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Solved Driveability issues with my 1993 Aerostar.

Prefix for threads that contain problems that have been resolved, and there is an answer within the thread.

mmerlinn

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City, State
Here, There, and Everywhere
Year, Model & Trim Level
Aero 93@430000: 90@155000
My 93 Aero has been giving me fits for months and no one can tell me what is wrong with it. I have had it to four different shops and nobody has given me any clue as to what the problem is.

Basically, it drives like it is not getting enough fuel. Surges. No power to climb even the slightest of hills. Sometimes will take half a mile to go from 0mph to 25mph on the level and even longer on a SLIGHT upgrade (like a 30 foot rise in half a mile). When I step on the gas, it takes even longer, unless I floor it.

Here is what I have done:

1) Replaced fuel pressure regulator - starts better, but no change otherwise
2) Replaced fuel pump - much quieter, but no improvement
3) Found and fixed pinched fuel line - no improvement, other than it no longer stalls
4) Replaced air flow sensor assembly by the air cleaner - no improvement
5) Replaced ignition control module three times - no change
6) Replaced cats - no change - rear cat looked new, front cat was partially plugged - no loose contents to plug muffler
7) Replaced cap, rotor, and wires twice - no change
8) Checked distributor shaft for slop - none
9) Checked wiring connections - no problems found and no change
10) Checked for codes - none
11) Check engine light only comes on when I start - never on when driving

Engine runs fine with no missing at idle or when revved up. Drives like it is missing on ALL 6 cylinders whenever more power is needed.

Uses less than a quart of oil every 3000 miles, and has been that way for over 10 years.

Not losing coolent.

Not running hot or cold.

Cannot find any vacuum leaks.

No leaking fuel.

No unusual noises.

Sometimes I can drive it on the level for 50 or 100 miles with plenty of power and no problems. Other times I am lucky to get it to move at all.

The stalling problem I had in the past as noted in another thread, is no longer a problem, as the motor no longer stalls at all. I believe the stalling was an unrelated problem.

I would like to find and solve this problem. The engine has 382,000 miles on it and still does not use oil, so I believe that it still has a lot of miles left in it. Since there are no coolant problems, no burning oil problems, etc, I assume that the problem is somehow or other related to some sort of a control problem (electrical, fuel, etc) and not a mechanical problem.

I have not changed various sensors, although a bad sensor will cause weird problems. I would rather fix what is bad than use the scatter gun approach and hope, hundreds of dollars later, that I might accidentally fix the problem. So, the question is, how do I test sensors?

And how do I find the problem? Once found, fixing it will be easy.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I need to get this fixed.
 



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Did you check the timing with a timing light? Did you check the compression with a compression tester? Did you check the firing order of the spark plug cables (1-4-2-5-3-6)? Does it smell like it's getting flooded? If so, did you ever replace the engine coolant temperature sensor? My signature has a link called my list of useful threads. One of the links has a diagnostic resistance chart for testing this part with an Ohmmeter.
 






Did you check the timing with a timing light? Did you check the compression with a compression tester? Did you check the firing order of the spark plug cables (1-4-2-5-3-6)? Does it smell like it's getting flooded? If so, did you ever replace the engine coolant temperature sensor? My signature has a link called my list of useful threads. One of the links has a diagnostic resistance chart for testing this part with an Ohmmeter.

1) Have not checked the timing.
2) Have not checked compression.
3) Have not checked firing order, but have changed wires with no change.
4) No smell of fuel, so not getting flooded.
5) Have not checked temp sensor.

Going to start with temp sensor once I can find it and then timing. Compression check is a pain, so it will have to wait unless I can find someone with an older scope that can "check compression by hooking up to #1 spark plug wire." That won't be definitive, I know, but it would tell me whether I need to dig deeper.

Can't imagine firing order being off and still running with over 20mpg, but will check.

Add to the original list:

11) No backfiring. No popping noises like should be if ignition was out of timing.

Did discover one thing, though. Rotor contact is tweaked at an odd angle, so will replace it today. Not likely to change anything, but I will find out.
 






check the Coolant Temp Sensor, located near the Temp Sensor, the CTS has a bigger plug connected to it as opposed to the single wire going to the Temp Sensor.

Also make sure you do not have a loose or a bad spark plug, it happens.

do the symptoms dissappear once you've driven it for a few miles, shut it off and restart it?
 






check the Coolant Temp Sensor, located near the Temp Sensor, the CTS has a bigger plug connected to it as opposed to the single wire going to the Temp Sensor.

Also make sure you do not have a loose or a bad spark plug, it happens.

do the symptoms dissappear once you've driven it for a few miles, shut it off and restart it?

A bad spark plug would be evident since the engine would not idle nor run smoothly. Engine runs as if ALL plugs stop and start firing at EXACTLY the same time every time. Bad plugs do not do that. Neither do bad wires.

Symptoms never disappear. Same symptoms hot, cold, any gear, any speed, and all of the time.

That said, after many many months of fighting this, I finally found the problem (by accident) and solved it yesterday. Today I took the van on a 100 mile road trip and have confirmed that the problems are gone. The van has not driven that good in well over a year.

I paid ONE DOLLAR for a used part a a local u-pull-it yard, installed it, and instantly all of my problems disappeared. In a few days I will take a picture of the offending part and post it with more information.
 






after many many months of fighting this, I finally found the problem (by accident) and solved it yesterday. Today I took the van on a 100 mile road trip and have confirmed that the problems are gone. The van has not driven that good in well over a year.

I paid ONE DOLLAR for a used part a a local u-pull-it yard, installed it, and instantly all of my problems disappeared. In a few days I will take a picture of the offending part and post it with more information.

I'm waiting! :eek:
 












Sounds Familiar

I'd like to hear the solution to this problem as well. :aerostar:
 






I really thought we'd see a pic of a Throttle position sensor,but he mentioned a distributor shaft,which a 4.0 in 93 didn't have(did the 3.0 have one?). Sooooooo......what part would it have been?Or was the whole thing a sham back in 2013? don-ohio
P.S.- I looked at it again and he has a 3.0 engine.
 












Sorry everyone. Got sidetracked months ago and never finished this thread.

Since I don't know where the part is that I replaced there will be no picture of it.

What I found was a vacuum leak UNDER the air cleaner. No way to see it or fix it without removing the air cleaner box. The ell tube (1" x 1" long) was cracked. After pulling seven of them in a wrecking yard I finally found a good one for $1. Tried finding something new at a parts store that would work, but could find nothing that would fit in the cramped space. Still is working today, but eventually I expect problems to return as this is apparently a common problem with 3.0 Aeros.
 






Hmmmmmmmm.....I will have to look this part up. I didn't know about any vacuum tube under the airbox,but then my 3.0 has been gone for 15 yrs. or more. don-ohio
 












Is this part 3.0L specific? I didn't see any vacuum lines when I replaced the filter box for a cone filter.
 






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