I have a '99 XLT w/4.0L SOHC engine.
The accelerator pedal sticks and I have the force it (tap it with my foot) to get going. Very hard to make a smooth start from a stand still.
Problem is worse if I drive the car a short distance and than let it sit for an hour or so and get in and go again. It is most noticable with that scenario.
Any advice is appreciated.
Don
Here's a real SWAG.. especially without any more info.... Somehwere along the line, this thing has had a concern with "unmetered" air raising the idle. Someone may have tried "fixing" it by adjusting the throttle plate to close more and now, when the throttle is closed, the aluminum housing contracts on the throttle plate trapping it.
Of course, having an extremely dirty throttle bore can mimic this to a certain extent.
On my '94 I always had to clean the buttertfly in the throttle body at least once a year. I 'd buy a spray can of throttle body cleaner (not carb cleaner) and was always amazed at the black goop that washed out.
It was a real pain in the butt having to disconnect the air duct to get to the throttle body but it sure worked nice after cleaning.
dickm
They had a tsb for this for the longest time, haven't seen it show up for a while, must be expired.
The advised to replace t-body
I took the Throttle Body off and thoroughly cleaned it. Now it works GREAT! Thanks so much!
TSBs don't "expire" though they can be replaced... However, they usually remain in the system and it is up to us to see if there are any revisions (thank God for OASIS).
Ford tells us that we are not to clean throttle bodies.... there is a coating on the throttle blade that can be damaged by chemicals. There is a part that mounts between the throttle body and the IAC that allows for some adjustment but I don't think that they were ever widely accepted in the marketplace.
Do you know what that coating is supposed to do? Repel dirt buildup? Seal better? I've always heard the coating was there and that Ford didnt recommend cleaning, but I never noticed any performance change in all the years I cleaned it. I always made sure to use a cleaner that claimed to be throttle body safe.
I have an '04 now and it's a throttle-by-wire system so its impossible to stick (at least its impossible to feel stickiness with the pedal), though it's always been extremely sensitive when first stepping on the gas.
dickm
CRC makes an "air intake cleaner" that is safe for coated TB parts. Works great.
I believe that is the correct answer. The throttle plate sticking was due to inadequate clearances. I read the info on this when I was looking up info on Explorers before buying- Ford had a TSB on the sticking problem and you could get it fixed free.
-Paul
As I recall, the TSB covered '95 onward and not my '94. :-(
dick
Just cleaned mine with STP throtlle body cleaner. Wow. There was so much dirt buildup around the sealing area no wonder I had the sticking accelerator pedal problem. I doused mine in the cleaner, and disassembled the butterfly plate, removed it and cleaned that also. The back side of the plate was black. Cable operation feels lots smoother now with no initial stickiness.
Paul
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