure nothing like that happens again.)

 

to check to see if your car has any recalls on it just type in vin # at this web site.


http://www.ford.com/en/vehicles/owne...fault.htm#ford

 

thank you very much

 

your welcome ,good luck!

 

The OTHER electrical problem that hurt the Aerostar rep had to do with the TFI module (Aerocolorado, that thing again,2 days in a row,,sheesh) I believe it was failing and shutting the van down while you was drivin'. Not a good situation at 65 mph....

-reever

 

I do know that the ignition relay is right above the battery on my '92 with a 4.0. If you had a bad battery,and/or a faulty relay and a stray spark happened...who knows.

Had the shock of my life when my buddy took a screwdriver and bridged the 2 connections, causing the Aero to crank over!