Dangerous High Idle Problem! - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

Willycool · 02-19-2004, 14:07

Hello all:

I am a new member and thank God that I have found this website!!!!

I have a very nice 1994 Ford Tempo which has just developed a high idle problem. When I trun on the car and when I drive it, It idles at about 3500 to 4000 rpm. This is becoming dangerous because when i put it in drive, it lanches. When I am driving, I must have my foot on the brake or it will speed up.

I have checked the throttle and related parts, vacum lines and hoses.....all seem to be fine.

Please help

Willycool

gary__ · 02-22-2004, 12:06

The problem is the Idle Air Control. My '93 4 cyl was doing the same thing a few years ago. Cost me about $180 parts and labor at a ford dealership to have repaired.

LunaticSVT · 03-07-2004, 15:24

While this could be the IAC it can also be a sticking throttle cable or even carbon build up on the the TB. I went through a tb cleanup on my wifes honda (yeah i know not a ford) But she was having the same issues and it cleared it up.

Another thing to look at is the throttle cable. These are plastic lined and will wear a grove in them causing it to stick.

And replacing an IAC is not that hard. part should be under 75 depending on where you get it at and should take under a hour to install if you have any experience throwing a wrench about.

junkyard68 · 03-24-2004, 23:50

I just got a IAC for my 92 tempo and it was only $68 at my local Checker Auto Parts. It's really easy to install too. Two bolts on either side of the unit and unplugging the old unit. BUT, be sure to see if there are instructions with the new unit. My came with the instructions that the new unit was to be mounted in the opposite direction that the old unit was.

MizzCherylz · 05-27-2004, 13:08

My car was doing something similar. After having the harmonic balancer replaced some weeks ago (see harmonic balancer posts on this site), my car started to act a little funny. After driving it with the A/C blowing full and kind of driving it a little hard, I would come home, put it in park and then my car would start to idle high. It's done this before, and I simply revved the engine a couple of times and it stopped. This time it didn't do that though. So, I turn off the engine and then turn it back on and it's back to its normal idle. After freaking out for a bit, I decided to mess around with the throttle under the hood to see if it was sticking, but it seemed fine to me, then I noticed that my coolant reserve was completely bone dry. Now, this seemed pretty odd because when I had taken my car in to have the harmonic balancer replaced, they had flushed my coolant system and whatnot, so I thought it was really weird that my reserve was empty. I have not noticed any sort of leaks under my car, so that added to my confusion. So, I added more coolant and my car hasn't done the idle thing since. So, I'm wondering if any of you monkey wrencher guys can help this chick figure out why the hell my car is so damn temperamental. Oh, by the way it's a 1994 Ford Tempo. Thanks guys!

dagr8tim · 05-30-2004, 02:48

Depending on how low your coolant was. Your computer may have been running in "limp" mode. Where the computer changes the performance of the engine to keep it from being damaged of something breaks.