Are there any warning lights on the dashboard? The next obvious thing to check is the battery. A starter needs a lot of voltage to turn it. Vehicle batteries are considered 'Old' when they are more than 5 years old. If you know how to use a voltmeter or a multimeter you can test the battery.
With the ignition key Out the battery voltage should be somewhere between 13.6 and 14.2 volts. Get a helper to crank the engine and watch the voltage reading. If it drops below 10 volts the battery could be faulty.
Its your ABS system. There is a faulty switch/sensor on the master cylinder. It leaks brake fluid into the wires connected to it and causes the circuit to short, resulting in a blown fuse that controls the AC, odometer, speedometer, cruise control and ABS light to stay on. This can even cause a fire in the vehicle. A fire can occur even when the vehicle is turned off. To correct the problem go to this link - http://www.fordwindstarrecall.info/
there's a website reliable-store
all heavy equipment repair issues servicing, loading, wiring, engine problems everything is covered here its a must try
that is probably the splash shield but you should be able to remove ane install the hose with out moving the bumper you will need to go under the vehicle to access the hose
It sounds like you have a misfire. Since you mention it is getting noticeably worse fuel economy, you probably have a spark plug or two that is not firing. Have long has it been since the spark plugs and spark plug wires have been changed? If your answer is, "recently" then check the connections of all the plug wires to the plugs to see if maybe one or more just didn't have a good connection.
if you check the guage properly and it was dry you need to add fluid immediatly or your gonna need a new transmission or you already do.i have a 2003 windstar and had to rebuild transmission. ford is known to have faulty transmissions
The problem is you need to take the vehicle an have it checked ! DTC'S - diagnostic trouble code's stored in the transmission control module > Nothing you can do or should do , Take it to a qualified repair shop.
If you don't know how to test automotive electrical circuit's using a DMM - digital multi-meter ,looking at wiring diagrams to see what all is involved in these system's so you know which wire's to test ,your best bet , take it to a qualified repair shop . People that have no clue should not be trying to fix car's . Very weak system operation issue's indicate a high resistance's problem .
I'm thinking the solenoid ????? Guessing is not the way ! Voltage drop testing is .
Learning how to diagnose the proper way an not making part stores richer ,is the right way .
Mastering Voltage Drop Testing with Pete Meier and Jerry TrugliaElectric Testing Techniques You Need to Know
Watch these two professional tech's teach the proper way .
sounds like you may have a issue with a bad sensor somewhere. You need to diagnose this issue. Or look for a sensor that has come unplugged. If you can restart it that shows it is getting fuel.
If it would not start at all I would say the fuel pump.
To me that sounds like a charging issue. With the other items replaced, check and make sure a wire for the alternator didn't get misplaced and if that all looks good you may want to have the alternator tested. Could be something as simple as a wire getting swung into another area while you turn and shorting out, but since it needs to be jumped after it occurs to me that sounds like a charging issue.
I know it sounds silly but i would be checking oil level to see if its been overfilled. this will cause problems like you have. The engine is probably shuddering because if oil is getting to the air cleaner it is probably in the combustion chambers as well and reducing the sparkplugs ability to perform under load. Quite possible a hose was not reconnected or has come loose giving a vacuume leak which could also cause a problem. Check for these things and see how you go.