I have a 2002 Econoline with the 5.4L in it and the accelerator has starting sticking in the idle position. It takes a small but noticeable amount of force to move the throttle out of the idle position. After that it works fine. It does this all of the time and it is making parking in a lot rather interesting. If this was a carburated engine, it would be exactly as if the throttle place was hanging up in the bore.

Why is the throttle sticking and what should I do to fix it? Thanks.

 

Well ,there was a TSB about this way back in 02.but if you didn't own the vehicle or ever taken it into a dealer with a complaint about it you would never know of the problem. It was common then.
You may have carbon building on the throtlle plate or the body itself.
Or depending how many miles on the vehicle the throttle plate shaft bushings could be wearing and causing it to bind.

Rich

 

I bought this van new and Ford never notified me of this issue. I guess this is because it wasn't a problem until about 70K miles. Do you by any chance know the TSB number? I guess I need to take things apart and see if there is any carbon buildup. Thanks.

 

Uh, it's a known thing, like my '97 Cougar 4.6L, the throttle bore corrodes, and the throttle plate sticks in the corrosion.

Take the throttle body off, use some light machine oil and a piece of 3M Scotchbrite (the finer the better) and slowly, lightly, work off the corrosion around where the throttle plate sits at idle.

I bet it's all nice and fluffy aluminum corrosion that's causing it