91 aerostar extended. purchased with 135 thou on it now at 150 tho miles. still runs strong,no smoke. taps alot when first started. i've had the tranny rebuilt at 140 thou. miles. 4 speed auto. i've replaced all radiator hoses, thermostat replaced, stuck open sev years ago and previous owner just left it.flushed heater core and radiator. had left ball joint replaced 145 tho. recently replaced spark plug, originals were still in it motocraft made some good ones, they went 145 thou miles, and they were a b---- to get out.serpentine belt replaced at 145 thos. mi
i have an oil leak on the valve covers that i can't quite get to. i tightened the bolts i could reach. i think my blower motor is fading,not blowing as hard. new clunk in the front end, possibly caliper not releasing. and i will soon need new brake lines up front, cracks visible in the hoses to the wheel...left rotor is warping, shudders on strong braking. all and all its still doing much better than my wifes dodge minivan!

 

1991 extended AWD, 4.0, auto, bought with 130,000. Replaced 3 front drivelines in 9 months. Stolen (Haa haa!!) with 145,000 on it.

1993 extended 2wd, 4.0, auto. Bought totaled with 79,000. It had been hit from behind and had bent the rear of the frame. The rear sagged a bit and had wrinkles down both sides. Was first one I owned with rear air and tinted windows. Never own one of these vans without the rear air unless you enjoy cooking in the winter and freezing in the summer. No engine trouble, slipping tranny when sold with 123,000. Replaced power steering pump and shocks all around.

1994 extended 2wd, 4.0, auto. Bought used with 99,000. Great van till 125,000. Replaced ALL sensors in 6 months time. Tranny started slipping. Blew head gaskets and broke the block on a trek across Utah's west desert. Sold for what we owed.

I love these vans and will be buying another one when I can pay cash for it. Will also watch for one with the tranny already done.

Jason Hill
85 Ford Bronco
86 Merc Sable

 

1997 AWD Extended 4.0 134,500 mi.

Rear axle seals and axle replaced at 98,000
Transfer case leak at 54,000
Radiator leak 130,000
Front power window switch 130,000
Mass air flow sensor 110,000
Engine still perfect Mobil One every 5,000 mi.
Transmission perfect filter and fluid changed 25,000 mi.
Front brakes are undersized IMO
CV joints and boots at 100,000

I have replaced shocks with every kind I can find. Not happy with any oif them (was with reflex when first put in but that soon faded. IMO stock are as good or better. Any suggestion?

 

The E4WD Aerostars are acutely sensitive to incorrect alignment. Your shock problem may be secondary to an alignment problem. With that many miles (you must REALLY drive) there is surely some wear in the upper ball joints and/or tie rod ends.

 

91 extended 4.0 ltr. 151 thou mi. replacing both front brake flexible lines to the wheel because of cracks.(you may want to check yours) also caliper sticking on passenger side, rotor warped. may rebulid caliper, replace rotor this week. also soon to replace blower motor, its getting pretty tired. rickm5

 

89 3.0L Auto Trans, 105k

-heater core, what a b_tch.
-numerous thermostats, wonder why that is?
-couple of alternators
-water pump
-both rear wheel cylinders
-fuel pump started making noise, changed it.
-oil pan rusted out, that was a new one on me.
-rocker panels rusted out.
-electric window motors were junk, new design much better.
-slow leak in AC, changed over to 134a, charge each spring.
-trany rebuild at 85k and 100k, long story.

All in all, it has given us very good service.

 

I have a 90\91 Aerostar 3.o Extened Van. Accouried it with 115,000 Miles from my employer Augest 2000 at the time. Currently I have 138,890. I Have changed 2 startes and still have problams with it hanging. tires front breaks, and a water pump has been the last replaced iteam on it, it need the rear antilock fixed, and a new fuel pump or presser regulater.


Jeremy Vickers
Elkview WV

 

Oo

'93 Aerostar, 4.0L, Rear wheel,extended with tranny cooler


Hand me down at 130,000

Only small problems prior to that ie. speedometer cable,etc.

135,000 replaced original rotors, pads etc.
136,000 muffler
140,000 replaced original plug wires
150,000 universal joint failed
162,000 runs strong, very reliable, no oil usage, smooth,

P.S. Tell all your friends these vans are no good and that if they own one they should sell it a low price so that I can buy them all up. Great family, fishing, hunting, camping van. Tons of room pulls like an ox.

 

1989 XL 2wd 3.0l A4LD, 160k, digital dash, single A/C & heat, "Captains" chairs in 2nd row -- without the tilt-forward option for the right side one! 4:10 Traction-Lok axle. Factory EQ. Trip computer, auto-dimming interiour rear view mirror. I think (hope) that this rig had a real hard life before I got it.

Purchased as a "basket case" in Sep-99 with 141k miles on it, with the trans. removed and sitting out in the rain for a year, pedal cluster converted to manual and clutch master cylinder installed in preparation for conversion to 5 spd. Many AT brackets and cooler lines missing, which I had to round up from junkyards. The cooler lines are impossible to install in one piece with the engine installed, so I had to cut mine and use couplers to put the used ones in. They're not leaking.

For this sitting-in-the-yard-for-a-year rig, I paid $650. At the time, that didn't seem too bad, it was a nice-looking rig, though pre-'90 Aerostars have depreciated considerably since then.

I trailered it 300 miles home (there's a reason), bought a rebuilt trans from Transmission Exchange in Portland, Ore. and paid the core charge for my non-rebuildable (rusty) core.

Put the trans in, added a second external cooler in series with the stock one, plus an inline ATF filter (essential!), new battery, and the rig fired right up! Found the heater core leaking and no tool available (in a reasonable timeframe) to remove the OEM quick-connect connectors, so I bought new hoses and just cut off the old ones. Once that hurdle was passed, the heater core was pretty easy to replace (try doing a GM rear-drive w/AC sometime, and you'll see what I mean). The OEM heater core ain't cheap, though . . .

Steering rack rattled over bumps, so I purchased a rebuilt rack w/new rod ends. The first one had the wrong rod ends, went back and exchanged it for another unit, which bolts in _very_ easily on the 2wd model. Nice design, for a change. Had to have it aligned afterward, naturally.

PS pump whiny, so I bought a rebuilt one. Still whiny, mfgr says "run it 1,000 miles before complaining". OK . . .

A/C doesn't work. It's October in the Pacific Northwest, and I'll need the A/C to dehumidify the air for defog purposes soon, but I defer this fix until later.

Broken antenna, easy fix.

Radio dead, acquired one from junkyard. Backlighting died, found that the radio's bulb is easily replaced, once the radio is out of the dash.

Previous owner had some aftermarket sound system, and had done minor butchering of some of the speaker wiring, then had yanked the whole mess, so I had to buy some new speakers, repair some of the harness ends, etc.

Cruise control non-functional. Bought the AllData CD, used its troubleshooting chart (which is better than I expected) to find the CC servo bad, picked one up at a junkyard for $20, though I had to drive to the city to find a yard that had one (90 miles one way). CC still didn't work. Bought the CC controller for a buck from a country 'yard, CC worked immediately.

The oil, and air filter, were NEW, so I left them alone, and the rig ran OK with the new trans, so what to do? Naturally, I packed up and moved 1200 miles south for six months.

Got a thousand miles, and the fan clutch locked up suddenly. Drove it the last 200 miles with it that way.

A week later, the (aftermarket, copper core) radiator began leaking. New radiator, and the fan would tap the fan shroud at the bottom when cold (and only when cold), yielding a "whirring" noise. Much work with a Dremel tool on the fan shroud's mounting holes let me shift it lower 1/4".

New coolant hoses throughout at that time. Plus both belt idlers (this is one of the models with non-sprung tensioners and two belts, unlike the later (and retrofit) single-belt system with the spring-idler. There's a TSB on this older belt system with regards to accelerated wear of the forward main bearing. I can hear a bit of main bearing rumble with the engine cold and the thin synthetic oil I use, but it was silent with conventional 20W-50. Another problem masked by thick oil!

One week later, faulty Oxy sensor.

Two weeks later, it fires up cold on five cylinders. After much fussing about, find No. 6's compression is low. Remove heads, burned exhaust valve + crack in intake seat. Three injectors replaced as well, and the usual full ignition tuneup (including wires, of course). I put new studs on the exhaust manifolds at that time, because I've "been there, done that" before on other cars.

PS pump still noisy, well over 1,000 miles, so I RMA the pump. New pump noisy. Tried three different PS fluids, and the Ford dealer's suggestion of adding the posi rear axle "friction modifier". Still noisy. Go for a third pump of different manufacture. Still noisy. Give up and decide to live with it (and have, for the last 18k miles).

About that time, both windows began getting balky and refused to reliably roll up. Removed door panels and discover both doors cracked around the regulator mountings. Many junkyard trips and talks with the local Ford dealer, many packages of door panel retainers, and finally new motors and new-design but used regulators plus aluminum regulator mounting doubler plates, and they're now reliable (for two years).

A week after fixing the driver's window for the "last time", the power rear-view mirror switch dies. Another two packs of door panel retainers later . . .

Motorized auto-dimming inside rear view mirror has now been disassembled and relubed three times, and it'll work for a few weeks but eventually the motor "sticks" again. The motor in this rig is not very, er, robust, and the mirror is glued together making disassembly not very easy. A year later, I find a 1990 in a junkyard with the newer-style, non-motorized auto-dimming mirror, which uses the SAME electrical connector but a different "shoe" mounting on the windshield. I modify it to use the old-style shoe, and it's been working since. I'd really like to find more of these late-style, solid-state mirrors, they work really well, have no moving parts (the glass just gets dark!), but I've never seen another OEM Ford one.

Aftermarket alarm/remote door lock begins going off a lot, and the remote unlock feature begins getting flaky. Tracking it down, it's bad wiring by the installer: no real ground. A bit of soldering, and a free manual from the manufacturer (Seco-Larm, good Support!), and it's still working, though I finally gave up on the alarm and just use it for remote entry only.

The interiour panels that frame the rearmost side windows began seriously delaminating and warping around the edges of the windows, so I removed them and spend some time with glue and clamps and guides to warp and glue them back into shape, as best as possible. It was at this time that I realized just how cheaply-constructed these POS are. I can't emphasize enough how poorly made this particular interiour part is.

The fuel pump began failing to maintain proper pressure about this time. Dropped the tank twice: once to replace the pump (and filter at the same time), once to replace the rubber "grommet" for the fill tube, which leaked heavily after touching it.

At 145k, the rear axle began making an odd noise at coast at highway speeds. Rattling, but not under load, and not under decel, only at coast. I have the driveshaft rebuilt (the U-joints were a bit stiff anyway) and rebalanced: no change. The rear axle's input coupling (pinion) would turn about 15 degrees without moving anything -- too much internal play. So I decided to play junkyard roulette, found a local yard with a 4:10 Traction-Lok exactly like my own (so I didn't have to replace the speedo drive gear) for $50. "New" rear axle has less than 5 degrees free play.

Taking off the plastic pumpkin cover, inspection shows the problem on the old axle is a worn ring gear carrier, worn where the differential spider gears' axle meets the carrier, and the spider gears themselves fit pretty loosely to their axle.

On the "new" axle, I installed new axle seals and replaced the lube with synthetic. Replaced the rear wheel cylinders, brake hardware, shoes and shocks as well, just because. Flushed the brake fluid and replaced with DOT 5 Silicone (this is a non-ABS rig). The "new" axle is a LOT quieter with no rattling, but does whine a bit on deceleration. More like purring. I can live with it.

I have a bit of rumble at 47-51 MPH, what I would normally call driveshaft rumble. I'm hoping that rebushing the A4LD's tailshaft will fix that (it's quite loose, and the rear seal leaks, even after I replaced it). The rumble is really not all that bad.

By February-2000, it was time to address the non-functional A/C. On advice from a local shop, I purchased and installed new quick-connector O-rings, plus the (five, on the single A/C model) quick-connector stabilizers that help prevent future working fluid loss from these rattling connectors. Then I had the shop evacuate and recharge with R12. Still working fine 19 months later, and I use it quite a bit. So far, so good . . . though I've noticed that with the 3.0l, in hot weather and when pulling any kind of a load (I'm not talking about towing here, just a good hill) the computer will drop out the compressor rather fast, leaving warm air from the vents until the load drops off. Personally, I'd usually rather have less power and more cool! I may bypass the relay that does this function (it's located to one side of the battery).

I have not had the failing power window switch problems that I've heard from many of you.

In late Feb-2000, I was rear-ended, which took out the entire rear hatch and rear bumper but did almost no damage to anything else.
(If you want to see the damage, use this link, but add the "http://" to the front:
asavage.fdns.net/Aerostar/Aerostar-damage01.jpg (357k, sorry, I don't have a smaller version online right now) For some reason, if I have a full URL to a jpg here, this list software grabs the image and inserts it in the text, and I wouldn't force a 357k download on anyone, just to see the back end of a crashed XLT!)

Taillight lenses OK, and a very minor ding in the lower sill, which even I was able to beat out with a regular hammer. So I bought a junkyard (red, 87) rear hatch, but the rear window was the real hard one to find used: Privacy glass with defrost is expensive ($1,000 from Ford, $450 aftermarket). I had the hatch painted to match my rig's color (took the shop three tries!), and I had it to two different glass shops four times total to get the rear glass to stop leaking -- what lousy service! When I had the rear hatch painted, I had them remove the Ford oval and the "Aerostar XLT" emblems, because I don't like trim like that, and I paid an extra $35 for that service.

(To tomk89xlt: the rear hatch's dome light switch is in the latch assy. I know, because I had that whole thing apart, so I could clean/lube it, and move my lock assy over to the new 'gate.)

The TPS started acting up in Aug-01, and I replaced it (easy job). Symptom: bucking, power loss accompanied by an unneeded downshift, "Check Engine" light. Sensitive to throttle posistion: use a little more or a little less, and it'd run fine.

The starter drive started not engaging last winter ("wheee, wheee"), but the problem went into hiding during this past summer. I replaced the starter drive last week, because the problem had resurfaced with the cooler/damper weather we've been having lately. I purchased the later design "five roller" design starter drive.

The brakes work better than I expected they would. Good feel, decent modulation. I haven't had to replace the fronts yet -- I'm very easy on brakes -- but they do squeal in hot weather, so I'll be putting in premium pads before summer comes round again.

As of Nov-01, I have several unresolved problems:

a) Coolant leak. It appears to be coming from the flex plate area, so I assume it's a rear casting plug that's leaking. No coolant up top, as in near the distributor, and not along the sides. Leaks about a cup a day, so I just carry a jug of distilled water and a jug of Prestone, and top off in the morning with each on alternate days. I have to pull the trans and flex plate to get at that casting plug, and I just haven't steeled myself for that job yet. Soon . . .

b) Digital dash lights go off for a few seconds or minutes every so often, only with the headlights OFF. Have replaced the headlight switch, as it was getting hot anyway (high internal resistance, I assume). I'm going to look at this one this weekend and see if I've got failing backlight bulbs, bulb connector, or dash harness connector.

c) Groaning noise from rear suspension under load. There is a TSB on this, but I don't think my noise is coming from the coil spring perches, rather I think it's the rear axle's upper control arm bushings.

d) Sliding door requires a "jerk" on the exteriour handle to unlatch. A "jerk" other than myself, that is. Feels like a worn linkage issue, but until it can't be opened from the outside at all, I'll probably leave it alone.

e) The factory EQ seems to have an ON/OFF switch that wimps out. I need to pull the EQ and clean up its board. For now, it operates fine with the EQ turned OFF.

I guess I'd better think about yanking the alternator and rebuilding it this winter. It seems to be on the list of things to replace. I haven't had any water pump problems on this one, though I did a WP replacement on an '87 BII this summer, and it was pretty easy, even with A/C.

Oil consumption isn't as good as I'd like, even using synthetics (which has always improved oil consumption, for the last four vehicles I've converted; the switchover moved the Aerostar from qt/700 to qt/1300 but that's still not all that great, IMO).

I have no oil leaks, except the AT's rear seal, which is caused by the loose fit of the driveshaft's slip-joint and the tailshaft housing's bushing. When I have the trans out to repair the coolant leak, I'll remove that housing and have it rebushed -- and a third seal installed.

No thermostat problems (yet). I think I put a new one in, but I'd have to go through my stack-o-receipts to see for certain. It's never given me any trouble, but I always run Prestone and distilled water. NEVER use tap water.

The alignment shop didn't find any problems with the ball joints or A-arm bushing when they had it, and I've just kept it well greased with synthetic grease. NAPA/Balkamp has nice red silicone grease nipple covers that keep the fittings nice and clean: NAPA No. 715-1091

Partial expenditure list over the last two years, excluding the accident repairs (which were covered by insurance):
(sorry, this list's software does not interpret the HTML <pre> tag correctly, so the column of numbers does not line up)
[pre]
Acquisition $650
U-Haul trailer rental $105
Trans rebuild/cooler kit/synth. oil, (carry-out, then I had to install
it!) $1650
valve job $550
radiator $200
heater core $140
heater hoses $65
steering rack & alignment $200
power steering pump (x2, still noisy) $90
alignment $50
battery $75
injectors $190
plugs/cap/rotor $60
filters/hoses/belts $120
spare injection computer (used) $55
belt idler $50
fuel pump $90
fuel filler tube to gas tank grommet $30
fan clutch $60
oxygen sensor $60
speakers repair $40
stock radio $25
cruise control parts (used) $40
A/C parts & special install tool $90
A/C recharge $160
power window motors/regulators/parts $130
power mirror switch $60
rear axle assy, used, & synthetic oil/gasket/axle seal etc.
$160
rear wheel cylinders & shocks $120
[/pre]
Power is pretty weak, IMO, even with the 4:10 axle. I don't think I'd want to tow with it. I'm told that the 4.0l is much better in this regard. I sure hope so. Fortunately, the transmission is very flexible and works to keep the engine in the powerband, but this thing sure drops out of overdrive fast on a hill.

For comparision, the van I sold just after acquiring the Aerostar was an '83 Chev G30 (1T), the first year available with 6.2l diesel, which we had purchased new. I put 90k miles on that van, after my father had put 102k on it, and it was three times the van the Aerostar is for sheer hauling capacity. Weighed 5,750 lbs with fat me and 30 gals of fuel -- that's nearly three tons. Got 19.2 MPG average over 90k miles (my Aero averages 19.1 overall). One quart of oil consumed per 1,800 miles (Aero = about a quart to 1,300 miles). More highway power than the Aerostar. It had a LOT more interiour space, real Class III towing capability, a real frame, dual A/C, etc.

But my back couldn't take long trips in the Chev's seats anymore, three hours was getting to be about max, the Chev was pretty darned noisy inside and you couldn't really make it a lot quieter with the life it had had. The interiour was going south from the use it had had and from some water infiltration from a leaky rail seam. And it didn't park easily, though I'm not impressed with the Aerostar's turning radius either.

http://asavage.fdns.net/G30/G30.html

Though the Aerostar is definitely more agile, the ride isn't all that much better, and I can't get a fraction of the stuff in it that I could with the Chev. Of course, I hear you saying, I'm comparing a minivan with a full-size van, and you're right.

Well, I've run down (aren't you glad!?).

But I'm wedded to the Aerostar now, at least until I get a few more miles from it.

Regards,
Al S.

 

dporter11 said:

> 1992 3.0 liter, v-6 aerostar with 154,000 miles. original owner. car
> is now sitting in yard until I get around to replacing the catalytic
> converter. starting smelling real bad like burning rubber yesterday,
> and eventually effected the speed at which I was driving the car to
> get home.

Sounds as if your converter has melted down and is now plugged. Be sure that you're not running with a dead cylinder or otherwise dumping too much fuel into the converter, or the new one'll melt down too.

Regards,
Al S.

 

1993 AWD Extended XL, single ac, no pw or pdl. 100K miles. Purchased new.

Overall, very few failures. Have replaced tires, front brake pads (still on orginal rears!), muffler. A few minor recalls. Outer ignition key ring spins freely and you can remove the key while running. Sliding door linkage wore out, had to replace latch unit. Interior slowly deteriorating (screws coming loose). Replaced lf wheel bearing assy. PS pump leak, tightened fitting. Replaced battery at 6 years only because it was old. Have replaced thermostat once or twice, plugs once, fuel & air filters every now & then, oil every 5,000 miles.

Added a CD player, new speakers, 2nd row captain's chairs, better shocks (KYB) and rear anti-sway bar. Found approx. '91 Ranger aluminum wheels and added P225/75R14 "SUV" tires for better durability. Added a transmission oil cooler, thinking about an oil cooler since I tow a 3,000 lb. boat.

I guess you could say I'm happy except for the gas mileage. Hope to keep it another 4 years, not sure it will make it.

 

1990 XLT with all wheel drive anti lock brakes and trailer towing package. I'm the second owner I got it at 105,000. Previous owner had multiple problems with AC (was recalled or something) and heater core.


110,000 Major brake job almost $1000.00
111,000 Tires
140,000 Passenger window switch on drivers side (did not fix)
145,000 Heater core, hoses, thermostat and water pump all went out within weeks of each other, that was one expensive summer!
150,000 Starter, tires again
152,000 In the shop now getting Outer tie rod ends, ball joints and tune up, Also has a bad water leak near the back door. Shop suggested dye test to find source of leaks in both engine and tranny.
Burns oil. Shop says it is running great though with the new spark plugs they just put in. The Power window on the drivers side seems to be dying. Silly plastic parts over dome light break too easy!

Headlights worth mentioning when the go out since it practically has to be taken to a shop to have head lights replaced.

 

>1990 XLT with all wheel drive

>111,000 Tires
>150,000 Starter, tires again

Wow, you really ate up those tires! Or is this typical of Aero tire mileage? I'm used to paying premium prices for premium tires, and getting >65k out of them. I haven't had to put any on mine yet, but soon . . .

>Burns oil. Shop says it is running great though with the
>new spark plugs they just put in.

My oil mileage isn't great, around a quart in 1300 with Syntec, but it's been gradually improving over the last 20k miles that I've owned it. It's had a hard live -- before I got it.

>Headlights worth mentioning when the go out since it
>practically has to be taken to a shop to have head lights
>replaced.

Lucky me: the '89 still used conventional rectangular headlights that are easy to replace. I can always tell how old an Aero following me is by the size of the headlights

Regards,
Al S.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 04-Feb-02 AT 09:47&nbsp;PM (EST)]My "89 aero was a gift from my wifes friend. had 104k at that time. replaced the tailgate latch due to a bad doorajar sensor(it drained the battery), fixed multiple problems with door latches and seat belts of wich some were previous owners fault. drove it a month. Had problem with the ignition module so to rule out the cheap stuff I put in new wires cap rotor and bosch+4 plugs(all top line stuff). Still had problem. replaced fuel filter,and still had problem. replaced the ignition module and it hasn't skipped a beat since.110k, Winshield wiper motor broke off its mounts and ruined itself. replaced motor and used bolts and shockabsorber gromets to reinstall. 112k, replaced oilpan(rusted out from rochester ny winters). 140k, replaced harmonic balancer. It's bolts came loose and it fell off but did not strand me.145k, replaced front rotors and pads due to rust and wear. presently has 150k and runs WOT every time I drive it! It might look like it's been dipped in acid but it runs every day faithfully and I drive the wheels off it.

 

>>1990 XLT with all wheel drive
>
>>111,000 Tires
>>150,000 Starter, tires again
>
>Wow, you really ate up those tires! Or is this typical of
>Aero tire mileage? I'm used to paying premium prices for
>premium tires, and getting >65k out of them. I haven't had
>to put any on mine yet, but soon . . .


I bought really expensive tires at about 110,000 and they did get eaten up fast. This last time I got tires that cost much less. I bought expensive tires the first time becasue the tire store told me they would handle better. But this last time I bough smaller tires that cost MUCH less and I don't feel any difference in handleing.