Please Help 2000 LX 3.8 intermittant stall and jerk???

Hello all,
I'm a new member that has been lurking here for a while and have yet to find my specific issue. I purchased my Windstar in May from a Ford dealer. The only things done by me have been an oil change and new tires.

The Specs: 2000 LX Windstar with the 3.8 motor with 59,000 miles.

I drive this van to work 32 miles round trip (a mixture of city and highway).

For the past 2 weeks, while traveling at highway speed, I get what I feel as a jerk, it is over very quickly. This may happen on the way to work once or twice and then behave fine on the way home or vice versa. The rest of the time it starts and runs great. During this period I have had one incident of a stall while stopped at a red light. It started right back up and was fine the rest of the day. The Check Engine Light is not on and seems to be operational.

I'm not a mechanic, but have done alot of repairs on older cars. I'd appreciate any advice you guys can give. I like my Windstar and Ford's in general, but I'm not trusting my Windstar lately.

I'd put three things on my "watch list":
.Fuel filter
.Fuel pump relay
.PCM power relay

...refer to glove box manual for relay location.

I'd put three things on my "watch list":
.Fuel filter
.Fuel pump relay
.PCM power relay

...refer to glove box manual for relay location.

Sorry about the double post...

Hi 12Ounce,

Thanks for the quick reply. I was planning on changing the fuel filter, air filter and cabin air filter as part of the 60,000 mile tune-up (probably this weekend).

Any thoughts on do it yourself trans. fluid flush? I see that's due too.

About the relays, they would be #207 and #304? There's definitely not a shortage of fuses and relays in the manual.

Any other "tune-up" suggestions while I'm at it?

Thanks for your help.

On tranny fluid changes, I recommend you follow the Haynes repair manual ... simply drop the pan (yeah, quite messy) wipe out the pan, wipe off the magnets, replace the filter .... and then replace the 6 1/3 qts, or so, that are necessary for refill. Note: the filter seal may stick in-place in the tranny body. You can just pull the seal off the new filter and stick it in the old seal ... if this happens.

Use Mercon V, of course. I like (but don't use) the big brand names such as Castrol and Valvoline.

(I'm "experimenting" with Mobil 1 ATF ... not recommended, as it is not Mercon V).

On tranny fluid changes, I recommend you follow the Haynes repair manual ... simply drop the pan (yeah, quite messy) wipe out the pan, wipe off the magnets, replace the filter .... and then replace the 6 1/3 qts, or so, that are necessary for refill. Note: the filter seal may stick in-place in the tranny body. You can just pull the seal off the new filter and stick it in the old seal ... if this happens.

Use Mercon V, of course. I like (but don't use) the big brand names such as Castrol and Valvoline.

(I'm "experimenting" with Mobil 1 ATF ... not recommended, as it is not Mercon V).

No flushing required? Is not using the big brand names a cost thing? Can you confirm the relay numbers I gave earlier?

Thanks again.

No, No, I wouldn't skimp on fluid quality because of a little price difference. It's just that those big brands' Mercon V were not yet available in my area when I got my Winny ... Mobil ATF was, and I didn't know enough not to use it. If I knew then what I know now, I would have sought out a quality Mercon V.

You've identified the relays correctly.

No, No, I wouldn't skimp on fluid quality because of a little price difference. It's just that those big brands' Mercon V were not yet available in my area when I got my Winny ... Mobil ATF was, and I didn't know enough not to use it. If I knew then what I know now, I would have sought out a quality Mercon V.

You've identified the relays correctly.

Thanks again for the help. I'll post my results after the tune-up.

Thanks again for the help. I'll post my results after the tune-up.

Finally did the tune up, replaced the fuel filter, air filter and cleaned the IAC motor, throttle plate and Maf sensor with throttle body cleaner.

All is well after 5 days no jerking or stalling. Thanks again for the help.

Just curious .... did you replace the relays in your tune-up?

Also, you asked ... and I forgot to respond about tranny "flushing". I do not recommend it. Haynes repair manual outlines all you need to do ... a simple (messy) pan drop and cleaning.

I just wanted to add that I bought my Mercon V from Ford. It was resonably priced @ 4.09 Canadian. It was on sale. I also bought the filter from Ford because I did not want to have the pan off and then notice that I had the incorrect filter- I assumed Ford would give (sell) me the correct one. The transmission pan gasket is reusable.

I didn't replace the relays, I wanted to see if the filter replacement would do the trick and it seems to have. All the filters looked pretty nasty. Are the relays something you can purchase at an autoparts store or are they a dealer item?

Does the pan drop and filter change satisfy the warranty requirement for the 60,000 mile service? I have an extended warranty from Ford.

On the ford trans a total trans flush is the best.
There may even be some tsb's on it.
Have the dealer run your vin for TSB's on it.
You need to get all of the old trans fluid out of it or even a little of the old fluid left in there will contaninate the new fluid.
MT-2500

I would expect the relays to be available aftermarket. I have bought mine from Ford ... and they seemed to have gone through some engineering upgrades over time. I recommend you purchase a couple of each size and keep them as on-board spares. You WILL need some, somewhere, eventually.

I do not know about the warranty requirements. I do have a shop manual and have read over what Ford means by tranny "drain and refill" (307-01-146). It merely means overfilling the tranny with fresh fluid and pumping/dumping fluid through the external fluid cooler by removing a hose. No external flushing machine is used. (I have oversimplified here). I have never done this exact procedure as outlined.

There is, however, a stand-alone back flushing procedure (307-01-328) for the external cooler, that does use a flushing machine. The last steps involve using compressed air to remove all the cleaning agent.

If any dealer or transmission shop ever insists that you need a tranny flushing using their favorite (money making) machine. I would suggest you get them to show you, in some Ford document, where Ford recommends it.

(I'd like to see it myself).

If any dealer or transmission shop ever insists that you need a tranny flushing using their favorite (money making) machine. I would suggest you get them to show you, in some Ford document, where Ford recommends it.

(I'd like to see it myself).

There is quite a few ford tsb's on it. And I have run into the problem on a lot of ford trans. Some as low as 25K.
Do you need the tsb no or do you want to see the hole tsb?
Or just ask your ford dealer he knows best.
MT-2500

.... just ask your ford dealer, he knows best.
MT-2500

REALLY! Forgive me for being skeptical!

No problem.
The first ford TSB's called for and required a total fluid change and then they later came out with the flush machine because on some trans they had no converter drain plug that you could use to get a total fluid change.
So a total flush is required to solve the problem with the fluid going bad and causing a TCC shudder and or shift shudder.
Her is the momma TSB of them all and some more came out later on the total flush with the flush machine.
http://members.troublecodes.net/crunch/1fordflush.pdf
MT-2500 :smile:

Hmmm ....

Good info, but I don't read any reference to a machine flush of the tranny ....? Reads much like the Haynes manual to me.

12Ounce
You are right on they do not actually state that a flush machine is rquired.
Just that a total fluid change is required to get all of the old fluid out.
But on the ones that do not have a converter drain plug.
The only way to do it is to take a cooler line lose and pump the old fluid from cooler line into a bucket or container while pouring in new fluid or just use a flush machine.
Quick lubes and ford dealers push the flush machine and sometimes just for a money maker. But if used right it is good for a lot of trans.
I still use the old 5 gal bucket. I have a 3 way valve that I hook into the cooler line and can turn on and off as needed.
MT-2500

Does that TSB even apply to the Windstar's?

I'm going to email the Ford dealer where I purchased the Windstar to determine the warranty requirements for the 60,000 mile Trans. service. The warranty booklet is pretty vague.

Thanks again for the assistance.

The TSB I posted is on older modles. But there has been more TSB's put out on later modles.
Have your dealer run your vin no. for TSB's
Every make and modle and trans are different.
See what your dealer recomends.
MT-2500

I contacted the Ford dealer where I purchased the Windstar concerning warranty requirements for the 60,000 mile service and this was the reply:

Transmission fluid flush should be done every 30k miles. Cost of the service is $135.00.

I guess I still don't know if this is a warranty requirement or a dealership money maker.

Forgive me for repeating: Get them to supply you with a (Ford Motor) document stating that it is required.

The warranty compliance terms should be complete and not confusing. I would send a (reqistered) request letter if necessary. You should have been supplied with this before signing ... anything they try to "add" now is certainly not binding .... in fact, is a breach of contract.

... AND SOME MORE of my ramblings on the tranny flushing subject ... should we, or shouldn't we?

Today while I was picking up some repair parts, a friend/service manager shared some company gossip: Ford Corp is taking issue with the (independent) dealers on the subject of tranny flushing. The flushing machines have become a cash cow for the dealers ... but Ford apparently now has data that shows the customers and Ford Corp are getting ripped in the process.

Apparently most of Ford dealerships are independent businesses. (Just like Henry Ford set it all up in the beginning.) A few are owned by the company, but not many I'm told.

You can imagine the conflicts this can cause when the dealership does maintenance service, not by the book, and then wants to pass on to Ford Corp the costs of failures of this unprescribed maintenance.

So this may become a very public debate between the dealers and Ford Corp.

...or it may all be BS. I don't think so, as it came "out of the blue" while we were making small talk about business in gereral.