A bad timing belt or timing chain can be a serious issue. If it jumps a tooth or breaks entirely, it can lead to permanent engine damage. Knowing the symptoms of a bad timing belt or chain is vital so this doesn’t happen to your Ford Windstar. Timing belts are made out of rubber and … Read more
There are a few easy to fix reasons why your Ford Windstar’s key might get stuck in the ignition. It’s often easy to unstick the key. Whatever you do, don’t start trying to rip it out of the ignition. That can cause bigger problems. This article is written with the assumption that your key is … Read more
If your Ford Windstar’s steering wheel is hard to turn, it’s almost always going to be caused by an issue with the power steering system. But there can be other causes as well. Your van’s power steering system is responsible for taking energy from the engine, converting it to hydraulic pressure, and using that pressure … Read more
A very common problem that affects all vehicles (including the Ford Windstar) is blue smoke coming from the exhaust. Reasons for blue exhaust smoke include bad valve seals, valve train wear in general, the PCV valve, burning transmission fluid and more. Blue smoke indicates that your Windstar’s engine is burning oil. The question is … Read more
If your Ford Windstar is experiencing a whining noise, determining where and when the noise is happening is coming from is key to diagnosing and tracking down the cause. With that in mind, this page is divided by when you hear the whining noise and common causes under those conditions. Is the whining noise … Read more
When you start your Ford Windstar, the airbag module runs a self-diagnostic check on all its major systems. If any of these checks fail, you will see an airbag warning light on the dashboard. Depending on the model year and what country you happen to be in, you may get something along the lines of … Read more
If your Ford Windstar smells like gas, it may indicate a serious issue. It would be best to treat your van as though you have a fuel leak (don’t drive it) until you know there isn’t one. A bad gas cap typically causes the smell of gas, the evaporative emissions system leaking, overfilling the … Read more
If your Ford Windstar’s battery is draining, it’s something that’ll need addressing right away. If it is draining while your Windstar isn’t running, something is drawing current that shouldn’t be. If the battery drains while driving, there’s likely an issue with your van’s alternator. The two primary causes for a battery to deplete are parasitic … Read more
If your Ford Windstar won’t accelerate, that is a serious cause for concern. If your check engine light is on, get a code scanner and see what trouble codes are stored in the PCM (powertrain control module). They can provide valuable insight as to what the problem may be and help you narrow down … Read more
A vehicle that is pulling to the left can be dangerous to drive. In the US, left is the direction of oncoming traffic. This makes pulling to the left even more dangerous than pulling to the right. Keeping straight when your Ford Windstar wants to veer into traffic makes driving stressful. If your Windstar pulls … Read more