I bought a 1995 Aerostar XLT with 182,000 Km's for $2900 dollars. I just have few issues with this van. One the rear sags very badly, which from what I have been reading I should replace shocks with air shocks, probably the coil springs are shot because it really sits real low in the back, second my gas mileage is crap. I am averaging 350-370 km's for a full tank, I don't know how to convert this to gallon/miles. I just know this is very bad, very bad. This is all city driving and driving it like a grandpa, I mean I got others honking at me for going so slow. It also never gives good heat, I am going to get the tune done soon, if it doesn't improve the gas mileage, I am going to get rid of this van, it is sucking my wallet dry.

So far I got the following list:

Spark plug & spark plug wires
Coolant flush, thermostat
Temp guage and engine temp guage reading from other threads?
O2 sensor
Transmission vacum thingy

is this a good list, am I missing a lot in there? I am very lazy when it comes to working on vehicles, from reading I am 100% positive that I am not going to even bother with the spark plug and wires, I have no idea about the rest, I am willing to do everything else if it wont stress me out too much. I just have no luck getting into difficult places, so if any of the other stuff is located where it is going to get hard to get too, chances are I am going to get it done from a shop.

What do you guys think?

 

forgot to mention this, I ran seafoam through my explorer and aerostar, both vehicle were warm, anyways on the explorer I had to keep it giving gas or else it will try to stall, on the Aero, no problem with the vacuum hose out of the brake booster, it hardly made a difference, ran seafoam through it as it as fast it can suck it in, didnt stall, didnt even had to gas it at all, leads me to believe that motor must be running rich?

 

please pull codes on Aero and post to list...search Aero forum..can be done with just a jumper on '95 and earlier OBDI systems
need KOEO and KOER codes along with cylinder balance test
some auto parts stores will also read codes for free

which engine 3L or 4L?
gas mileage is not good <12 mpg
let's get it performing like a good Aero can before we spend money on the suspension

 

Don't know how will go around to do a cylinder balance test.

It is 4.0, Also how do I check codes, I dont think there should be any codes as my check engine light hasn't come on when I am driving it.

Thanks

 

see>
http://www.shotimes.com/php-bin/modu...thold=0&sid=83

cylinder balance test is part of ECU codes testing
Aero is similar

 

Or you can see on this thread to do all three (KOEO, KOER, Balance test):


https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/s...ght=midwestsho


And just because you don't have a light does not mean that there is not a code.

 

You get 12 mpg for pure city driving with a 4.0L, there is no reason to complain. That's better than a Honda.

 

Air shocks will only cover up the problem. If your rear sags, you probably need new springs, not shocks. Shocks only dampen the bounce. You may need shocks too, but the symptoms are a bouncy ride. A downward push on the bumper should dampen out in a couple cycles.

Pull your codes. Also, you can get a muffler shop to test your catalytic converter. They usually punch a hole in it and check the pressure, then weld it back up.

 

----------------------------
I agree completely with VanGo. It appears to me as though the previous owner of your Aerostar must have loaded it down, often, with a lot of weight. This caused the springs to sag, from being compressed under weight all the time. Most Aerostars, the van will not sag in the rear due to normal wear and tear. You'll get a soft, "spongy" bounce, from worn shocks etc. But the van does not sag or squat down in the back, unless it has been loaded down, as I previously described. As VanGO said, your best bet would be to replace the rear springs, in addition with a set of quality gas charged shocks (NAPA and Carquest used to sell resonably priced, gas charged aftermarket shocks for the Aerostar. Front and Rear. This was in '97, when I replaced the original shocks on my '87 XLT Aerostar.). I'm not sure about air shocks. I would use only air shocks if you have wider tires and tow a trailer. If you load the van down, air shocks will level the van, at the expense of a much stiffer ride. Air shocks, at the minimum PSI recomended, will return an average ride, as compared to stock. The Aerostar has a nice ride, per se, for a rear wheel drive minivan. Especially, with a 70 or 75 series radial tire. The added sidewall absorbs a lot of road harshness. Good luck... Ed

 

Wow, I get the same average in mls which means my 3.0 takes 1.6 times less gas. I didn't think the discrepancy was that high.

 

I am going to pull the codes today, also I am going to put the van in the paper today. I also just looking to just get rid of it.

 

just checked the codes and it pulls code 111, what is that?

little about confused when it is throwing cylinder balance test

 

111 is good, you have no stored error codes. I know you are frustrated by your recent purchase, but really your mileage is not that outrageous. A simple tune up will certainly help it along, do as you wish. But I wouldn't give up on it just yet. With only a few more bucks spent it could turn out to be a really good van that you will enjoy for a long time.

 

divide by 8 and multiply by 5 to get mpg

 

just checked the codes and it pulls code 111, what is that?

little about confused when it is throwing cylinder balance test