01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

[CN Spots]

The lil woman's '01 Windstar has become hard to start and has died a few times sitting at idle. I can get it started by pumping the accelerator and running the motor at high rpm for a few seconds. If it had a choke, I'd say it twern't working. It only does this every few days or so, any other time it's fine.

I'm going to do the filter/hoses/belt/plugs/wires thing as soon as I can... is there something else I need to look at? Off and on problems always stump me. Life would be much eaiser if the offending part just fell off. Thanks.

spots

 

[ne7800]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

i had a similer problem on a taurus and it was (i think it was called) a T.P.F.E sensor small black or aluminum box on the passener side rear of the intake with two vacume lines going in to it.

 

[ne7800]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

problem is it's about a $60 or $70 part so it is not something you can guess at cheaply a good scan tool should be able to read it's voltage

 

[triumphrick]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

There should be an error code stored in that baby, and any Advance or Auto Zone will be happy to read it for you.

 

[CN Spots]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

Well, Windstars are basically a big, fat Taurus so that's a likely culprit. Thanks!

 

[CN Spots]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

There should be an error code stored in that baby, and any Advance or Auto Zone will be happy to read it for you.

I haven't seen an engine light yet, which is odd but I'll take it by the 'Zone this weekend and have them check it anyway.

 

[ne7800]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

might also ask them about somthing called a iack pernounced (i ack) if it's dirty will cause a surging that could be your stalling problem

 

[gss036]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

I agree, the T.P.F.E sensor probably the cause. Also use compressed air and clean the mass air flow sensor in the big hose after the air filter. DO NOT USE carb cleaner or injector spray on it as it will be destroyed.
My daughters v-6 in her Explorer had the same problem and the T.P.F.E sensor fixed it.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

Often the cause for this is the air control celonoid which is attached to the trottle intake. The TPS when it goes bad will cause an up and down idle but often not cause it to cut off. My bet is the air control celonoid. Be sure everything is pluged up and no apparant vac leaks first. The part will cost about 50bucks

 

[CN Spots]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

Great info. Thanks!

 

[jimr]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

If it is just an idleing problem it is probablly caused by a bad (dirty) Idle air control. you can remove it and clean it with carb cleaner berrymans b12 works best. chances are it will not set a code. We do alot of them on police cars.

 

[ne7800]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

If it is just an idleing problem it is probablly caused by a bad (dirty) Idle air control. you can remove it and clean it with carb cleaner berrymans b12 works best. chances are it will not set a code. We do alot of them on police cars.

yeah that is what i was trying to think of Idle air control IAC

 

[642mx]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

First off, I've never heard of a TPFE sensor, they are called DPFE sensors, and I doubt its the problem.

Idling problems on Fords are mostly caused from dirty or faulty IAC motors. The are located on the throttle body near the butterfly. If it has chunks of black stuff in it, just replace it. The butterfly gets really nasty on Fords too. Use some intake and throttle body cleaner to clean the air flap and the surrounding area, follow the instructions on the can. (Don't use carb clean on the throttle body, there is a anti-stick coating on the inside of the throttle body and carb cleaner will damage it).

While your at it, get some Valvoline Synthetic fuel injection cleaner and use it on the next tank of gas. Valvoline make 2 injection cleaners (one is for once a year and the other is for every 3K miles) get the once a year stuff, the 3K mile stuff is crap.

My 2 cents (from a former Ford Technician)

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

Yea the IAC is what I was thinking of. With the dang OBD11 system there is a separate control ICM that monitors the idle speed then it sends data to the main computer. Check that if the other ideas dont fix it.

 

[gss036]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

Ford DPFE Sensor 3W1E-9J460-AA Actually this was the part I meant to refer to. Sorry for the mistake.

 

[ne7800]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

Ford DPFE Sensor 3W1E-9J460-AA Actually this was the part I meant to refer to. Sorry for the mistake.

I'll take some of the blame i was the first one to say TPFE not DPFE i couldn't rember what is was called all i know is when i had this problem my BIL (ford senior master tech) told me this was the problem he figured this out via a scan tool

 

[CN Spots]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

The scan reads as follows:

The ECM has detected a rich or lean air/fuel ratio condition on engine bank one and two.

Causes:

-Possible fuel condition or MAF sensor fault
-Failed H02S21 (?)
-Ignition misfire condition
-Fuel injector problem
-Engine mechanical condition

Does any of that smell like a DPFE sensor or an IAC motor going bad?

The butterfly WAS pretty nasty but all I have at the moment is carb cleaner and MAF cleaner. Need to get some throttle body cleaner.

 

[642mx]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

Clear the code(s), clean the intake, check the IAC for deposits and see what happens.

 

[AK_Chappy]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

I kept getting the "lean bank" codes on our '95 Windstar. It turned out to be a bad gasket for the air cleaner box. It was letting too much air into the intake.

Just a thought.

AK Chappy

 

[CN Spots]

Re: 01 Windstar keeps dying at startup and idle...

I kept getting the "lean bank" codes on our '95 Windstar. It turned out to be a bad gasket for the air cleaner box. It was letting too much air into the intake.

Just a thought.

AK Chappy

Yeah, I think that's Autozone's computers' way of say that it's not sure what's going on. They ran the code on my last truck once and the printout for what it "thought" the problem might be was over 4 feet long!