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95 F150 Engine Idle Problem

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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 08:08 PM
  #1  
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From: Shirley, AR
Question 95 F150 Engine Idle Problem

My 95 F150 with 153,000 miles on it has decided it doesn't like to go back to idle all the time. It will start-up and run fine for 50 miles, and then it will decide it will not idle below 1500 rpm. I can shut off the engine, and I can restart it. The idle is normal again. I start to drive it, and it will eventually go back to the higher idle. I've had it as high as 2000 rpm, but most of the time it will just go to 1500. I hate shifting it from forward to reverse when it's idling that high, so I just restart it. It has been doing this and getting gradually worse.

Can anyone out there give me any ideas what is causing the problem? I have the Helm repair manual for the engine, but I wasn't able to see anything in it to help me. I don't know what to look for in the manual that would address this type of problem. Could it be a cam position sensor? Distributor?

If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would appreciate the help.
Thanks.
Jerry
 
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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 08:24 PM
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From: metro detroit area...
i had a similar problem with my 95/351... rarely it would idle really high but most often when it was cold it would idle way down and stall... what I did a couple weeks ago was take the idle air control off the side of the throttle body and spray it out with carb cleaner... a few times, try to get some of the carbon off the spring inside and off of the seal... but don't leave the carb cleaner in there too long cause i think it may eat the rubber seals inside... ever since then it has been running much better. I've read posts on here that suggest it could be the throttle position sensor as well, but i've never had issues with mine so i don't really know. someone on here can help you for sure
 
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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 08:33 PM
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From: Gatineau, Quebec
I would try what Foster recommended...It is a simple task.
Remove your IAC and clean it with a cleaner...I used a throttle body cleaner, but I'm sure carb cleaner is roughly the same thing. Clean it up, put it back in and you should be good to go.
They do tend to get sticky or stick and therefore cause idle problems.
 
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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 08:39 PM
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From: metro detroit area...
you will find that there are not many things, hardly any in fact, that you can't find out here... joined a couple weeks ago and its been more valuable than any manual you can get... welcome and good wheeling to you bro
 
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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 08:44 PM
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From: Shirley, AR
Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take the idle air control off the side of the throttle body tomorrow and clean it as you guys suggest. I have replaced the throttle position sensor before to correct a problem with the cruise control having the jitters.

Thanks again. I'll let you know if that takes care of the problem.
Jerry
 
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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 08:46 PM
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From: Shirley, AR
Sorry but I forgot to say this is the 351, but you guys probably already guessed that.
Jerry
 
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Old Mar 19, 2009 | 08:49 PM
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From: metro detroit area...
it helps to be specific... they had several different configurations in these years and they all differ on placement of parts and everything else... keep us posted
 
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Old Mar 20, 2009 | 06:58 PM
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From: Shirley, AR
Well I got the idle air control valve off the side of the throttle body this afternoon and got it cleaned. It was pretty carboned up inside, and the throttle body cleaner did a pretty good job getting it off. I flushed it 3 or 4 times and blew it out everytime. I fired it up, and it was idling better than it has been, but the real test will be when I take it on the road again. Seems it has to be warmed up good before it would act up.
I'll keep you posted on how that works out. What does a new one cost if I need to replace it?
Thanks for your help.
Jerry
 
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Old Mar 20, 2009 | 07:01 PM
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From: Gatineau, Quebec
I'm not sure what they are but you can get an idea if you check a few online suppliers like rockauto,etc.
the cleaning doesn't always work...I'm guessing, it likely has to do with how bad it was or how long it was neglected.
But hope it worked for you.
All the best!
 
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Old Mar 20, 2009 | 07:05 PM
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From: Noblesville,IN
The one for my 5.0 was $39.99+tax @ Autozone
 
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Old Mar 22, 2009 | 06:54 PM
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From: metro detroit area...
I just replaced mine... lol I guess the cleaning just prolongs the death a little, cost me 38.00 at advanced auto
 
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Old Mar 22, 2009 | 07:36 PM
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From: Shirley, AR
Thanks for the "heads up". I'll get a chance to try out the cleaning on Wednesday. I have a short trip planned. I'll let you know if it worked or not.
Thanks.
Jerry
 
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Old Mar 22, 2009 | 07:40 PM
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From: Gatineau, Quebec
Perhaps your problem is not with the IAC alone. Has you truck had a tune-up recently?
Take a look at the plugs, wires, cap/rotor..etc.
Just tossing some ideas at you since these will all affect the idle and driveability. There are a lot more factors, but these are basic.
 
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Old Mar 22, 2009 | 07:58 PM
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From: Shirley, AR
I have about 30,000 on the last tune-up. I looked at the rotor and cap when I cleaned the IAC, and they look like they could be replaced. The motor runs great, but it just doesn't go to idle after it is good and warm unless I restart it. It has a K&N air filter which has been in for the last 50,000 miles, and I cleaned it recently. When I did the last tune-up, I replaced the spark plugs and wires. If I fail the driving test on Wednesday, I'll probably replace the IAC and see if that fixes the problem. If not, then I'll dig deeper.
Thanks.
Jerry
 
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Old Mar 22, 2009 | 08:21 PM
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From: metro detroit area...
mine would bog down at idle and try to stall... sometimes jumping up to 1200-1500 rpm for a min then going back to almost stalling out, since i've replaced the IAC its been good, but its only been one day
 
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