I have a 92 (3.0L,V6)Aerostar. A week ago after driving it I attempted to start it but it wouldn't start. The engine did not turn over at all. I had full power but there was nothing happening. I noticed that there was a click. I changed the starter relay, battery, plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor. After much stress and strain I am still having the same problem. Whenever I drive the car, shut it off and try to restart it, it doesn't start. If I let the car sit for an hour or so it starts right up beautifully. I checked all of the wires for corrosion and found nothing. I am perplexed. Please somebody help me!!!

 

> I have a 92 (3.0L,V6)Aerostar.
{ . . . }

>If I
>let the car sit for an hour or so it starts right up
>beautifully.

It is very likely that you have a failing starter. There are several heat-sensitive areas on the starter, but the most likely area is the brushes, followed by possibly a sticking bendix activating shoe, or a "pull-in" winding that is opening up when it gets warm. A third possibility (that actually happened to me, on another rig) is an armature that gets an open segment when hot.

In any event, a rebuilt starter is generally available for under $100, and if you have the 2wd version, it's pretty easy to replace. I had mine in and out in under an hour when I replaced the starter clutch last month ('89 3.0l 2wd AT). You do have to get underneath to do it. One 10mm screw retains the 4ga cable, and three 12mm (13mm ?) bolts (or nuts, depending on the production date) hold the starter to the bellhousing -- use about 9" of 3/8" extension to get the top one. You do not have to disconnect the battery -- that cable is dead until you turn the key and activate the fender-mounted solenoid.

2wd = four bolts, total.

4wd = a real can o'worms, from what I hear. Disconnect and move the driveshaft (to the front diff ?). Bolts are tight, best bet is to use a propane torch (not an acetylene torch, too hot!) on the companion flange to break loose the thread locking compound. Too hot, and you could damage the flange's seal, so stick with propane, which is a lot more forgiving.

Others may have other, better advise, on the 4wd procedure; I'm just echoing what I've heard from them.

Regards,
Al S.

 

Thanks for the advice. I will change the starter tommorrow. I hope it does the trick.

 

>In any event, a rebuilt starter is generally available for
>under $100, and if you have the 2wd version, it's pretty
>easy to replace. I had mine in and out in under an hour
>when I replaced the starter clutch last month ('89 3.0l 2wd
>AT).


Today, I had to pull mine again, many miles from home. Here's why: the starter drive's retaining/restraining clip/thrust washer arrangement broke, but it did it in such a way as to really have me worried. I'd pulled into a lumber yard and loaded some lumber on the roof rack, went to start it to move to the next area for loading, and it started but whined badly at idle. "What?!" thought I. Turn it off, restarted it, same noise, repeat, and it shut up. "Hmmmm". Loaded the last of lumber, tried to start, engine turned just briefly then stopped. I mean stopped dead. "Click, click". Borrowed a crescent wrench -- finally found a good use for that left-hand-threaded fan clutch nut -- and found that the engine would not turn over, no way no how.

You already know the answer, but put yourself in my place: in the middle of nowhere and the engine is "seized". I was thinking that maybe the AT's front pump had trashed itself and locked the motor. Could happen. What actually appears to have happened is that the hardened clip broke in half, and half wedged itself between the starter's nose and the flex plate.

I gathered together enough help to tow it out of the yard and down the street a ways, pulled the starter, found only half the hardened armature clip, plus a lot of scarring of the nose housing. Trip to junkyard's core pile, scavenged the clip and washer, put it all back together, no more problem. Weird but true.

So, now that it's fresh in my mind:

'89 2WD AT starter removal:

* Jack up front, put on blocks or jack stands. Pick a day when it's not raining or snowing (unlike what I did!), or find shelter. I found that I had a steady drip/waterfall on me from the inner end of the left lower A-arm, that I tried hard to avoid. I'm still wet:-(

* Using 10mm socket on 1/4" drive, remove bolt retaining 4ga cable to rear of starter. No need to disconnect battery, because that cable is dead until you crank the key to "Start".

* There are three bolts retaining the starter to the bellhousing; they come in from the transmission side, and thread into the starter's nose. The "center" bolt is actually a double-ended stud. Use an appropriate deep socket and 9" of extension (to get the ratchet clear of the left exhaust pipe) to remove the center one's nut (mine was aftermarket, so it was 17mm, but stock is smaller) to remove the cable clip for the floor shifter. Then use a 13mm deep socket to remove that double stud.

* Use whatever 13mm socket is handy to remove the top and bottom bolts. Hold on to the starter before removing the last bolt, or it may fall on you!

If your engine is reasonably clean (mine is), it's a piece of cake to R&R this starter, though most starters are covered in oil from replacing the oil filter. I'm hoping I don't gain any more experience at removing my starter, though

I purchased my rig as a "basket case", with the transmission torn apart and in the cargo area, and it had sat that way for over a year, so much of the small hardware was scrambled, and I had to replace several nuts/screws/bolts from the hardware store and junkyard.

Regards,
Al S.

 

i have the same model, about two months ago i had the exact same problem. if you need to buy some time to get it fixed have a technician take the starter apart and clean the brushes thouroughly. this helped me i am still running on the same starter, haven't had any more problems. i do need to have the brushes changed though. but havin it cleaned well may buy some time.