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Freshman User
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Starter
Ok, heres the problem. For quit some time now my 1990 aerostar has been acting up. The starter in paticular. Turn it over and it will start but the bendix remains engaged. Turn the key off and pull it out and it continues to spin. Pull the battery cable off and reattach and it spins again. This is an interminnent problem I might add. I replaced the solenoid yesterday and that did not help. I also noticed the battery cables where getting very hot. I went to start it yesterday and nothing would happen. It seemed to have plenty of power but would not start. I hooked up jumper cables to it and still nothing. I finally got it going and noticed that the alternator was not charging like it should until I drove it awhile. Could it be that I have multiple problems? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Junior User
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: Western New York
Check the starter relay. You mentioned changing the solenoid, by chance did you mean something else? The solenoid is what pushes the starter gear into the flywheel to turn the engine over. It is attached to the starter internally. The relay is what the battery is attached to. Then a fat cable goes from the other side of the relay to the starter. When you turn the key, you are actually activating the relay which in turn activates the starter. The amount of electricity flowing to the starter would fry an ignition switch and the small gage wires connecting to it, so an electromagnet (the relay) is used to make the actual connection of the heavy cables for the starting motor. These relays do fail, sometimes on, sometimes off. The continuously running bendix (which I refer to as the solenoid) you describe can only occur if power is being supplied to it, which points to the power source, the relay. The connections of the cables both at the battery and the relay could have become pitted and the cables themselves could have broken strands due to excessive use. They could be the source of the alternator problem. Another possibility is the ignition switch. It could somehow be sticking internally at the 'start' position. Hope you fare well.
Last edited by himthere; Jan 22, 2005 at 08:27 AM. Reason: typo
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Thanks for the info himthere. Yes I did mean the relay. After I put the new one on it made no difference but I did notice that the positive cable post was bad and I put a new one on. Just went out to start it and it fired up just fine and the alternator was charging correctly. Hopefully the new relay will stop the solenoid from sticking. Thanks again.
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Abbotsford B.C.
The starter on a 1990 does not have a solenoid, the starter pinion is mechanically engaged without a solenoid (similar to bendix drive) the starters with solenoids are on 1992-1997 vans and can be retrofitted to 86-91 vans by adding an extra wire from the starter solenoid to the solenoid relay under the hood, although some of them dont mesh quite right and the pinion sticks, but my guess is your starter is getting ready to retire, you can get it rebuilt (around 60$) but if your charge light is coming on hook up a voltometer to your battery with the engine running and it should be around 13.5-14 or 15 volts with electrical accessories off at high idle. if it is 12 volts or less and does not increase with engine RPM then it is not charging properly. The charge light in my 1989 aerostar was on the whole time I owned it (1 year) and there was no problem, i just took out the bulb 
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: North Jersey, New Jersey
To replace the starter on the Aero is pretty easy definatly something any person with very basic to no auto skills can handle if you can operate a socket wrench you can do this either jack your car up with a floor jack and jackstands or drive it up on ramps and block the rear wheels.
You probably can squeeze your body under there but the stands or ramps make it more comfortable.
Now jutting out on the drivers side next to the oil tank is the starter disconnect the 3 wires I believe yours may have less if you have no solenoid since my Aero is a 96 and does have one now remove the 3 bolts.
There is a ground connected to the bolt at the top once you remove the top bolt just let the wire hang down so you don't forget to put it back. I tucked mine away when I did mine and almost forgot about it.
Once the bolts are off grab the starter twist it partially counter-clockwise and just pull it straight out.
Do the reverse to install the new one and don't forget that ground wire.
either jack your car up with a floor jack and jackstands or drive it up on ramps and block the rear wheels.You probably can squeeze your body under there but the stands or ramps make it more comfortable.
Now jutting out on the drivers side next to the oil tank is the starter disconnect the 3 wires I believe yours may have less if you have no solenoid since my Aero is a 96 and does have one now remove the 3 bolts.
There is a ground connected to the bolt at the top once you remove the top bolt just let the wire hang down so you don't forget to put it back. I tucked mine away when I did mine and almost forgot about it.
Once the bolts are off grab the starter twist it partially counter-clockwise and just pull it straight out.
Do the reverse to install the new one and don't forget that ground wire.
Last edited by krankshaft; Jan 30, 2005 at 10:23 AM.
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I do appreciate all the info everyone. Since I have replaced the relay I have not had any problems with the van. I put about 200 miles a day on that old thing and she keeps right on a rolling. Strange thing is the oil pressure had been a little lower than normal and within the last week the oil pressure has rised higher than it has ever been. Strange van. Thanks again for the info.
