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Old 11-07-2008, 08:32 PM   #1
mtp_m
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battery light flickers and car shuts off 99 windstar

i've been having problems for a while now.my check engine light has been on for months i had the codes read and its 171 174. i had o2 sensors changed and it solved the problem that i was having with it shutting off but the light is still on. i just had a oil change bout a month ago and it was alot of brown sludge in it meineke even showed me little metal shavings in it,today i checked the oil by taking off the cap and it had light brown sludge around it, i pulled out the stick and the oil from it looked about normal to me that is my coolant will not stay at min level so i constantly fill it with water because they scared me with the idea that if the coolant was leaking into the engine it would lock up and i dont have the money to keep buying coolant. this morning i got up and had to take about a 5 minute ride, i turned on the defrost and started to smell something burning when i got home i popped the hood and saw smoke coming from i believe the back of my engine. the wife drove it to work 10min and then back home 10min and she noticed that it felt like it was going to shut off when sitting at the light for too long. when she got home i had to go to work, the car sat outside for about 20min before i left. i got a little over a mile down the road and noticed the battery light blinking while at the light i pulled into meineke lot 2mins before they closed and it shut off, it would not start. the guy there said it could be the head gasket and it would not start, i tried and it would not. l waited about 20mins it started and i was able to make it home. when i was out this morning i left the car running and heard a clicking sound like something was turning on and off and the idle sound changed with the clicks i have about 120k miles
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Old 11-07-2008, 10:35 PM   #2
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Re: battery light flickers and car shuts off 99 windstar

It sounds like you need to find out where its leaking coolant and whether or not the alternator is charging.
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Old 11-08-2008, 07:06 AM   #3
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Re: battery light flickers and car shuts off 99 windstar

i dont see it leaking on the ground and the altenator is about 2yrs old
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Old 11-08-2008, 07:59 AM   #4
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Re: battery light flickers and car shuts off 99 windstar

Go to a decent mechanic and have it checked out. Any radiator shop can do a gas analysis and tell if the head gasket is bad. You can also do a pressure test and the gage will pulsate if a head gasket is blown.
Auto Zone or Advanced auto will test the charging system free.
Normally you will get white smoke out of the exhaust if you have a blown head gasket.
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Old 11-08-2008, 08:57 AM   #5
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Re: Battery light flickers and car stalls. 99 Windstar

mtp_m

I hope you don't mind I rewrote your post to make it a bit more readable.

Here is what I changed:

I've been having problems for a while now. My check engine light has been on for months. I had the codes read and its P0171 and P0174.

I had O2 sensors changed and it solved the problem that I was having with it stalling but the CEL is still on.

I just had an oil change about a month ago and there was a lot of brown sludge in it. Meineke even showed me little metal shavings in it.

Today I checked the oil by taking off the cap and it had light brown sludge around it. I pulled out the stick and the oil looked normal to me.

My coolant will not stay at min level so I constantly fill it with water because don’t have the money to keep buying coolant. Also I was scared with the idea that if coolant was leaking into the engine it would lock up.

This morning I got up and had to take about a 5 minute ride. I turned on the defrost and started to smell something burning. When I got home I popped the hood and saw smoke coming from what I believe from the back of my engine.

My wife drove it to work 10 min and then back home 10 min. She noticed that it felt like it was going to stall when sitting at the light for too long.

When she got home I had to go to work. The car sat outside for about 20 min before I left. I got a little over a mile down the road and noticed the battery light blinking while at the light.

I pulled into Meineke lot 2 mins before they closed and it stalled and would not start. The guy there said it could be the head gasket. l waited about 20 mins it started and was able to make it home.

When I was out this morning I left the car running and heard a clicking sound like something was turning on and off and the idle sound changed with the clicks.

I have about 120k miles on the van.












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Wiswind's Windstar repair pics http://community.webshots.com/album/201931518cScpNK

Photos of my repairs: http://dansautopictures.shutterfly.com/
Check this out:http://threewheelmotorcyclemetro.shutterfly.co

A must read about problems Windstars have: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=672854

95 Windstar 240,000+
98 Windstar 136,000+ 09-25-2008.
85 Dodge 1 Ton Snow mover gas hog
91 Mazda Protege free beater
SW MN
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Old 11-08-2008, 09:06 AM   #6
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Re: battery light flickers and car shuts off 99 windstar

i have noticed white smoke probably 3 times in last 2months. my wife is driving it right now and she said it drives nomal she sat for a while to see what happen so i will know more in a little if anything happens. if it is the head gasket shouldn't it just not run, i had a cavalier and the head gasket blew and i could not get it to start at all even after sitting for a couple of days so i junked it.
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Old 11-08-2008, 09:33 AM   #7
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Re: Battery light flickers and car stalls. 99 Windstar

Hello



I've been having problems for a while now. My check engine light has been on for months. I had the codes read and its P0171 and P0174. Here is a link about these error codes: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=338113



I had O2 sensors changed and it solved the problem that I was having with it stalling but the CEL is still on. Have you had the codes read? Many places like AutoZone will read these codes for free hoping that you'll buy your parts from them. When you have them read besure to get the number and post them here.

I just had an oil change about a month ago and there was a lot of brown sludge in it. Meineke even showed me little metal shavings in it. Unforuntly this metal may have come from the bearings. Coolant in the oil can rune the bearings. I wish I could give you better news.

Today I checked the oil by taking off the cap and it had light brown sludge around it. I pulled out the stick and the oil looked normal to me. Normal is a GOOD THING!

My coolant will not stay at min level so I constantly fill it with water because don’t have the money to keep buying coolant. Also I was scared with the idea that if coolant was leaking into the engine it would lock up.

Coolant is probably getting in to the oil via the lower intake manifold gaskets. I just replaced mine on my 98. I have a link to the pictures that I took while doing the repair in my signature. A word of warning about just running water: Plain water boils at a lower temp and doesn't protect the metal in the cooling system. This gasket problem needs to be taken care of soon.

This morning I got up and had to take about a 5 minute ride. I turned on the defrost and started to smell something burning. When I got home I popped the hood and saw smoke coming from what I believe from the back of my engine. What color was the smoke? If it was white it was probably coolant leaking onto the exhaust manifold.

My wife drove it to work 10 min and then back home 10 min. She noticed that it felt like it was going to stall when sitting at the light for too long.
This is probably related to the first link I posted for you.

When she got home I had to go to work. The car sat outside for about 20 min before I left. I got a little over a mile down the road and noticed the battery light blinking while at the light. Sorry I don't know what's causing this. Could be a number of things.

I pulled into Meineke lot 2 mins before they closed and it stalled and would not start. The guy there said it could be the head gasket. Headgaskets were a problem on the 95s. Later Windstars have trouble with the lower intake manifold gaskets. l waited about 20 mins. It started and was able to make it home. Making it home is ALWAYS a good thing!

When I was out this morning I left the car running and heard a clicking sound like something was turning on and off and the idle sound changed with the clicks. Again...This is probably related to the first link I posted for you.


I have about 120k miles on the van. What condition is the rest of the van in? Is the van paid off?

I hope this gets you started in the right direction. Keep us posted. There a lot of people (to include the gals ) reading this forum who are VERY helpful.

Regards,

Dan
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Wiswind's Windstar repair pics http://community.webshots.com/album/201931518cScpNK

Photos of my repairs: http://dansautopictures.shutterfly.com/
Check this out:http://threewheelmotorcyclemetro.shutterfly.co

A must read about problems Windstars have: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=672854

95 Windstar 240,000+
98 Windstar 136,000+ 09-25-2008.
85 Dodge 1 Ton Snow mover gas hog
91 Mazda Protege free beater
SW MN
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Old 11-08-2008, 11:33 AM   #8
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Re: battery light flickers and car shuts off 99 windstar

i only had this windstar for 3yrs from carmax and had it serviced probably 10 times under warranty i believe the lower gasket was replaced. i had the engine light problem a few times and they fixed it not sure exactly what they did after having so many problems i got a car facts history from them and it was at least 10 pages long. when i drive the car til this day i cant feel any knocking or anything from the inside while drive, when sitting at the light it feels like the car is not running its that smooth. i recently started to feel jerking when driving but thought it might be the gas i put in it cause when i filled up at exxon it did not jerk anymore probably a little when it was at about a quarter tank. my oil light comes on when i come to a stop but goes off when i start rolling. thats about all thats going on besides me needing a new headlight assembly because a deer ran out infront of me on the pkwy and i just caught the antler i believe and just busted out my driver side turning signal
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Old 11-08-2008, 11:49 AM   #9
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Re: battery light flickers and car shuts off 99 windstar

If the gaskets weren't the new and improved version they may have failed again.

Dan
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Wiswind's Windstar repair pics http://community.webshots.com/album/201931518cScpNK

Photos of my repairs: http://dansautopictures.shutterfly.com/
Check this out:http://threewheelmotorcyclemetro.shutterfly.co

A must read about problems Windstars have: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=672854

95 Windstar 240,000+
98 Windstar 136,000+ 09-25-2008.
85 Dodge 1 Ton Snow mover gas hog
91 Mazda Protege free beater
SW MN
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Old 11-09-2008, 07:46 PM   #10
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Re: battery light flickers and car shuts off 99 windstar

car cut off again while wife was driving and started smoking then she said she smelled gas, so i called for a tow by the time they got there the car started like normal but i still had it towed just in case. it seems like when you press the gas it does not have alot of power and it would not go over 50, she said it reminded her of when one of the hoses was knocked off when i had the spark plugs changed, my friend did not realize that he knocked it off till the next day and it would shut off the same way it does now. so could it be the gas pump or a bad hose. i know i have so many other problems but i dont think its the head gasket at least i hope its not
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