1998 Ford Windstar Fuel System Problems

MY WINDSTAR HAS ABOUT 155,000 MILES ON IT AND A 25 GALLON TANK. ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO IT CUT OFF ON THE INTERSTATE IN FRONT OF A TRACTOR TRAILER WITH MY DAUGHTER DRIVING. IT HAD JUST TRAVELED ABOUT 200 MILES AND IT WAS RAINING HARD. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A FORD DEALER AND ALL HE REPORTED WAS THE FUEL PUMP FUSE BLEW. THE SECOND EVENT WAS ON VACATION AND AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 175 MILES. AGAIN IT WAS POURING DOWN RAIN. I FIGURED IT WAS MOISTURE RELATED AND LET IT SIT THREE DAYS AND THE IDLE CLOSE TO 1/2 HOUR. FINALLY I DROVE IT ABOUT 45 MINUTES AND IT SEEMED FINE SO WE DROVE HOME. AGAIN AT ABOUT 150 MILES AND HEAVY RAIN IT BLEW THE FUSE ABOUT 5 MILES FROM HOME. AFTER TWO MORE FUSES WE MADE IT HOME. I USED AN AIR COMPRESSOR AND AIR NIBBLER TO CAREFULLY CUT AN ACCESS HOLE IN THE FLOOR OF THE VAN. MY DAUGHTERS CHRYSLER COMES WITH AN ACCESS POINT FOR FUEL PUMP SERVICE. NOW MY VAN HAS ONE TOO. THE ORIGINAL PUMP WAS IN THE TANK. THE WIRES EXPOSED TO FUEL WERE CHAFFED IN 5 SPOTS AND ARCING AT THE PUSH IN CONNECTOR. THE ARCING WAS DUE TO A CRIMP ON A HOSE CLAMP RUBBING THE WIRE NEAR THE PUSH IN PUMP CONNECTOR. THIS RUBBING MAY HAPPEN DUE TO OTHER STORIES I'VE READ ABOUT WHERE THE TANK COLLAPSED FROM VACUUM IN THE TANK. SHAME ON THE PEOPLE WHO DESIGNED THIS PUMP, TANK AND THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS. BY THE WAY I'M A QUALITY ENGINEER AT AN ENGINE FACTORY. I EXPECT A FUEL PUMP TO WEAR OUT -- NOT SHORT OUT. *TR

1998 FORD WINDSTAR. CONSUMER STATES ISSUES WITH REPAIRS *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE GAS HE PUT IN HIS VEHICLE, TURNED OUT TO BE BAD, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE SHAKE. (CONSUMERS HANDWRITING IS EXTREMELY ILLEGIBLE. ) *JB

DT: CONTACT STATED THE FUEL SENDING UNIT AND THE FUEL PUMP HARNESS MELTED. DEALER TOLD CONTACT SHE WAS LUCKY THE VEHICLE DID NOT BLOW UP ON HER. THIS HAPPENED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND THEN VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP.*AK

CONSUMER STATED EXCESSIVE FUEL WAS LEAKING . DEALER INDICATED THAT TOP OF THE FUEL TANK BROKE APART. *AK

CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL TANK FILLER HOSE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON STATES LOOSE FUEL CAP. FUEL CAP HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES. PROBLEM PERSISTS. IS THERE A 1999 RECALL ON WINDSTAR FUEL TANKS? WHAT DOES IT ENTAIL? WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE.*AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT FIVE OR TEN MILES ,IF THE CONTACT GOES TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN OR STOP, THE VEHICLE WILL STALL. THIS OCCURS WHILE DECELERATING. HE STATES THAT EVERYTHING WORKS FINE WHILE HE IS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. IT JUST WHEN HE GOES TO STOP THAT HE HAS THE PROBLEMS. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HIS PERSONAL MECHANIC , AND THEY REPLACED THE IDLE CONTROL ,AND CLEANED THE INJECTORS. HOWEVER, VEHICLE STILL HAS THIS PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WITH NO WARNING. IT WILL START BACK UP AS SOON AS IT STALLS WHEN HE PUTS IT IN PARK. THE CONTACT STATES THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 100 TIMES. VEHICLE HAS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE IS REGULARLY MAINTAINED. IT STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO AND IT WOULDN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME AND NOW IT IS DOING ALMOST EVERY TIME YOU SLOW DOWN. HAS CAME VERY CLOSE TO CAUSING AN ACCIDENT.*AK

SURGING, LACK OF POWER, STALLING, NO START CONDITION

FUEL TANK COLLAPSE ON 1998 WINDSTAR DEALER WANTS $1300 DOLLARS TO REPLACE FUEL TANK AND ALL RELATED COMPONENTS. DEALER SAYS THIS IS BECAUSE THERE IS A VACUUM INSIDE TANK CREATED BY THE FUEL PUMP. PERFECTLY RUNNING VAN THAT HAS BEEN KEPT UP MAINTENANCE WISE IS NOW INOPERATIVE DO TO STALLING. *AK

FORD INSTALLED IMPROPER SIZE FUEL TANKS WHICH CAUSED THE WIRE IN THE FUEL TANK TO CHAFE AND SHORT OUT WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STOP RUNNING. *PH THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRING THE PROBLEM. *NM

I HAVE A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR, AND ITS FUEL TANK WAS LEAKING INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WHEN BROUGHT TO THE DEALER IT WAS SAID THAT THE FUEL TANK COLLAPSED AT THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH CAUSED THE LEAKING. *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WITHOUT WARNING CONSUMER SMELLED GAS FUMES INSIDE THE VEHICLE. CAUSE HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED. *AK THE SEAL BETWEEN THE GAS TANK AND THE FUEL PUMP FAILED BECAUSE THE GAS TANK COLLAPSED. THE GAS TANK WAS REPLACED AT THE DEALER. THE FUEL GAUGE ACCURACY PROBLEM THAT WAS CORRECTED WHEN THE NEW GAS TANK WAS INSTALLED. *SCC

FUEL TANK COLLAPSED. AS A RESULT, THE 22 GALLON TANK CAN ONLY TAKE IN 13 GALLONS.*AK

FUEL TANK BROKEN / PUNCTURED WHEN RAN OVER ON A UNKNOWN OBJECT (SUSPECT TIRE PIECE) DURING NIGHT ON A RAINY DAY. *JB

1998 FORD WINDSTAR. ACCORDING TO DEALER REPAIR DEPT THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE FUEL TANK CAUSED BY CORROSION RELATING TO THE EMISSION TUBING. HAD TO REPLACE FUEL TANK. REPORTED TO FORD, THEY HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT. DEALER PERSON SAID THEY HAVE REPLACED SEVERAL OF THESE AND THIS IS IN A SMALL RURAL TOWN. TANK WAS BACK ORDERED FOR A MONTH. I WOULD THINK THAT A HOLE IN A GASOLINE TANK WOULD BE HAZARDOUS, AND GIVEN THE STATEMENT OF SEEING SEVERAL OF THESE IN ONE DEALERSHIP PLUS THE BACKORDER SITUATION INDICATES THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM.

OUR FUEL PUMP WENT FOR A SECOND TIME IN A THREE MONTH PERIOD. THE CAUSE OF THE FUEL PUMPS MALFUNCTION WAS A SHORT IN THE WIRING WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT THE DEPTH OF THE FUEL TANK WAS NOT WITHIN THE REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS. THE DEPTH OF THE FUEL TANK WAS ONLY 6 5/8" DEEP. IF THE DEPTH OF THE TANK IS TO SHALLOW, THE WIRING ATOP THE FUEL PUMP CAN BECOME CHAFFED ON THE METAL FUEL HOSE CLAMP. FORD HAD ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THIS VERY ISSUE. WHAT OCCURRED WITH OUR VAN WAS PRECISELY WHAT THE SERVICE BULLETIN WARNS OF. THE SERVICE BULLETIN STATES THAT IF THEFUEL TANK DEPTH IS LESS THAN 7 3/4" REPLACE THE FUEL TANK 9002 AND FUEL DELIVERY MODULE 9H307. OUR VAN CLEARLY MET THAT CRITERIA, HOWEVER, FORD WOULD NOT REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP OR FUEL TANK AT FORDS EXPENSE. THE SERVICE MANAGER AND TECHNICIAN AT FORD STATED THAT IF I WERE A REGULAR CUSTOMER OF DUDDIE FORD, THAT THEY WOULD NOT LET ME TAKE THE VAN WITH ME BECAUSE OF THE SAFETYISSUES INVOLVED. WHEN I ASKED WHAT EXACTLY THEY MEANT, THEY STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE CHAFFING OF THE WIRING ON THE FUEL PUMP, A SHORT COULD OCCUR, WHICH COULD IGNITE GASOLINE FUMES AND THEREFORE RESULT IN A CATASTROPHIC TRAGEDY. BASICALLY, THE VAN COULD EXPLODE. AN APPOINTMENT WAS MADE AT GRANITE FORD IN ROCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL TANK PER THE SERVICE BULLETIN. THE GRANITE FORD TECHNICIAN ALSO MEASURED THE DEPTH OF THE FUEL TANK AND FOUND A DEPTH OF ONLY 6 5/8". (SEE GRANITE FORD INVOICE) THE FUEL TANK WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED. DT

FUEL PUMP HAS STOPPED WORKING DUE TO INSULATION ON WIRES WORE OFF, WHICH IN SOME CASES COULD RESULT IN A FIRE. CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

THERE ARE WIRES GOING THROUGH FUEL TANK THAT HAVE NO COVER, AND IT COULD CAUSE A FIRE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THE VEHICLE HAD STALLED SEVERAL TIMES DUE TO WIRES SHORTING OUT IN THE FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. YH

ENGINE STALLED; REPORTED TO SHEEHY FORD; REPLACED SENSOR; WITHIN A WEEK VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN AND OFTEN. REPORTED TO DEALER; COULD NOT DUPLICATE STALL CONDITION. STALLING OCCURRED UP TO 13 TIMES A DAY; RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER. AFTER TWO DAYS DEALER FOUND THAT PLASTIC GAS TANK HAD COLLAPSED, CAUSING A VAPOR LOCK, AFFECTING FUEL FLOW TO ENGINE AND RESULTING IN STALLS. GAS TANK REPLACED AT COST OF $882.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THE WARNING LIGHT WAS ON, THE DEALER TRACED PROBLEM TO A LOOSE HOSE ON THE FUEL TANK, WHICH REQUIRED TIGHTENING A SCREW, THE FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED.*JB

FUEL PUMP INSIDE FUEL TANK IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THERE IS A WIRE INSIDE FUEL TANK CONNECTED TO FUEL PUMP, AND WITHIN 50000 MILES WIRE STARTED TO RUB TOGETHER WITH POTENTIAL OF THERE BEING A FIRE IN FUEL TANK. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK