my moms 1986 areostar has been a horrable car from the start, but recently the fm radio compleatly died! it started just as horrable static on all the stations, than progressed to straight static... now it wont even send noise to the speakers on FM, and AM is still really staticy. id like to take care of this problem to save my mom some money, but i have no idea whats wrong...ne help would be appricated thanx

 

diesel demond,

I've checked your post several times waiting for someone with more knowledge/experience with the radio to help you. I've got a 92 3.0L 2wd XLT with the premium sound system. I purchased the van used and someone had replaced the factory unit with an AM/FM/Tape player and they did not connect the rear speakers. I assume because of the wiring problems associated with the factory amp and rear controls. I've been looking into getting a new main unit as my wife doesn't like the one that's there, but that's another story. On to your problem.

Does your mother's Aero have the premium sound system? You can tell if it does as there will be a separate panel behind the driver's seat in the trim for the passengers to connect headphones, disable the rear speakers, and control seek up/down on the main unit. You also might have a graphic equalizer directly below the radio. If so your problem could be related to the factory amp.

Still, it sounds more like you have either an antenna problem or a problem with the main unit itself. Has any work been done in the instrument/dash cluster? It could be that the antenna was detached from the radio to do other work and not securely reinstalled. This could provide for a bad connection between the main unit and the antenna, or the antenna could have completely disconnected from the main unit causing your bad reception. Also, check the antenna itself. Is the antenna broken, bent or gone?

Do you have a power antenna? On my 87 Chrysler Fifth Avenue I have an intermittent short that blows the fuse for the front cigar lighter/power antenna/radio memory. When this fuse blows I can turn on the radio but get nothing but static on FM and the AM stations I can get have a lot of static. You might check all your fuses to see if one is blown.

Other than this I would suggest that you search this site for audio, radio or speaker posts, in particular the forum for "Audio and Video systems" on the main forum list. Just continue to scroll down past the Aerostar forum until you find it. LOL

Ron

 

thanx for the info Ron. It does have premium sound, but it doesnt have the equlizer option. hopefully its not a problem with the amp, but when i listen to CD's it does seem like it lacks the sound power that it had before... i have to turn the volume all the way up. i dont think that any work had been done in the dash prior to this problem, although it was in the shop last week with some work done under there, because the wires going to the brake lights had burned in half... It doesnt have a power antena, but i guess checking the fuses would be on of the first things to do... just incase that was the problem

once again thanks for ur help, it gave me a few ideas of at least where to start, and where to look

 

What caused the wiring to the brake lights to burn up? You might want to trace this wiring in case it is routed by the radio amp or main radio unit or speaker wires. If it does and these wires got hot enough to burn through, the heat may have caused the radio wiring coverings to melt allowing for a partial short or added resistance in the radio circuits.

LOL and Happy Holidays

Ron

 

diesel demond,

Have you had any luck with that radio problem?

Ron

 

Hello I am new to the forum but I had a few questions. I tried to install an aftermarket stereo in a 1994 aerostar xl 3.0l rwd with the trim assembly in the rear but the problem is this i bought the scosche factory wire harness connectors and hooked it up plugged both harnesses into the factory harnesses and i got no pwer what so ever to the head unit. And if that wasn't bad enogh i put the original radio back in and now it does not get anything either. only the dash light turns on , on the lcd but the digital display does not work and the radio does not either and this is the stcok one i don't know what to do please help!!!!!!!!!!

 

you may have blown the fusee

 

if you try to replace the stereo, and are not using a junker from another ford, you have to bypass the amp on the premium sound system. it's normally behind and to the left of the radio, closer to the glove box. you can't hook the speaker wires into the normal harness, instead running longer ones to the amp and connecting the to the speaker wires coming out of the amp (after you disconnect them from the amp). something about newer stereos and that amp.