Hi folks! Although we are not mechanics, we have been getting an increasing amount of e-mail from people with specific questions relating to problems with their Windstars. So, we thought it might be helpful to reorganize this part of our little web site to help people with questions hook up with people who have answers.

January 7, 2004: Please note we're taking a break from e-mail because we've been getting so many questions, and we're just too busy to keep up. Unfortunately we don't have the wherewhithal right now to set up an automatic posting service on this site, which means we're posting everything ourselves, and it's taking up too much time. We'll see if we can address this issue later.

We have posted current stuff here, but please note that does not mean we agree with or endorse anyone's troubleshooting prowess. Heck, we don't know! We rely on our Ford dealers to keep our Windstar running. Having said that, we've divided up some of the mail into categories. The postings on this page are fairly recent. There is lots and lots of older stuff on all these categories so please click here if you don't see something below that might help you with your Windstar.

Please note when readers are quoting dollars they may be Canadian or US depending on where they're writing from.

WE LIKE IT

from Bruce and Roberta Boylan in Edmonton, Sept. 2003

We leased a 1997 Windstar, then decided to buy a new 1999, with the four doors. My best friend has a '96, my son has leased a 98, and now has leased a 2003 Sport. We absolutely love them. We have had next to nothing in the way of problems. They run fantastic, and we put lots of KM's on em. we never let a maintenance date go by, and always return to the dealer for service. Look after them, they will last. It's always been Ford.

WE DON'T LIKE IT

From Emily HÊ January 2004 1996 Ford Windstar

What can I say about this vehicle? The ride is great, but I have had so many problems with it. My dash looks like a Christmas tree there are so many lights on.Ê It seems to go from one problem to another. I am hoping that you can give some solutions to at least some of them. If I hear "It's a sensor", one more time I may just scream!! One of the major problems is with the idle (??).Ê When the weather is cold the van runs not too bad. When the weather is warm/hot, I have a problem with misfires, rough running and stalling. I have had the mass air flow replaced, spark plugs, fuel filter, wiring harness from the plugs to the transmission, spark plug wires, I even had the engine decarbed...frankly I'm at a loss as to what else can be done to correct the problem..so is my mechanic.Ê I feel that itÊmight have a problem with the air/fuel mix but don't know what else to do with it. I live in Canada where we have to do the emmission check prior to having the vehicle plates renewed and the thing passed with flying colors..go figure.Ê I have the problem with the door ajar/interior lights staying on and have done the WD-40 with no luck , so have pulled bulbs in order to not have the battery drained.Ê The door ajar light comes onÊ but intermittently.Ê The newest thing is the heater fan. It will run on high but not at any other speed.Ê Could this be a relay??? Any help would be greatly appreciated.Ê

from Kevin Harr, December 28, 2003

I bought a 1998 ford winstar what a piece of s**t. When I bought it was used and had 30k on it. I have now put 2 transmission in it. Both times the teeth were ground off the gears and had pile of metal in the transmission pan. The interior light won't go off and the door ajar light won't go off.ÊI can make it go off after slamming the doors and tail gate a number of times.

The service engine light stays on, had it checked it came back as the engines is running lean. Which makes sense because now the van is stalling occasionally. Just got the van backÊfrom theÊ2 transmission replacement, drove it a week the transmission stopped shifting took itÊback to have the transmission looked at nothing wrong with it; this time the mechanic told me it is my power train module which is the computer that controls the transmission. By the way did I mention I only have 65k on my van now!Ê

Called the fordÊdealer several timesÊabout my problems, they won't do anything for me. Checked on the price of the power train module, only a mere $350.00 plusÊ$100 core for a grand total of $450.00. Now we have to add the $2,500 twice for two new transmission for a grand total of $5,450.00 in repairs in 2 years. I paid $14,000.00 so I would not have to have these kind of repairs to deal with.ÊBy theÊway my mechanic tells me the ford Taurus has the sameÊtransmission.ÊThe only purpose of this is to keep other people from making the same mistake I made "don't buy a ford". I am 25 years old. This experience hasÊmadeÊmy mind up that I will never own another ford product in my life. I can have the gratification that I will own at leastÊanother 6 cars in my life andÊthe ford company willÊnot see another dollar of mine.Ê

from Barry Kane Dec 2003

We have owned three Winstars.Ê Our current is a 98 model, purchased after we had very positive experiences with the previous models.Ê But 2 out of 3 I guess isn't so bad. This last one had the transmission blow (40k miles) along Interstate 80 just outside Cleveland.Ê Pieces all over the highway.Ê Fortunately a state highway crew was close by and called a wrecker right away.Ê The local Ford dealer was very helpful and installed a new transmission under warranty.Ê No transmission problems since.Ê But no sooner that was fixed did our engine light appear.Ê It has not gone out for more than 2 days after spendingÊnearly $3,000.00.Ê No more on this issue.Ê The latest was thatÊthe plastic intake manifold has warped, and is causing air to leak into the cylinders affecting the mixture.Ê Anyone know how to easily replace the intake manifold? We also recently started experiencing the interior dome and door chime problem, but only when stopping quickly.Ê It's too cold for us to follow the recommendations on this site, but will do so when it warms. I think this is the last Winstar for us, and perhaps the lastÊFord.Ê May finally break tradition and go Japanese.Ê If anyone has any suggestions, please send via email to mr.kane@comcast.net.

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TECH PROBLEMS - ENGINE ETC.

from Tim, Dec. 2003. Water Pump Problems

My problem with my Windstar is extremely complicated. To start, it was a Demo. We purchased it with aprox 33,000 mi. For a long time it was generally fine. A yr. ago it was stolen. The guy who had it completely tore it up. (frankly I wish they had not found it, but they did) Turns out that the car needed over $3000 dollars in repairs (not including the engine) for such things as front brakes, rotors etc...rear brakes drums etc....both "A" frames etc....The engine was another $2000 aprox. (including a rebuilt transmition). The guy apparently just drove it hard and in fact was living in it (with a wife and kid no less). The insurance company gave us nothing but trouble in what they would and would not cover.

Finally we got most of it covered. Since it being returned we have had nothing but trouble. Our current problem is a water leak. Naturally as back yard machanics, we looked for the leak and found it. Of all things a freeze plug aparently rusted through - as a result of being stolen or not, who knows. It was a relatively simple fix, simply replaced it with a 98cent new plug however, the problem persists. Now we have another hole in what appears to be the shaft of the water pump. I can clearly see the hole- its as if you drilled a nice little hole in the shaft housing of the water pump.

Here is the problem: The water pump itslelf is mounted to what appears to be a 3 inch thick part of some sort. I call it a spacer just for reference. The spacer appears to be a seperate piece from the actual block. Is this correct? Is there a place I can get a schematic of the waterpump area of the motor (98' Ê3.8 motor), The bigger issue is why does this keep hapening? The water pressure is only about 10 to 12 lbs psi.

I really need some answers on this one.

from Scott Ramsey, Dec. 2003 Engine Tune Up

I have a 99 3.8L LX. I decided to tune it up myself not looking forward to it at all. ÊFortunately, I work with a guy that used to work for a ford dealer as a mechanic. He gave me the inside scoop for getting to those rear plugs. ÊRemove the W/S wipers. Remove the plastic cowling cover. (snaps off and on) There's about 9 or 10 plastic screws that hold the cowling on. Disconnect electrical plug to W/S wiper motor. Disconnect W/S washer fluid hoses. (don't forget the one to the rear washer underneath the passenger side of cowling) Cowling comes off W/S wiper motor and all still attached. ÊUsing a 12" 1/2" drive breakover bar and a 5/8" spark plug socket, you can reach the back plugs easily. You don't even need a universal adaptor. ÊIt may be difficult to get the wire boots off the back plugs due to:

1. The length of time they have beenÊon there

2. The angle you have to pull them off at. All in all, I had the whole job done in about an hour and a half. Hope it helps.

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TECH PROBLEMS - INTERIOR LIGHTS

from "Dick" Problem with interior lights

I too have a 1998 windstar. I want to share my woes with the interior lights. It's not that they don't work, they won't turn-off! We moved from Indianapolis, Indiana to Natchitoches, Louisiana USA a month after buying our windstar, so we lost having the original dealer service opportunity. It basically gave us good performance until the warranty ran out. The local dealer didn't seem to have a clue. His reliability could be summed up with the diagnosis he came up with when I showed him the used oil looking power steering fluid: "It's a faulty tie-rod'. Anyway, we ended up removing the interior light bulbs to keep from killing the battery. We're saving money, but it sure gets dark some nights.

from "Jorge Pais" Problem with interior lights

Hello, I came across your site and we also own a 98' Ford Windstar. A "Limited Edition" it is great but we have encountered a occurring problem which I don't know if you have seen. That the interior lights stay on after the van has been turned off and key removed from the steering column. We do have the delaying lighting but the lights stay on from 15-45 min afterwards. I've known of other owners having the same problem. Do you any answer or know of where I can get some help on this. I did also have that same problem with the slider not locking. Had contact strip replaced at a body shop 5 minute job.

from Jason Flack Problem with interior lights

Hi there, i have just bought a 98' ford windstar And i had a Q for you! does your inside lights stay on? If so what was the problem with it? Other than that the van is a sweet ride!! from Donald Reynolds Can you tell me how to get to the Door ajar switchs on a 1998 ford winstar? I am having trouble with the alarm staying on indicating the doors are not closed. I check all doors and all will be closed properly. Is there a way to disconnect the alarm? It is getting on my nerves.

DOOR AJAR LIGHT

We've heard from so many people about this that it warrants a special section, so here you go:

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POSSIBLE SOLUTION from a Windstarguy visitor:

Door Ajar or interior lights will not go out? This is a common problem on all Ford vehicles, most of the time it is the driver side switch though it could be any of the doors' switches. All you need to do is clean the contacts and adjust the switch if necessary.

from Jon Erickson June 2003

After washing van, the dash idiot light(door ajar) and the interior lites will not shut off. In previos occurances I've cleaned the contacts and prongs on sliding door this seemed to work,until now. I can't see any switches on the two front,rear hatch doors,they must be internal. Any suggesttions or clues what, where to fix? I'm somewhat mechaically inclined,and would rather fix it myself then spend hundreds to let someone else try. HELP!!! Thx, Jon

from Jeff Tucker, Lagrange GA, Problem with door ajar light

We have a Windstar that the door ajar light will stay on even after making sure all the doors are shut (repeatedly) this usually happens during cold wet weather this will leave on the light even after turning off ignition Any suggestions? I was wondering what kinda switch or relay might be bad. It is very annoying because it makes the door ajar chimes go off the entire time you are driving.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION from Jeff:

Hey, figured it out. A can of WD-40 and electrical contact cleaner fixed it all. The row of contacts on the sliding side door become corroded and the switches inside the door latch can stick. So cleaned the the contacts and lubed the doors and about 5 minutes later the chimes went away...

POSSIBLE SOLUTION from Craig Owen, Owen Automotive Ltd. Toronto, Ontario

The most common problem would be from a bad door switch, if the switch intermittently loses contact that will cause the interior lights to stay on and the chime to "ding". Another source could be a problem with what Ford calls a GEM module and this module is what takes the signal from the door switches and then sends a command to the interior lights and door chimes. The first thing to do is check all of the door switches and see if you can identify one that is acting up, if you cannot find any problem there then the van would have to go to a shop that has the appropriate scan tool to diagnose the GEM module. Hope this helps.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION from Bud Sowell, St. Loius MO

Hey! I had the same problem with our '98 Windstar with the "door ajar" light and the ding ding ding till you're goofy warning chime. Also the dome light was'nt turning off. I figured that they both worked together, and I was right. Once you fix the door ajar, the dome light goes out. Pretty cool eh? [Bud speaks Canadian! - WG.]

What I did to fix the problem was the same thing Jeff did. I cleaned the contacts on the slider and WD-40'd the door captures, and with a little reluctance, it worked.Remember though, the chime rings only when the driver side door is ajar. The other doors only keep the warning and the dome light on. At least on my van.

P.S. I would rid myself of this vehicle if it was'nt paid for. And that still might not stop me.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION from Terry Haas, June 1, 2003

We have a 1998 Ford Windstar that would display a door ajar light constantly. I figured it was the rear hatch/door in the back of the vehicle which usually needs to be slammed to make the light go off. This time, I couldn't get the light to go off at all. I figured there were mechanical switches in the latches on each side of the rear hatch/door. I figured these switches were not opening due to lack of lubrication so I shot some WD-40 into each latch and worked the rear hatch several times and my door ajar problem disappeared.

UPDATE and more tips frrom Terry, June 2003

This last two weeks I've been on a Windstar fix mission. Yesterday I discovered what was causing the rear A/C to malfunction. The symptoms: * Turn on A/C and set rear fan control to cooling. * The upper vents do not work and hot air comes out the heating vent instead of cool air. * The problem was intermittent at first. Sometimes the rear A/C would work but eventually it stopped working altogether. I bought a Haynes repair manual for $14 at the local auto parts dealer. (I do not recommend this manual!) The manual had some pictures of the rear A/C fan assembly but no printed information on how the hot water and air flow was controlled. There was one picture of a hot water valve that can be reached from underneath the vehicle. There is also another motor that controls the air flow to the upper A/C vents that wasn't working. I figured that there was a relay or switch that was malfunctioning but the wiring diagram didn't mention anything about a heater valve and air flow motor. I went underneath the vehicle and pulled the wire off the heater valve only to discover that it was a vacuum line! My rear A/C was not working because I was not getting any vacuum when the rear A/C was supposed to be ON.

The Haynes manual doesn't mention anything about vacuum controlling anything in the rear A/C but there is a picture of the rear A/C fan switch in there and you can see the vacuum lines plugged into the top of it. I replaced the rear A/C fan control switch and everything started to work again. It took me about 20 minutes to replace the switch: * Remove the two small hex screws near the ashtray/drink holder underneath the front A/C- heat control panel. * Pull up on the plastic molding that covers the A/C-heating control panel. There are four hex screws that hold on the A/C-heat switch panel that need to be removed. * The rear A/C fan switch is on the far right. There is a small 1/4" hex screw is holding the switch in place. Remove the screw and replace the switch.

There is one multi-pronged electrical connector and a vacuum connector that snap into the back of the switch. The switch cost was approx $23(US) plus tax from the local Ford dealer. I don't know if the auto parts store carries these or not. The dealer told us it would cost at least $200+ to fix the van and would take two days. I'm going to replace a faulty electric window motor next.

SUGGESTION from a Windstarguy visitor:

As for the people asking for wiring diagrams etc., go to your local Ford dealer's parts section and they will print out almost any thing you want for your vehicle I have do this many times, as for parts do not forget about junk yards. You will be amazed at what you can find, remember a lot of parts are the same on different makes if you need a part for your 3.0 windstar and you can not find a Windstar then check a 3.0 Taurus.

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SUGGESTION from Carl in Wisconsin, Sept. 2003

I too have had my share of frustrations with the door ajar (interior) lights coming on and draining the battery. After cleaning all the contacts, and having the dealership tell me how much it would cost to troubleshoot and fix (and even then it's not permanent), I decided to tinker a bit first. I went to RadioShack and bought a rocker switch with an inline automotive-type fuse. I located the regular fuse in the Windstar that controls the interior lights (easy using the service manual or Chiltons), pulled it out and jammed in the ends of the wires coming from the rocker switch. Mounted the rocker switch on the lower left of the dash, perfect for hitting your knee when you get in. Now, when the interior lights won't shut off, I just hit that rocker switch and force them off. Only drawback is I have to turn it back on to use the power windows. But for a $5 fix (vs. about $500 at the dealership) I can live with the minor inconvenience! Hope this helps.

from Derek and Dana Ferland , Weird problems with door ajar alarm

I've seen several posts on your web site about a recurring problem with the door ajar alarm going off intermittently. We have a '98 Northwoods 3.8L with about 65,000 miles on it. Lately the beeping goes off at odd times. Sometimes it seems to go off when we mess with the fan knobs. Other times it seems to come on when the car slows down and goes away when we speed back up. Very strange. The only solution I saw was to try cleaning the contacts on the door slide. Is there anything else that can be checked/replaced? Thanks.

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TECH PROBLEMS - OTHER

From NeliaÊÊJanuary 2004 Problems with switches

I have a '98 GL model and I would like to know the possible reason why all of a sudden my Cruise Control switch doesn't work.Ê Another problem is the rear window won't open or close using the controls on the drivers door side.

From Ronald Leonard Finding the radiator flush valve. Jan 2004

IÕm trying to flush my radiator, but for the life of me I canÕt find the valve to let all of the coolant out.Ê If I knew where to look, I could probably spot it. Ê Ê

FromSloniello@aol.comÊJan 2004 Wipers stop when Safety Belt light goes on.

I have a 98 Windstar that not only has the door ajar problem (which I know where to fix this problem), but now whenever the safety belt light comes on, the wipers will stop working. Imagine going down the highway at 65 - 70 mph in a heavy rain storm, and all of a sudden you can't see. That will get someones heart racing, especially with your kids with you. Do you know what this problem could be??

(We'll resist the urge to say something about driving at 70mph in a heavy rain storm! - WG)

from Bernie, Dec. 25 2003. Electrical Problems

I went to start my van & nothing, I mean - key switch turned but nothing, no noise, nothing. It seems like the switch is broken (turns very freely but nothing happens). Now the strange thing, as I said, when I turned the key nothing happened other than the picture of the Battery appears as does the Service Vehicle Req'd words on the dash and now get this; I cannot shut them off as the key won't do anything in the Ignition.

So as not to kill the battery (the running lights were also on) I looked up in the Ford Owners manual the Fuse location (beside the Carb) & when I pulled the Power fuse then the lights went out. I'll have to call a garage but I was just wondering what you think could be the issue & cost to fix.

THE FIX, from Bernie

I've had the van fixed & this is what was wrong: Broken Ignition Switch Actuator Rod!! The Ford Dealership Service Mgr said it is only the Second time in his 27 yrs as a Mechanic that he has seen one of these. They got a used Steering Column from a local wreckers & took the good parts from my vehicle & put them into the used column & reinstaled the column. Costs - Used column $ 225.00 Labour $222.00 & towing of $35.00 Plus applicable taxes for a total of $554.30 for what is actually a little plastic rod.

from Jim Noble Blowing fuses

Hi Guys, I am very disappointed with this car. It may be the last Ford I buy. The latest problem is the fuse keeps blowing in the circuit that controls the passenger side and sliding door power locks and the rear heat control. Ford fixed it once when it was under warranty buy now it is doing it again. Any ideas? Do you have the wiring diagram for this circuit?

from David Quintana Engine light stays on

Is there something wrong? Just under 37,000 miles, book says might be a gas/exhaust problem. I dont want to pay $100 to hook up to computer.

reply from Keli Yang:

If your "check engine" light is on and stays on, that is a emission problem, not an engine problem, and you do not have to fix it, or at least not immediately. Your catalyst is no longer effective. If it flashes, it is a engine ignition problem, which you need to fix right away. It can be a worn spark plug, a broken spark plug wire, a bad ignition coil or faulty ignition control. You may want to call your local Auto Zone store and ask if they can do a free diagnoses for you if you have a 1996 or later model. Good Luck

back from David:

both engine and emissions? what year? are you in california?

from Keli:

Yes , both. I did not do anything about the emission. For engine misfiring, I tried spark plugs and wires, but it was the ignition coil, which cost me about $85 (from Pepboys). I am in IL. I have a 97 model with 3.8L A cat convertor may be what you need.

You may also want to find out why it went out so early since it has only got 3700 miles.

From Rob Laudeman 1999 Windstar battery/electrical problem Sept 2003

We have begun to have a recurring problem with our 1999 Windstar. We purchased a new battery in March 2003. Over the past several months the van has failed to start at various times - often after having just been driven somewhere and being off for a short period of time. The van starts when jumped and when we have connected a battery charger the battery appears to be nearly completely discharged. However, the battery appears to hold a charge after being charged by the charger. We have turned off all interior lights and taken care not to leave anything plugged into a power jack inside the vehicle. The problem has been very random but extremely frustrating.

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For a good source of Canadian auto news and views, visit CanadianDriver.com.