94 Aerostar Major issues! Please Help!

[Mommyof2Stacey]

Ok I have a 94 For Aerostar And Last year I had replaced the radiator... new hoses and all.. it was acting up... Well just reciently I went to turn on the heat and it did not work just blowing warm/cold air... So i said o0k no problem i wont use the heat ill just keep the kids bundled up when i need to go out.... So today i go to drive my sister home and noticed a burning smell (no i was not running the heat or defrost)

Well i droped my sister off and noticed an orange/rust looking liquid leaking frum under my car and my meter for the van was almost on the "overheating" mark//// Im not sure what is going wrong anyone got any ideas!


Thanks

[dxrflyboy]

The orange/rusty liquid is VERY dirty, contaminated coolant. Your temp. gauge is high and you have no heat probably because the coolant level is low. The 4L engine is prone to pitting of the intake manifold where it meets the coolant passages in the head, especially if the coolant isn't changed regularly. This causes coolant leaks in this area. If this is your problem, you may be able to get a little more life out of the intake if you use plenty of Permatex Aviation on both sides of the gasket when you replace it, but this is just a bandage. The only real cure is to replace the intake.

[pennypicher]

NO NO their is a orange coolant used out there. It is not all green.

[dxrflyboy]

Yes, there is orange coolant. Ford didn't use it in the Aerostar. GM started using it in 1996, but Ford used it in very few vehicles, including the Contour/Mystique/Cougar. Orange and green coolant are not to be mixed. It's unlikely there is any orange coolant in your Aerostar.

[KX4SAM]

Originally Posted by Mommyof2Stacey

Ok I have a 94 For Aerostar And Last year I had replaced the radiator... new hoses and all.. it was acting up... Well just reciently I went to turn on the heat and it did not work just blowing warm/cold air... So i said o0k no problem i wont use the heat ill just keep the kids bundled up when i need to go out.... So today i go to drive my sister home and noticed a burning smell (no i was not running the heat or defrost)

Well i droped my sister off and noticed an orange/rust looking liquid leaking frum under my car and my meter for the van was almost on the "overheating" mark//// Im not sure what is going wrong anyone got any ideas!


Thanks

Find a auto shop that can check you radiator for a BLOWN HEAD GASKET. We ran with one for three years before we found out what was going on. Loose fluid, no heat, and then finally overheat very quickly. Replaced pumps, hoses, raiator, and nothing was fixed.

There is a chemical test that will detect combustion gases in your radiator fluid, if positive, you have a blown gasket, leaking into water jacket. if on the right, side, the super heated gases flow with the water right past the temp sensor!

[awaloshi]

Originally Posted by Mommyof2Stacey

Ok I have a 94 For Aerostar And Last year I had replaced the radiator... new hoses and all.. it was acting up... Well just reciently I went to turn on the heat and it did not work just blowing warm/cold air... So i said o0k no problem i wont use the heat ill just keep the kids bundled up when i need to go out.... So today i go to drive my sister home and noticed a burning smell (no i was not running the heat or defrost)

Well i droped my sister off and noticed an orange/rust looking liquid leaking frum under my car and my meter for the van was almost on the "overheating" mark//// Im not sure what is going wrong anyone got any ideas!


Thanks

Have you tried looking at your water pump, theres a seal at the bottom thats goes and leaks out anti-freeze. Its an easy fix and doesn't cost as much money to fix as an intake or head gasket leak, but don't over heat your engine, because you can wreak your heater core as well as the engine.

[focusyn]

Originally Posted by awaloshi

Have you tried looking at your water pump, theres a seal at the bottom thats goes and leaks out anti-freeze. Its an easy fix and doesn't cost as much money to fix as an intake or head gasket leak, but don't over heat your engine, because you can wreak your heater core as well as the engine.

Check the thermostat as well. I just picked up a 93 Aerostar that wouldn't blow hot air. My brother and I determined it was the thermostat and replaced it. Now the heat works again. If it's not the cause of the problem ,it might be contributing to it.

[Eagle one 1]

I had the issue on my 88 it was the gasket where the bottom of intake manafold bolts on. you just have to take it off and replace the gasket.
you can eather put aviation gasket sealent on the new gasket or you can use spray paint on the new gasket and bolt it all back toghter after you have cleaned off the old parts of the gasket and compleatley maid shure that the surface that the new gasket is pressed on to is absouality smooth and cleaned of any remnance of the old gasket.

You are probaly going to have to revmove the thermostat bell housing and replace the thermostat since you all ready have it out. To get to a couple of bolts to remove the manafold. agin you will have to clean and sand with emery cloth the old remnances of the gaskets that will be stuck in the bottom of the ring of the thermo/bell housing. Last but not least use aviation gasket sealent on the thermostat bell houding. you can also do the old spray can trick of you want. F.Y.I you probally want to wait for the aviation sealent to get nice and tacky on the gasket before bolting it all back toghter so it dosent tend to squeeze out when you thighten down. The intake manafold bolts tork down at 23-25 ft pounds. It would be a good idea to put all new bolts back on beacuse the old ones will strech when you thighten them back down. causing a possible leak. witch would put you right back where you started.

[Eagle one 1]

There is also some stuff called STAEL SEAL I have seen mencanics in videos who swear by it. I do know that it is a clear green liquid with no rubber or hard gritty tablets that have to be heated up in order to find a spot to seal up to. witch those fillers can clog vital cooling passages and heater cores. IN time they wear out. The makers of steal seal claim that is is a permanate solution that never wears out. I PERSONALLY WOULD TRY TO GET AS MUCH RUST OUT OF THE COOLING SYSTEM AS POSSABLE WITCH WOULD CAUSE GREAT UNDO PREASSURE ON THE COOLING SYSTEM WITCH IN RETURN COULD CAUSE ANOTHER LEAK LATER DOWN THE ROAD. I WOULD ALSO MAKE SHURE THAT I HAVE ABSOUALTY BRAND NEW COLLANT IN THE SYSTEM BEFORE POURING THE STEAL SEAL IN. From what I understand this product is no oil snake scam.

[Eagle one 1]

I use valvoline maxlife 10w-40 with a half court of lucas oil stableizer and a motorcraft
fl-1a oil filter. IF you are in colder tempture where it gets below 40 degrees consintantley all the time you might want to run a lighter oil preferbaly a 10w-30 or
5w-30 with the lucas oil stableizer to make up for the greater tolances in domestic motors witch requires a thicker film of oil. Cause 75% of all engine wear occures when they first start up after sitting for a while and most of the oil has ran back down to the oil pan from when the engine was shut off. Try not to over fill any motor with too much oil beacuse the cam spins around splashing the oil making the oil foam witch reduces its lubercating properties. I always put the oil line just below the full line on all dip sticks. beacuse not all of the oil drains out unless you drop the oil pan or split the case on newer engines.

[bunchacrappyfords]

Just throwin' this out there, but my old Econoline work van dd soething similar. The transmission cooler inside the radiator had ruptured, leaking transmission fluid into my antifreeze. Green antifreeze + red tranny fluid = oily rust colored liquid. You may have gotten your hands on a bad radiator. I'm just sayin'...
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