I had the service manager driving my 04 f150 crew to check vibration for the 3rd time. I was riding with him, and he started to turn around in a private gravel driveway. As he started to turn, it seemed as if he was stomping on the gas with one foot and the brake with the other, only he didn't have a foot on the gas. It kept revving up and throwing dust and gravel and wouldn't stop. He threw it in park and killed the motor. It did it to us twice. Back at the dealership they hooked it up to the diagnostic tester and didn't get any codes on this. The mechanics told him it was impossible for the truck to do that, and that his foot was on both the gas and brake. I saw his feet, nothing was on the gas pedal at the time. I refused to take the truck home and have a loaner car while they do some more checking. I am a scaredy-cat female and I am terrified to take the truck back if they can't find anything to fix. Has anyone else ever had this problem or even heard of it? Please give me advice!!!

 

I had the same problem with my '02 XLT. In 45000 miles, 6 times, it started to accellerate at low getting ready to stop speed only, when I applied the brake. I'm an expert road racer, and did not have my foot on the gas in any of these circumstances. I use my truck for work, and never got it checked out because it happened so infrequently, and I'm the only driver. That was one of the reasons I traded it for the '04.
I'd say that it may be more than possible for this to occur, but can't elaborate as to why it did. One of my friends said it might have something to do with the truck having ABS, but I can't remember his logic for that.
Good luck.

 

The only thing that has happened to me, is that when I take off from being parked. It seems to give a lot of throttle then stop then a throttle then stop. If feels like a really bad jerking motion. Now, I wasn't on gravel, so it did not spin or anything. But it did give me a good scare, but it only seemed to happen when the truck is cold. And not very often at that, I have 10000 kms and it has happened maybe 4 or 5 times. I've always thought that maybe I was jerking a little bit with my foot. But, the one thing I've noticed, is that when it does happen, it seems it has more power then, than when I drive it normally. Odd. I can see it spinning the wheels on gravel or snow.

 

oh... sorry... by the way... it would do it between 2 to 4 times... and then stop... and everything was fine after that, without turning the engine on or off, just driving normally.

 

If he did have his foot on both the brake and gas, you would certainly know it.
I certainly knew it when I put my feet on both pedals the other day. Left about 10,000 miles of rubber on the road. Spun for about 100ft.
Im gettin new tires before winter anyways, so I aint sweatin' it.

 

That's the surging I've been talking about that my truck does. Usually does it for me when the engine has been hot and then shut off but not long enough to cool right down.If I'm on a slight incline and just give it a touch of throttle after restart it will do it about 8 out of 10 times.If you stop the truck and then start moving again it seems fine. The dealer is in denial cause they can't get the truck to do it and they say there are no error codes.

 

the so called surging is in how you drive...its like your first time driving a stick in a car with crappy suspension...you let off and gas it and the car rocks/surges and then you cant keep the gas constant so you are jerking back and forth and it keeps jerking until you can grab for the clutch...

IN the F150..the suspension is very soft so you give it gas and it moves you back and your foot comes off a bit and then you gas it again...the fix for this is to just GAS IT...dont pu$$y foot around!

The gas pedal has somekind of sensors in it and they are very sensitive...

Here is the pic of the rear roll cage of a 2004 F150 stock race truck for desert racing....notice the spare gas pedal mounted! Somebody was thinking when they mounted a spare since these new trucks dont have an ordinary gas pedal and they are very sensitive hence you get a jerking motion with very little input!!!

I noticed it and I noticed its my foot...not the truck.

 

Well on pavement yes but on gravel roads or driveways you can't just "gas it" and mine will continue to do it even if I take my foot off of the gas. Have to come to a stop and start again.I also think it is sensor related though.

 

Thanks for the input, but we were trying to stop, not in a place to "gas it."
The accelerator seemed to have a mind of it's own. The service manager was stopping and the truck accelerator seemed to go to the floor, revving like crazy.

 

2 comments:

1. Yes, I've had it happen to me. I had a Focus and the speed control cable was recalled, I took it in to replace it and they put it in wrong. It got jammed and made the engine think I was asking for constant acceleration. They fixed it easily, but it did some long-term engine damage... Since it was the dealer's fault, they gave me an extended warranty (in hopes I wouldn't sue).

2. I get the engine surging in my F-150. It has nothing to do with the suspension. I'll apply constant pressure and the engine actually surges, you can see it on the tach. It usually does it when it's been sitting cold.

 

Yeah, mine does that too. You might also want to know that it most likely will do absolutely nothing occasionally if you slam the gas to the floor like in an emergency. Mine does it occasionally and there are no codes and Ford says it is not possible for this to happen. I guess we both have trick trucks- doing the impossible.

 

this is very possible, the idle bypass valve, called many things along with the sensor that checks engine rpm could be faulty remind the dealer about the whole audi problem and what it cost them . if the vavle sticks open which is the position it is in untill you aproach idle the rmps will not come down this will not always happen and give no code if the engine speed senser has a glitch for some reason the valve will go to full open tring to keep rpm s up which it sees none of and will again come back and not give a code. happened to me on SHO but only at highway speeds which is even less common then your problems.So this could be a engine speed senser , idle valve, or a loose connection , probaly not the computer itself though, idle valve seems to be most common problem

 

There is no air bypass valve on the new F150. They use an electric motor on the throttle body to open the butterfly. The gas pedal in only a sensor for driver input to the PCM. Make sure the PCM has the latest calibration from Ford. Idle speed and cruise control operation is all controlled through the electric throttle body.

 

is that new to the 04

 

The Powerstroke deisels have been that way for years. Now the F150 and the Explorers use it in 04. It save them the cost of the cruise control servo and cables, and helps on the emission standards and fuel ecomony. Eventually, all will be drive by wire.