spark knocks

[cbailey]

Hello again everyone,
My dad has a 2000 windstar with a 3.8 and has a problem with it spark knocking. He has had the ford place check the timming and everything else on it and they say that every thing is ok, but I know he's not crazy because I have heard it myself. The van has around 60,000 miles on it , give or take a few. I was wondering if anyone has had the same problem and if so how or what can be done to solve it.

[MT-2500]

Check the EGR system for egr valve working and also the egr valve ports in the intake to each cylinder.
And do not forget to check the dpfe sensor.
It starts the process to open the egr valve when needed.
MT
Some were even recalled.
Run the vin at tour ford dealer for recalls.

[phil-l]

My 2000 Windstar LX 3.8 made similar knocking sounds. At first, I blamed it on gas from a particular station, but the sound got worse over time. I had no CEL, as some people do.

After a lot of reading on this web site, I decided the likely culprit was the infamous isolator bolt problem. I performed the leckemby.net procedure that's widely reference on this board: the knocking disappeared.

I'l also note that my DPFE failed about a month later, but that was an easy fix.

Both items are very common on 2000 3.8 Windstars at the 70K mile mark.

[12Ounce]

I agree with phil-l, in the early stages of failure ... before codes are thrown ... the loosening isolator bolts (and plugged EGR jets) can cause pre-ignition-like knocking.

[wiswind]

The isolator bolt TSB is fully explained at

http://leckemby.net/windstar/windstar01.html