So I finally got home and took the '04 Ranger to the dealership. It checked out 100% good (all sensors are good - no vacuum leak). There's no throttle cable, spring, linkage what-so-ever, it's some junk electronic wire system called a drive by wire. They cannot adjust anything to help out with the RPMs staying so high when shifting during acceleration. You literally have to keep your foot down on the clutch and count to 10 before the RPMs drop to the shift point. I haven't a clue why anyone would buy a truck that drives like this.

 

Increasing difficulties meeting cafe requirements until they find some sanity & make a consumer-feasible hydroxy. Anyway, there are known bugs with the sticking throttle. The dealer should have handled that easily. Well, you could still have a couple of bugs in the other engine controls. When I drove a couple of more modern autos, I kept a code scanner with me for whenever I had reason to suspect something worth plugging it in for. You can drive around in KOER mode with the scanner plugged in. Scanners are really cheap compared with auto tech costs. That being said, I think your driving habits could cause it too. If you have the pedal down after clutching, that could cause your symptom on any A-1 shape Ford. Lift gas your foot before depressing the clutch. Keep us posted.
P.S. I hate drive-by-wire! Driver sense is like a remote control with no direct mech feedback.

 

Class 8 highway tractors have had drive by wire throttles for years with no problems.

I'd tend to agree with Matt, that you're still on the throttle a little bit when you're clutching.

 

I really thought I was slightly on the gas still, but I drove it barefoot to make sure. Literally, when I go into an upshift with my foot completely off the gas and simultaneously depress the clutch, I have to wait 5 seconds before the RPMs approach the sweet spot for letting of the clutch. I described it to the dealership, they ran all diagnostic tests and told me that it's normal because eventually the RPMs drop down to where they should be. Then I got the drive by wire explanation. IIRC, the dealership said they did away with the drive by wire in '08.

 

Just wait until steering is drive by wire! I thought they were going to stay with it for a while, because the PCM can even out all of the gas pedal fluctuations and actually do alot more too.

 

Your personal info says you have an '04. So your throttle body control could need a good cleaning or even a new solenoid. I drove an '03 Ranger Edge with a 4.0 & m5od stick that had under 70k for a year or so. I seem to remember occasional hints that it wasn't perfect in this regard, but it always recovered. One other thing you could try would be clearing any codes with a simple code scanner & focus on making SURE you let up on the air intake (gas pedal) before clutching for a hundred miles or so. I'm just guessing. That Ranger Edge was as close as I got to your complaint.

 

When driving a standard transmission vehicle, you normally simultaneously let off the gas and engage the clutch. A normal vehicle operates in such a way that it isn't obscenely advanced so it brings the RPMs down during your shift (or a blip of the gas) and you shift into gear at the sweet spot. I shouldn't have to remove my right foot from the accelerator, push in the clutch, wait for the RPMs to drop and complete the upshift. The Ford dealership turds actually believe that's how you're supposed to drive this little truck. I had mechanics, techs and service turds all explaining it to me because I was less than impressed that it couldn't be fixed or adjusted. The slightest blip of the gas pedal in neutral and you can watch the RPMs hang.

I'll poke around under there, but they said they checked it over extensively, both mechanically and the electronics with scan diagnostics.

 

Evidently you can tune it out, but it's aftermarket. A place like BamaChips Tuning tunes out Mustangs and Rangers drive by wire. Or all you need is an unlocked Diablosport or SCT X-Cal hand tuner and you can do it yourself.

 

Dealer service people do seem to be rather unhelpful. Service managers mostly watch thier bottom line and seem to try for con games. At least at the place where my '03 came from. I wouldn't go back there again for anything. There's a bigger Ford dealer a few miles north for parts counter anyway.

 

Had to run a long errand in my crimson buggy. I haven't spent THAT much focus on my technique long as I can remember! When in take-off mode, I pretty much drive like your description. Before clutching, my throttle foot comes up FAST from near floor, pause, clutch, pop the lever to next, unclutch & drop the throttle deep again until near cruise speed, then I'm letting off the gas usually earlier & much more gently - before clutching. No complaints from my passengers & usually at least as smooth as a good auto unless I use the tranny to stop MUCH faster than other people could with normal autos... It works & I usually get very respectable mileage (better than automatic) in heavy traffic unless I lose it & drive more aggressively - ie keeping the revs higher for passing readiness. As long as there is nothing wrong with your truck, you should be able to bend it to your will whatever the situation, long as your not racing hot rods. & O yeah, clutching to the floor is probably a waste of time & effort with M5OD far as I know. A couple inches is plenty. Mandatory with GM's 4-speed Muncie, but not Ford/ Mazda. Shoot, these things CAN be driven without clutching at all if you don't mind rebuilds over & over. I hope something in there is worth trying. Keep us updated please!

 

I wasn't aware that the 04's had the drive by wire, mine didn't. I know casue I put an aftermarket intake on it and remember the cable on throttle body. I haven't checked my 09 yet. I know my 07 mustang GT had it, but had no issues from it.

 

I just checked my 09 4.0 and it still as a throttle cable as well, what gives?

 

Is the "drive-by-wire" a reference to the Mass Air Flow sensor? The MAF has a lot to do with the PCM's (power control module) control of the amount of fuel being injected? The throttle controls air flow rather than air and fuel flow as was the case with a carbureted engine.

 

Nope. Drive-by-wire - as I understand it - is basically turning "gas pedal" into a remote control or volume **** controlling a motor to open the throttle body to air flow. Really is cuckoo...

 

Heres my Drive by wire explanation

this DBW system is a torque driven demand system, it works by taking a certain amount of torque via engine and wheel and applies it to what the driver foot say it needs; a better way to explain it is its a torque limiter. It only allows so much torque at a given pedal position. Stock tables are conservative and numb at best and that's why one would feel some times a lag or a goofy pedal with DBW systems.

95%+ can be tuned out with Custom tuning...