any Ford techs. aboard?

[mommicked]

My wifes 06 Ford Escape 4 cyl.has a stiff foot feed, worse w the cold weather.i have lubricated all the moving parts on the throttle linkage and no real change.It feels like its stuck at idle,when pressed it kinda pops loose (revs up) once pressed it is smooth and not as stiff.I see a second cable to the throttle linkage, I guess its a computer sensor? could that be the problem?any advice appreciated.oh 67000mi.

 

[bowman316]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

it is porbally a problem right at the pedal.
not further down in the cable.
my dad's silveroado does this.
it is just hard the get the pedal to move at first, but then it is fine.

might be a problem with the linkage right behind the pedal.

 

[thefairlaneman]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

2004 ford Taurus has a service bulletin about the accelerator cable binding and the fix by rerouting the cable. The escape may also have this quirk so google up "2006 ford escape accelerator complaints" and see what you find. If it is a common problem you will see numerous complaints like yours and how they were fixed,,,,,I use this trick all the time and it really saves me time

 

[reelfishin]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

Disconnect the throttle cable at the throttle body under the hood and determine if its at the throttle body or in the pedal assembly. Its most likely a sticky throttle body.
A throttle body can become sticky at idle if there's any build up around the throttle plates. Often it's nothing more than a matter of wiping down the inside of the throttle body with a dry rag or adjusting the hard throttle stop at idle. Basically what normally happens is that the throttle plates are wedged shut in the throttle body bore. Relieving this ever so slightly will fix such a problem.
Usually when it's a cable issue, the throttle will stick and stay stuck or bind though out the whole range. I don't remember any recalls or bulletins in specific to that model but I've had similar issues with other vehicles over the years. Many throttle bodies these days come with a coating which slows or prevents build up from accumulating inside, be careful about just spraying any old cleaner in there. In most cases simply wiping it out really well does the trick, if not there are aerosol spray cleaners designed just for cleaning throttle bodies.
I'd recommend removing it to clean so as not to load the engine with cleaner.
The situation is pretty much a maintenance concern, usually seen on higher mileage vehicles, over 65K or so.

 

[642mx]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

My wifes 06 Ford Escape 4 cyl.has a stiff foot feed, worse w the cold weather.i have lubricated all the moving parts on the throttle linkage and no real change.It feels like its stuck at idle,when pressed it kinda pops loose (revs up) once pressed it is smooth and not as stiff.I see a second cable to the throttle linkage, I guess its a computer sensor? could that be the problem?any advice appreciated.oh 67000mi.

Its got a build up on the throttle plate causing the plate to stick. Pull the intake boot and spray some intake/throttle body cleaner around it, use a toothbrush if needed and wipe it out with a rag (you may need someone to hold the throttle open while you clean). You may have to hold your foot on the floor afterwards to get the engine to start. After it starts, it should be good to go.

Its also a good time to pull the IAC motor and use the same cleaner to remove the nasty stuff from its ports. Use compressed air to dry it. And use a new gasket (local auto parts should have it).

 

[642mx]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

or adjusting the hard throttle stop at idle. Basically what normally happens is that the throttle plates are wedged shut in the throttle body bore. Relieving this ever so slightly will fix such a problem.

Moving the throttle stop will also change what the TPS reads, don't mess with them. The throttle plate should be shut, its the IAC's job to move the air around the plate to keep the engine idling. If the throttle plate has worn the body, they both need replaced (which is really rare on newer vehicles).

 

[mommicked]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

Thank You all!,Im on it tonight. she said it stuck up today and scared her.very helpfull everyone, and the cable was black and dirty/greasy at the tb end.

 

[mommicked]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

Problem solved.I sprayed sillicone lube on the shaft into the tb pivot last night w a straw and cycled it 8 or 10 times and it seemed smoother.but it was sticking when closed even after i released the return springs tonight and turned it several times.The bore was spotless, and all plastic.I put Break Free on the shaft into the tb and twisted it about 37 times.It finally stopped stickin.I then loosened the spring tension on the pivot when I retensioned the springs again,(it was in # 2 twisted tighter), and the pedal is much softer and no sticking at all.Im upset I didnt look closer when she complained about it a year or so ago.(I lubed the cable etc.and test drove it and looked under the dash and thought it was just new car tight). It wasnt sticking.I think the TB springs were set to tight from the git go!!My wife says thanks also after a short test drive!!.If it continues it must be the position sensor i guess.I did not try to lube that shaft inside the bore or disasemble.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

Moving the throttle stop will also change what the TPS reads, don't mess with them. The throttle plate should be shut, its the IAC's job to move the air around the plate to keep the engine idling. If the throttle plate has worn the body, they both need replaced (which is really rare on newer vehicles).

A slight movement of the idle stop will move the TPS a bit but after the first cycle of the key the ECU will then recognize that new position as the new idle reading. So long as it remains within the recognizable parameters. Chances are that the throttle stop has either worn or moved over time now allowing the throttle plates to completely close and bind in the bore.

 

[Bucks45]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

Its got a build up on the throttle plate causing the plate to stick. Pull the intake boot and spray some intake/throttle body cleaner around it, use a toothbrush if needed and wipe it out with a rag (you may need someone to hold the throttle open while you clean). You may have to hold your foot on the floor afterwards to get the engine to start. After it starts, it should be good to go.

Its also a good time to pull the IAC motor and use the same cleaner to remove the nasty stuff from its ports. Use compressed air to dry it. And use a new gasket (local auto parts should have it).

I agree.....my Yukon did the same thing. Throttle body cleaner took care of the problem. It's been over a year and it hasn't done it again yet.

 

[642mx]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

A slight movement of the idle stop will move the TPS a bit but after the first cycle of the key the ECU will then recognize that new position as the new idle reading. So long as it remains within the recognizable parameters. Chances are that the throttle stop has either worn or moved over time now allowing the throttle plates to completely close and bind in the bore.

The problem is, somebody is going to read this that really needs an IAC cleaned or replaced (or they need to clean the throttle plate/bore) and they are going to adjust the stop further than the parameters of the TPS... and then they are going to make problems worse. This is why I don't recommend moving it. If the IAC is functioning properly, there is no need to ever reset the throttle stop.

 

[mommicked]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

The only thing i adjusted was the sping tension on the tb shaft pivot. it had two identicle notches on the spring holder/cable attachement on the end of the shaft.one being less of a twist on the springs(2 flat steel spings coiled together).the pedal was always stiff and now is softer and easyer to press rebound.she drove it for 1/2 hour today and said it is much better than before.it still returns to the same stop when it closes,just not as tight as before on the springs.Am i misunderstanding something here?there is one bore and one throttle plate on this engine.it does have a position sensor on the other side of the plate shaft from the linkage/spring side.the pedal is not sticking now and feels good;not to soft.the throttle plate and bore are made of plastic and looked fine to me on close inspection.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

The problem is, somebody is going to read this that really needs an IAC cleaned or replaced (or they need to clean the throttle plate/bore) and they are going to adjust the stop further than the parameters of the TPS... and then they are going to make problems worse. This is why I don't recommend moving it. If the IAC is functioning properly, there is no need to ever reset the throttle stop.

Some years ago Ford had issues with the throttle stop tab flexing on some vehicles. As the vehicle was driven, the little tab that contacted the base idle screw would either bend or wear. All I used to do was tweak that tab a bit and get the TPS back to spec and all was well. In some cases, if the throttle closed too far it would jam the plates closed causing a sticky throttle. No amount of cleaning would fix this.
Ford also has a habit of using double action throttle levers, one the comes to mind right away is the older 5.0/5.8L truck engines. On those, I've seen the idler shaft rust up and jam too but on those, the throttle will stick if forced open.

 

[mommicked]

Re: any Ford techs. aboard?

My wife thanked me again for fixing it today.she says it drives wonderful.I wonder if the punching of the pedal as it finally moved w the stiffer spring tension could be bad for the engine?she obviously drove it for a while like that.