25th Apr 2006, 20:01

1995 Mercury Villager, same problems with the dinger when the key is not in the ignition, and you open the door. What I do is fiddle with the rotating switch thing that the key goes in, and if you get it in the right spot, the dinging stops.

9th May 2006, 00:06

I have a 99 Windstar with 107000 miles, with little trouble. I did however have to rebuild the trans at 75k. I had a guy with the proper tools R&R it 400.00 and I replaced the main gear at the last spider set my self $65.00. WD40 is a must with the door electronics on these. I am also fighting a elec prob with the switching between ac and heat systems. There is a relay under the dash on the right side. have not replaced as yet, but do hear it trying to make a decision from time to time. Great web page!

15th May 2006, 19:29

I have a 98 Windstar with over 100,000 miles and have had exactly the same problems as the first commenter. I have some tips for the guy with the key less light and buzzer problem. I have had all of the doors and the back hatch stick open at one time or another causing the interior lights to stay on along with the buzzer. Usually it is after a rain. Here is a way to troubleshoot the doors. Start the van. Turn on the rear wipers. If the rear wipers don't work it is the back hatch. Next try to lock the doors. If the sliding door lock pops up it is the sliding door. To fix the sliding door clean the contacts with electric contact cleaner from Radio Shack. The other doors behave the same. I have had the best luck using electrical contact cleaner sprayed into the latching assembly while opening and closing the latch. I open the door and manually close the latch assembly in the door all the way using the round part of a screw driver. Open it up all the way using the outside door handle and screw driver. I do this several times. Hope this helps.

31st May 2006, 14:26

May 31st, 2006

Here's an update to the list of my Windstar issues. The check engine light came on and I read the following codes: P0133 bank 1 oxygen sensor slow response, P1133 (lean?). I changed both upstream oxygen sensors and cleared the check engine light with a scanner. The van seems to run much better now, but the tensioner pulley was making a clacking noise and driving my wife crazy. I changed the belt and tensioner pulley, but the noise remained. It turns out that the idler pulley was worn. Oh yeah, the mechanic told me the bearings in the A/C compressor were causing the noise and he wanted $950.00 to fix it. All of you ripoff mechanics can kiss my grits!

5th Oct 2006, 12:23

Oct. 05, 2006.

The van has 97,600 miles on it and is running well. It just passed state inspection with flying colors.

28th Oct 2006, 14:40

My 98 Windstar has a yellow engine light on just to the right of the service engine soon light. When I check the owner's guide description of the instrument panel the two lights on the right hand side are blank. What is going on?

18th Nov 2006, 18:32

My 2003 Windstar makes an annoying chirping noise as soon as I turn it on, and it comes on and off when I drive. It sounds like a have a bird nest living under the hood. I'll check the idler pulley, but can anyone think of what else could be causing this?

5th Dec 2006, 15:34

Remove the serpentine belt and start the engine. If the chirping noise persists the bearing on the fuel injection synchronizer could be bad. The camshaft position sensor sits on top of the synchronizer. You need a special tool to align the sensor when replacing the synchronizer.

23rd Dec 2006, 08:33

Thanks to all the folks who have commented. Interesting observations. Here is my list of issues with the 1998 Windstar LX 3.8L that I purchased new, with extended warranty driven in snow and salt in the Ottawa rust belt:

• new car had clicking noise from motor. Dealer replaced lifters. Same problem. Dealer replaced car—yes!

• after about 30km the car suddenly decided to down shift to second gear on the highway and would not move into third or final; dealer replaced part in transmission;

• after four years, A/C lost its load when fitting under the driver side passenger seat gave out. Fitting cost $10 but the repair cost $1,000 because all the pipes for the coolant needed to be replaced. Dealer mechanic said to apply lube to the fitting each year to prevent this issue. Just get down on ground, look under car behind drivers door and spray silicone/oil lube in there on the a/c fittings and lines;

• have replaced brakes and rotors three times on front and once on back; replaced front calipers as well when seals broke;

• alarm system went off after driving while parked in driveway—hood sensor was stuck, replaced by dealer;

• tailgate wiper motor failed and burned up the wires—note, this is a common Windstar problem and has caused cars to burn up. Replaced the wiper motor with dealer part;

Recent issues:

• chirping from motor by passenger side—I suspect tension arm for belt…will check;

• loud groaning noise from passenger side when turning at slow speed to the left…will f/up on the engineers comment about the tie rod end grease. Thanks.

• Engine light just came on today after the groaning sounds came from motor…just what I need :)

7th Feb 2007, 20:37

I have a 2003 Windstar with a rear heat control problem. When I move the aux heat switch in the dash to different fan speeds I can hear the relay making noise, but the fan will not operate on any speed, it also will not operate using the rear controls. The dealer took it in and said that my rear resistor pack had a bad ground and needed to be replaced for a couple hundred dollars, the mechanic did do a quick temporary repair on the wire which gave me 3 months of operation before it failed again.

Does anyone know where the rear resistor pack is located and how to get to it so that I can either fix it or replace it myself? I was told the resistor pack for the front heat was behind the glove box, but I am not sure where the rear one is.

7th Mar 2007, 15:06

100,000 mile update

OK, I just changed the oil and I have 101,000 miles on my 1998 Ford Windstar. The van is running great, but I need to change the spark plugs soon. It looks like I can reach two of the three rear plugs from underneath the vehicle, but the rear, passenger-side plug is going to be a bear to change. I'll let you know how it goes.