91 aerostar

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Apr 24, 2004 | 11:08 PM

mandy

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91 aerostar

I need help. I have a 91 ford aerostar. For the last month it has been trying to overheat. So I've been stopping alot and filling up the radiaor with water. I was told by my father that he's sure my water pump has a crack in it. (the water leaks out pretty rapidly). But it has been driving good one day bad another. But the last couple of days it has been running horrible definitely this is due to something different then the water pump. My dad said it could be the fuel pump. He said I need to reset the fuel pumps switch. Problem is I don't have an owners manual and I don't have the 60 dollars the dealership wants for one.Please if anyone out there has an owners manual for a 91 aerostar 3 liter six cylinder automatic airconditioning rear wheel drive please email me or post me the directions on how to reset the fuel pump. Please help I am a single mother of 2 and this is my only transportation. M8laws@aol.com

Apr 24, 2004 | 11:28 PM

King Triton

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From: Michigan

Hi Mandy Welcome to FTE
Well first,the fuel pump switch only acts like a lightswitch it is either off or on and if it was off your van would not run at all.It is called an inertia switch and is only there incase the van gets jarred in an accident,it shuts the electric fuel pump off so that gas doesnt pour out.Your water pump sounds like it is worn out.a seal inside it has worn out and is causing it to leak,you need to get this fixed ,if not the water pump can come apart and send the fan into the radiator and cause you a whole lot more expense,or if your engine overheats bad enough,you will ruin it.Feel free to ask anything,all the people here love to help our fellow Ford lovers

Apr 25, 2004 | 03:55 AM

xlt4wd90

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From: SoCal

I dunno, the more recent symptoms sound like you may have already overheated the engine enough to cause damage to the heads. Others have reported their engine running poorly after some severe overheating caused the heads to warp. When it's running badly, do you notice a lot of white smoke coming out the tail pipe? I hope that's not your problem, as it will be expensive to fix, but it sounds like it.

If your water pump is leaking, you should replace it as soon as possible. Once the seals start to leak, they do not heal themselves; they just get worse, allowing the leak to get worse.

Apr 25, 2004 | 10:13 AM

mandy

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thanks for the replies guys . I was going to get my water pump fixed but now I think replacing the fuel pump is the bigger proirity. seeming that the car wont run lol. I haven't let the car get so hot that I think it has damaged the engine block. The oil seems fine no water in it. I can only afford to fix one thing right now, So I figure fix the fuel pump get it running carry around alot of water and make sure I don't let it get to hot. Does this sound logical or am I just fooling myself.

Apr 25, 2004 | 10:46 AM

rickm5

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From: cincinnati hamilton

couple questions, can you tell if the water is weeping out of the hole on the bottom of the water pump? or has the gasket failed, water leaking elsewhere? does the water pump make noise,squeal?...if it is just weeping, not major gasket failure, and not squealing, you might risk it short term. but you are risking the health of the big engine parts that need cooling!! ...also, it should be a 50/50 mix of water and antifreeze for best cooling,and engine health. i'd go to the store around the corner, but not all the way to town, if you know what i mean. much better off getting it fixed. how many miles on the engine?

rick

Apr 26, 2004 | 11:09 AM

aerocolorado

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I would not replace the fuel pump without more evidence. Fuel pumps receive an inordinate amount of blame for engine ills and almost always, the pump is not at fault. As others have suggested, the overheating is likely causing secondary engine problems. Instead, take the sixty dollars and have a radiator shop look over the cooling system and then report back here with their findings. It may be just hardened radiator tank seals that are leaking. The first priority is to restore the cooling system and then go from there. There are lots of helpful people here that can hopefully keep your van on the road.

Apr 27, 2004 | 03:57 AM

xlt4wd90

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From: SoCal

Actually, ethylene glycol does not conduct heat as well as pure water, so a 50/50 mix will not cool as well as straight water. Its primary purpose is to prevent the cooling system from freezing in very cold weather. Ethylene glycol is also very corrosive, so all commercial antifreeze use some kind of anti-corrosion additives. The additives wear out with use, so the cooling system must be flushed and refilled every couple of years.

I don't encounter much freezing temperatures where I live so I use a 25/75 mix of antifreeze and water with a bottle of Red Line's Water Wetter. The Water Wetter contains anti-corrosion additives and pump lubricants to protect the engine parts. It is also supposed to reduce surface tension between the water and the engine parts to promote heat transfer. So far, no cooling problems, and no corrosion problems.