1) I'm hearing a clicking noise which sounds like it's coming from the sliding door near the bottom rear, only on bumpy roads and light loads. But the door is tight and the latches and contacts are not shifting. What else is down over there that could be loose?

2) My starter doesn't work from the key switch anymore, the dash lights change up but the van doesn't start. I've been jumping the terminals on the solenoid with a screwdriver to crank it. So I know the starter is good because it cranks fine that way. I guess the solenoid is no good? There is a receipt from O'Reilly for a new starter and solenoid from 18 months ago, do these go out that often?

3) I had an issue with a lack of power a couple days ago, I'm attributing it to bad gas because it hasn't reoccurred. I could accelerate at part to half throttle fine, but any more and the engine bogged down like it was running out of gas, and the exhaust sounded tinny. If it wasn't bad gas, and I didn't get any check engine lights, I'm thinking fuel filter or clogged cat converter. Any other ideas? Air filter is clean, plugs are nearly new, and compression is good. Van drives great for now, but next time this happens I want to lick it for good.

4) The passenger power window doesn't work at all. And it's usually my passenger who is smoking rather than me, so I'd like to get that window working. Is the door panel difficult to remove, and is there enough room to change out parts once it's off? What's the more likely culprit to fail, the motor or the regulator? The window is up and tight and doesn't work from either switch. There is a spare driver's window switch, new in package, in the storage bin under the passenger seat. I wonder if the previous owner was trying to fix it?

5) This van has a fan in the back, vents along the left side, and on the headliner. It blows out great heat but it doesn't get cold when the AC is on up front. Do I actually have rear AC or just front? If the rear leaked, wouldn't the front be non-op, too? Maybe I just have vent and heat back there.

 

For question number 2 I would say replace the solenoid. They are cheap and 18 months doesn't sound too bad.

For question 3 I would replace the fuel filter. Also cheap and it is preventative maintenance anyways (they are supposed to be changed once a year).

Good luck!

-Matt

 

This is for your starter issue...I might the neutral start switch on your shifter. Try putting it in neutral and try to start it with the key.

 

biggest culprit for passenger window is the switch or switches on the door. try the new driver door switch before opening the door panel.removing panel it not too hard , but my experience is the plastic pieces break holding the panel on the door, or the metal strips on the panel pull off. either way, take some time pry gently. auto zone has a tool that looks like a bent screwdriver that helps lift panels. look for the plastic stud thing and pry up right at that. most often its the switches though. my 91 still has original motors in doors , the slow down when going bad, mine on the passenger side will need to be replaced soon. but not something i'm looking forward to. someone posted a manufacturer of replacement regulator motors a while back .have to search forum archives unless some one remembers it? good luck! rick 91 aerostar xl ,ext

 

OK, got O'Reilly to honor their warranty on the solenoid, so that's done. The fuel filter, I replaced it, and it ran the same, and now runs worse. It's acting like it's running out of gas, especially uphill and at 45-55mph. I can't go over that, so I don't know if it would run better at a faster speed. I also can't accelerate unless I barely touch the gas and pray for downhill roads.

Fuel pump? O'Reilly wants $129 for the whole kit, $109 for just the pump and strainer, and since my fuel gauge doesn't work, I might as well get the whole kit since it includes a new sending unit. Ford wants $245 for the same kit, and both have lifetime warranties. Anyone else have experience with these parts? Will the Ford one last longer and is the extra service worth the extra $116? The labor will run about that, so if it could last twice as long, it'd be worth it.

 

A common problem on Aerostars, actually most Fords, that causes a lock of power and out of gas feel is a dirty MAF sensor. I would try cleaning that before I did anything else.

 

I spent ALL DAY at my mechanic. He determined, after cleaning the MAF, checking for vacuum leaks, checking exhaust backpressure with a gauge, checking fuel pressure both back near the tank and under the hood, running the van with propane pumped straight to the fuel rail, and disconnecting several different sensors, that the computer must be dead, since it's not giving him any codes, and he can't read the data stream.

We replaced the computer with a known good computer out of another properly running Aerostar to observe the difference. No change in running, but he has a NDS code and some other code about a clutch. Go figure, the computer came out of a van with automatic transmission. I assume NDS means no data stream.

Now he wants to start checking every electrical circuit related to starting and running, like the park/neutral safety switch, the ignition switch, all the wiring between the computer and fusebox, check all the grounds, etc. He thinks $300 of diagnostic work will do it.

His best theory so far is that the computer is unable to control injector pulsing, since it runs so nice at idle and part throttle, but as soon as you get past quarter throttle under load, it bogs down.

I wish it was something simple like a sensor, but we have to figure out which one first. The van ran the same with the MAF disconnected.

 

Have him (or you) check the throttle position sensor (TPS) on the throttle body. You remove the electrical connector, hook an ohmmeter on the terminals and observe for smooth resistance pattern as you open/close the throttle. Any dead spots or jumps indicates a bad section which in turn sends faulty data to the electronic engine control computer.

 

I tried a couple little things myself. I disconnected the TPS and the van idled very low but I couldn't keep it running in gear. I disconnected the MAF and it wouldn't idle at all but responded better as long as I kept moving the throttle cable under the hood.

I'll try to find a multimeter to check out the TPS myself.

Any other sensors besides those two have any control over the fuel injector pulse width? I think that's the problem. It seems to be limited to a certain amount of acceleration. I can get up to 70 downhill, but uphill I feel like the van is running at half power. I can't pass, I can't stand on it or it drives slower. The more I push on the gas, the less power it puts out. I am getting the same gas mileage, too (mid-teens), which makes me think something is limited the amount of fuel going to the cylinders.

 

Issue #1. My '87 Aerostar XLT did the exact same thing, as well as causing the red "side door open" symbol to briefly flicker on and off, most noticeably when cold or on slightly bumpy roads. Very annoying. Like you, I thought the contacts on the door and pillar were not making solid contact. I was wrong. The problem was the gray pot metal bracket used at the bottom of the sliding door. I just went out in the garage to like at mine. The bracket has 3 bolts in it, directly below the top latch you use to open the sliding door from the inside. I had no idea, because the sliding door opened and closed fine. That bracket was replaced in 1997, and the problem quit, and has been fine ever since. I was told by the tech to keep the assembly lightly lubed with a white lithium grease. Also, try not to have you or your passengers slam the sliding door shut. Or yanking hard on the handle to open it. That is what causes this problem, with general wear and tear. That sliding door is kind of heavy, and the pot metal bracket takes a lot of abuse...Hope that helps... Ed

 

For your pass. window problem, check the wires in the rubber boot for the driver door. All power 1st goes that way. I found 3 split wires in my EB AWD '91 when I was having door locking + window issues. With a little dexterity, and a few pieces of wire for splicing, the problem is easily rectified.

Tony

 

It's an odd problem. The driver's window switch for the passenger window does not cause a decrease in voltage at the gauge. But when I hit the switch on the passenger door for the passenger window the gauge drops as if it's trying to move it. I think the motor's burned out. All the wiring looks good in the door jambs.

As to the running problem, it has now progressed a little further. The exhaust sounds like a buzzsaw at full tilt under part throttle. It rumbles a bit louder at idle. At half to full throttle the van now misfires, backfires, and sputters. BUT at part throttle, when it's buzzing, it goes a bit faster. I'm now able to maintin 65mph on flat ground and 55mph uphill, staying in overdrive except on the larger grades.

With the TPS disconnected the idle is lower but the van runs about the same. It will stall out on occasion when I'm in low speed traffic getting on and off the gas.

With the MAF disconnected (connector 3-4" to the left of the TPS connector when viewing under the hood) it barely idles and hesitates bad on acceleration, and will not hit 35mph.

Remember, mechanic said exhaust backpressure and fuel pressure were fine.