Warm up time/distance in a 4.0L Aerostar.

[Ski-Patroller]

I just had some service work done on my 97 Aerostar. It included fixing a vacuum leak (hose). Replacing the MAF and installing a new thermostat. The mechanic thought it was taking to long to heat up and recommended a new thermostat. (Kind of expensive but I guess it is a bear to get to.) Anyway it still takes forever to heat up. My wife says it always has taken a long time. I don't recall, and we don't drive it very much, especially in the winter. It is mostly our Canoe Hauler now, although in the past it was an occasional snow van if we needed to haul more than our Subie would carry.

Anyway I wanted to know if others felt these vans take a long time to heat up? It also takes a while to get much heat out of the heater (not surprising). Also my rear heater is not working right now. I need to check out the rear heater fluid valve.

 

[BrooklynBay]

These vans have a fan driven fan which is always turning. The only two ways to get heat fast is to put a piece of cardboard in front of the grille until it wams up or install an electric fan with an electronic controller.

 

[rv4fun]

The street I live on turns into an entrance ramp to I-44 about 1/2 mile from our house. It takes about 5 miles/5 minutes before I feel any real heat from my 3.0L Aerostar (or any other car as far as that goes).

 

[Ski-Patroller]

The street I live on turns into an entrance ramp to I-44 about 1/2 mile from our house. It takes about 5 miles/5 minutes before I feel any real heat from my 3.0L Aerostar (or any other car as far as that goes).

Thats about right for my Aerostar. My Subie and Miata heat up so much faster that I thought the Aerostar might have a problem, but I guess that is just the nature of the beast.

 

[Jose A.]

if the coolant is old, it takes longer to heat,

if the wrong thermostat is installed, it also takes longer to get heat because the thermostat opens sooner than it needs to. Check with a Ford dealer for the proper temperature range thermostat for your region.

 

[rv4fun]

I live in a valley where heavy frost is the norm. My backup vehicle is a 2009 Chevy HHR with remote start. It runs for 10 minutes after triggering the remote start. When it's good and cold (20 degrees F), running it (at idle) a full 10 minutes is required to get it warm enough to melt enough frost to drive. Using a spare key, I'll start an Aerostar and let it idle for about the same time to achieve the same results. On that rare occasion when the frost is very light and I can drive them, both vehicles temp gauges are getting close to "normal" after 5 miles of driving at highway speeds (60mph) when I start feeling the heater begin to put out some heat - so driving gets the engine warm faster than letting it idle.

 

[Jose A.]

driving gets the engine warm faster than letting it idle.

absolutely correct - allowing a vehicle to just sit there idling, waiting for it to warm up, is the death of an engine, wears it out. I know people who do that, best thing is to get in it and drive away normally, no need to rev up the engine either, it's not going to warm up any faster, and in any case, when it is freezing, it takes longer for fluids to warm up.

 

[Ski-Patroller]

if the coolant is old, it takes longer to heat,

if the wrong thermostat is installed, it also takes longer to get heat because the thermostat opens sooner than it needs to. Check with a Ford dealer for the proper temperature range thermostat for your region.

Coolant and thermostat were just replaced. I think the warm up is normal for the van. My Outback XT has a lot more horses from a much smaller block which is probably why it warms up faster. Same with the Mazda Speed Miata.

I agree about idling. I normally start driving within 20 seconds of starting. The only exception is on the mountain, where I have to scrape all the windows. There I will start the vehicle and scrap the windows as it warms up. It takes a while for all the electric heat to thaw the windshield, mirrors, and rear window.

 

[Jose A.]

yes, I read you replaced the thermostat, but was it a Motorcraft t/s or an AutoZone t/s? there is a difference, I have installed both in my 3 Aerostars since 1986, and the Motorcraft t/s makes a difference.

another option is to install a block heater, J.C. Whitney and auto parts stores sell them, I like the ones that mount to one of the freeze plug holes, looks like a stove burner but in miniature. The only problem with those is that if you forget to disconnect it and drive away, you end up tearing the electrical cord! been there done that!

 

[Ski-Patroller]

These vans have a fan driven fan which is always turning. The only two ways to get heat fast is to put a piece of cardboard in front of the grille until it wams up or install an electric fan with an electronic controller.

Isn't the fan either thermostatically controlled or on a fluid clutch. Mine rotates freely when the engine is off.

 

[Jose A.]

fluid clutch; sounds like the clutch is gone but I can't be sure. Just keep away from the fan! haha! (danger zone). However, I think that if it rotates freely without stopping, just keeps going, then it's the fan clutch.

 

[BrooklynBay]

The clutch should have a little grip if you turn it manually, but not to the point where it will free wheel if you try to spin it. The clutch is bad if it's able to slip without any grip.

 

[Ski-Patroller]

It doesn't spin freely, but you can turn it quite easily. I guess it is designed to use less power at high rpms.

 

[Ski-Patroller]

It doesn't spin freely, but you can turn it quite easily. I guess it is designed to use less power at high rpms.

I just drove the van to Mt Hood (Government Camp) this weekend with a load of firewood. It still takes forever to warm up. I think the fan must work fine. At any rate it never overheats in the Summer, and runs too cold in the Winter.

I may start putting some cardboard in front of 1/2 the radiator just to get it running warmer.

 

[Jose A.]

sounds like old coolant, or too much water in the coolant mix, (minimum 50/50), or a bad thermostat opening too soon, or the heater valve is not the correct one, or it is not opening fully.

all this assumes you don't have any coolant leaking.

 

[Ski-Patroller]

sounds like old coolant, or too much water in the coolant mix, (minimum 50/50), or a bad thermostat opening too soon, or the heater valve is not the correct one, or it is not opening fully.

all this assumes you don't have any coolant leaking.

New Coolant
New Thermostat
Engine does not warm up in a reasonable time, so the heater doesn't work well either. I don't think there is anything wrong with the valve, since the heater works when the engine is warm.

I paid quite a bit to the new thermostat installed, and it did not change anything.

How big a job is changing the thermostat in an AeroStar? I might do it again myself.

Frustrating

 

[BrooklynBay]

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=413991