I cleaned the maf, the air controller valve(cannot remember what you call it) I cleaned the airbox, changed the air filter the PCV valve which was bad, the rubber is all good throughout the engine, I also cleaned the throttle body. And I took that plastic cover out that covers the TB. I find no vaccuum leaks, checked all the plastic lines and no trouble codes. I have been taking lines off one at a time to see if there is any change but cannot find anything. It runs perfect at cold start and when it warms up slightly in freezing temps it will start that slight surge, it dims the lights slightly with the idle drops from surging also. I didn't change the fuel filter yet but have a hard time believing that could be it. I have taken the battery term off to reset the computer a few times already. I'm not exactly happy with this 1997 E350 that I just bought from an online auction site which normally sells salvage vehicles but this was a clear title that the county put up for bid to get rid of. It had alot of issues, in the past two weeks since I bought it I replaced all the exhaust manifold bolts which was one of the hardest jobs I've ever done and I've done alot! I also had to put heater hose from the front of the van to the rear heat because the metal lines were rotten, I had to replace two of the coils and all the plugs and this is starting to really upset me. The van has 131,000 miles, I bought it for $2055 and have about 60 hrs. of work in it along with parts. My old 1981 e350 doesn't have enough power to pull my camper and haul my family along with six dirt bikes, three in van and three in camper but that old van never has failed me and never did I have to do all this work and it always ran perfect. That windsor engine just didn't have the power. I really need advice on this one. Autozone gets no codes after I replaced the coils.

 

goto the super duty thread and ask this...this is for the 2011 f100, not a V10...pay attention where youre posting.

 

My mistake, pay attention, THERE IS NO NEW F100!!

 

Thanks! I had no idea! Im so glad you pointed that out to me..

 

Dreaming of a new vehicle and no mechanical experience and a smartass to boot. I fixed my van with pretty much no help from the forum, everything people told me could go wrong was good and I just cleaned my egr valve and it runs perfect. I'm such a genius!@ F100 WHO CARES@!

 

Your a funny one. your welcome!

 

Any codes?

Just a guess, but maybe intake air temp sensor?

 

I found it, forty bucks later and a bunch of things that I was told here and none were correct but the help was appreciated. The EGR was simply stuck slightly. I put a piece of vaccum hose on and sucked on the end and it immediately worked perfectly since. I wish I would have done that first. I'm a mopar man and to be honest I'm not to happy with this Ford, I cannot believe they actually GLUE hose barbs onto the valve covers and make sure you have to buy the whole valve cover to get fittings like those. I have had to grind out the openings for a normal size hose clamp on the fuel filter, I've had to replace the heater metal lines all the way back with 5/8 heater hose because they were rotten, exhaust studs are the same size as my Jap motorcycle and were all broken off, I've had to replace two of the ten coils and the spark plugs are a joke to get to. My two caravans have over 200,000 miles and I love the 3.3-3.8 dodge engines, vans run like new still. This van has 131,000 miles and has all these things going wrong? Come on! What's up with Ford anyway putting 8mm studs on the exhaust? Is this stupid or what? If I did it all over again I would have put bigger studs in the heads and drilled out those flimsy exhaust manifolds. I bet those studs break off again. The local Ford dealer parts lady is an idiot to boot, when she cannot find a part she just hangs up, literally! Thanks for the help, it's fixed now.

 

hi, you bought a 12yr old county owned van for 2 grand & are surprised to have to fix it , sorry but you must be riding the short bus bseg barry

 

Actually I am complaining about POOR ENGINEERING! 8mm studs is a joke. Short bus, that's funny amature mechanic. I one answer for you: WINDSTAR what a complete piece of JUNK!

 

yea, the exhast studs are a problem[that have been talked here once i think] yea a windstar is pos. but dodge come on , at 100k if the auto trans has not been replaced it needs it. dodge did invent the minvan and still owns the market. but what i'm saying a co. owned truck[any flavor]12yrs old has had no mant. since 2001. you might have to fix a thing or two.oh i am no mech. just a dumb plumber that drives junk !!! bseg barry

 

hi, back to the short bus, one of my competiors uses a short bus [with a wheel chair lift] to work out of, says it works great but it sure looks funny . we tease him about it a little. barry

 

I would have to totally disagree with you about the tranny thing, both of mine with over 200,000 have never had their transmissions rebuilt. It's because people kept putting the wrong fluid in them is why they went bad any honest mechanic will tell you that. I did a ton of investigating before I bought one and I called all the tranny shops and you know what they said, Windstars have not only the worst engine in them 3.8 the trannies are the worst they've ever worked on. I do know that the shops ripped alot of people off telling them their trannies were bad when all they needed was a filter and the CORRECT fluid. The rebuilders were saving four dollars or so putting an additive in the cheap Dextron II fluid instead of putting ATF 3 in them and that is why they went bad a second time. Mine once slipped when going to a stop and after a ATF3 and a new filter it worked great after that. There is a little solenoid that will stick with dirty fluid. That was over 100,000 miles ago. The Caravan's are great machines IF you do things right. I know. 1997 and 1999 with both over 200,000.

OH yeh by the way the horn doesn't work on the 1997 Ford van either and it is not the actual horn that is the problem, I hear the relay pulling in when I press the horn but no power at the actual horn.

The exhaust studs on my Caravan or any other vehicle have never broken off and none of them have a coil on each plug either.

 

The v10 Ford van was the sheriff's van and I don't think that 131,000 miles is anything to a V10 engine compared to a punny 3.3 dodge engine. The v10 should not have broken exhaust studs and rotten anti-freeze lines either. Oh yeh rust over the rear wheel wells. Both caravans have very little rust if any at all. I paid around $2000.00 for that ford van and put around $1500.00 worth of labor in it. One of the those Caravans I bought for $500.00 and repaired ONE connector in the climate control, that was 60,000 miles ago. Yeh I stole the van almost but the retail value is not much more than $2000.00 for the Ford and after my $1500.00 worth of labor it wasn't worth no $3500.00! My old 1981 Ford E350 I bought for $100.00 and replaced the thermostat and a ground wire, I used that for transporting dirt bikes and all my six kids and it was great but it didn't have the guts to pull our camper also. That was a 351 Windsor engine, must be geared real low or something. The exhaust studs were made right on that engine. When it comes to short bus people, where I live there must be a bunch of them because I seem to find some great deals. There's a bunch of them that live down the street in one big house, line up in the morning to go to work and they get on an E350!!

 

The later engines utilize stainless steel studs.