1995 Aerostar with a starting problem.

[AeroLvr]

Hi all ,

I am a new forum member on here , I am from Denver .

Anyway , I can't seem to get my Aerostar to start , my dad was driving it down the highway about a year and a half ago and it stalled and we couldnt get it started ever since , by the way prior to it not starting it was sputtering like crazy for like 3 or 4 months .

Before this non starting problem we had Meineke try to solve the sputtering , and the mechanic replaced the distributer , and I put plugs and wires in it . It ran a little smoother , but I could still hear a little miss in the idle , and then eventually the sputtering got worse again . I didn't go back to the mechanic because I didn't have the dough .

My dad and I pulled out one of the spark plugs and we were able to see a spark at night when we held it with plyers next to the engine block , and we also cranked the engine and pressed the shrader valve on the fuel rail and it did spurt fuel .... So we are pretty much stumped , my dad and I don't really have muich money , we are both on disability and food stamps .

If anyone has any ideas of what we should take a look at under the hood , we sure would appreciate it .

Thanks in advance.

so long....

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! If I'm reading this correctly, your van hasn't worked in 1 1/2 years? Is this correct? I would have suggested getting the codes read, but the battery is probably completely drained by now so there wouldn't be any codes stored. Since you mentioned that the distributor was replaced, then I would assume that you have a 3.0L engine. The 4.0L has a distributorless system.

 

[AeroLvr]

Hi BrooklynBay ,

Yeah , Ive got the v6 3.0 engine . I did pull my codes myself with the basic instructions for attaching the jumper wire to one of the pins on the EEC with a spare wire , and then watching the Check Enigine light blink on the dash . It did flash some codes , from what I can remember it was 333 or 33 ... something like that . I could get them one more time just to make sure though . The 95 has the OBDI type . I am thinking from some past things that I have read is that a 333 code just means everything is clear .

I do have another battery hanging around that I throw into it now and then and try starting it ... but it never fires . It does however do a putt putt like it is about to catch ... but it never does . I want my Aerostar back so bad I can taste it .

If I am getting spark and fuel then it could be like vaccum hoses or ... timing ... or some kind of sensor? speaking of sensors , I took off the air intake and looked at my MAF but there wasent much to see , there was no round shaped screen that so many of the MAF's usually have , it looked like a little suction hole or something , so i wasn't sure what to clean .

I also watch Scotty Kilmer on Youtube and listen to Click and Clack , I wonder if I should ask those guy's what could be going on .

Thanks for helping , if you have any idea's please let me know .

Have a good one .

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check the vacuum tree connector on the rear of the engine. You might be missing a cap or a line might be disconnected.

 

[AeroLvr]

Hey Brooklynbay ,

I'll give it a try , thanks again . I'll be in touch .

 

[AeroLvr]

Hey BrooklynBay,

We finally got it started , it was a broken vacumm line , the line that was broke went to some kind of little air pump thing that sits on the passenger fender , we blew into the pump and a lever moved then I tried to start it and it fired right up! So , we are learning that all this emmissions stuff really does have a lot to do with how well your engine runs . The emissions thing that cars have these days is new to my father .

So thanks for helping .

Have a good one .

-Jess

 

[BrooklynBay]

Thanks for the update! It sounded like a vacuum related issue.