Inadvertent Fast Idol, '97 Ford Taurus

[jonney38]

I tow an Oregon TrailR treardrop with my old friend, a '97 Taurus. I bought it new way back then.

For a couple of years it has had this problem. About two out of three times when I stop for a stoplight, it idols fast. Sometimes at 1500 and sometimes 2000 rpms (instead of 900-1000). Sometimes it idols normally. I can always return it to normal idol be shutting the engine off and restarting. It's like there is a computer malfunction and it needs to reboot. I know senors give problems some times but I can't see why it would malfunction inadvertently. I have told the Ford dealer techs and they always say, "When it always idols fast bring it in. Inadvertent means we can't know we have fixed anything."

Anyone have a suggestion?

 

[highdesertranger]

sounds like an "Idle Air Control" problem but diagnoses over the web is hard. more info and a little history might help. highdesertranger

 

[jonney38]

sounds like an "Idle Air Control" problem but diagnoses over the web is hard.  more info and a little history might help.  highdesertranger

Yes, looking at U Tube is seems like lots of fast idol is caused by air leaking in. Kind of a mystery why air would leak in sometimes and not others and more sometimes, less sometimes. It never does it when the engine is completely cold but starts up after 5-10 minutes. Then, why does the leak stop when I have turned off the engine and restarted it? I see a diagnostic trick is to spray water around the intake manifold, hoses, sensor, etc when it is idoling fast--maybe find something.

 

[highdesertranger]

Ford's of that era have an actually "Idle Air Control" valve. they get carbon build up and work intermediately. I would start with removing that and cleaning it up. highdesertranger