Hello!

I might have screwed up here....I hope not.

I have a 00' 5.4 litre F150. I tried to take the MAF off the filter housing but couldn't figure it out. That 1"x2" rubber plug that looks like comes out on the side of the housing....do you take that out somehow? I couldn't get it to come out. Thot I might pull some wires apart.

Sooooo.....I tried cleaning my MAF using a Qtip and denatured alcohol without detaching it from the filter box (I had it apart but couldn't find my LPS Contact Cleaner). I might have bent one of the "hairs". All because I could not figure out how to get the MAF out of the air cleaner box. Lookin for torx screws but didn't see any.....did I screw up? I read all the posts I could find, but I couldn't see where any Torx screws were on the filter housing.

Now my truck runs rough at idle. Just coming home from work at a stoplight, had it in drive with brake on. After a little while (minute or two) the idle went way low (500 rpm and lower) kept idling rough until I put it in neutral and revved it to get it back to idling right. Even if I let it idle in neitral for a while (3 or 4 minutes) it will start to idle rough. Other than that it seems to run fine. Never, ever, ever had that problem before. But...that ain't all....the story continues.

I have been looking for a 2000 Merc Mounty for my wife (V8 AWD). In looking through posts at another website about Explorers and Mounty's I came across some posts about owners having to much play with the throttle and used twist ties to take some slack out. So I checked my F150. Decided it was real loose and added a small fishing weight around the cable to take out some slack(not all of it). I gotta admit, throttle response was immediate! Sure felt like it took off a lot quicker.

I did these two tricks (MAF cleaning/goofup and slack adjuster)at the same time while also taking the battery cable off to reset my computer. It ran fine at first startup...in fact.... sounded nice, smooth and quiet I and let it idle for a while (15 minutes).

Took it out on the highway and it didn't seem to want to shift quite right at top end(3rd to OD). In fact I couldn't get it to shift at first into OD, but it finally did. But now I got this funny problem of rough idle when stopped for a while, like at a stop light, in gear. It also slows down way under normal idle when coasting rather than say just staying at an idle speed while in gear such as just cruising slowly around the neighborhood. Used to be able just to idle along without foot on throttle, now I have to keep foot on throttle or it feels like it might die.

I'll take the weight off around the throttle cable out soon, maybe today, to see if that makes any difference.

Is the throttle cable linked to shifting at all? Did I mess up the MAF? Is a little bent wire causing this or is a compound of both "tricks". Did I not let my truck idle long enough after the computer was reset? I shoulda left well enough alone!!

Please help, I gotta get my truck running right again!

 

If you did break one of the wires inside the MAF, then that could be causing a lot of the problems you are having. The MAF and IAC help control idle and both measure air flow, which in turn really affects rough idling and idle speeds. It could possibly be affecting the controls in the PCM and signals to the tranny also. I do not know of a way to fix one of those wires.

As far as the slack in the throttle cable, where did you find the info? You should be fine with it, as long as you did it right

 

I don't think the wire is broke....just bent off to the side.

I got the throttle cable trick off of another site. Altho I check out a lot of sites, I like this one the best. This is where I bought my chip!

I'll check for leaks and such also. Thanks for telling me how to search. Works good now. Still don't know how to get that plug out to get at the MAF and the Torx screws.

 

I had to make my own tool to get them off. If you take a regular torx bit, and drill a hole in the center to allow for the spike. I haven't looked for any of the exact tools since I made one, so I can't tell you where to look...

 

Hey Cobra!

Thanks, but am I right in wanting to remove that 1"x2" plug to get at the screws? Seems I would need to, to get at the MAF. But I can't get that far. There is a plastic covering on the wires leading into the MAF sensor. THey must be to keep the wires together. I can't get that plug off cuz of that plastic covering. What do I do now. Sorry to sound so inept, but as is usual for me, something easy turns into being a pain!

 

OK - I might be lost--- you bent the wire inside the mass air tube - right?!?! Not the electrical wires that are on the plug on top. To get to the wires inside the tube, there should be either 2 or 4 torx screws holding the plug on top. Once you get the screws out, pull up on the plug, and the inside will come up with it. You should be able to straighten the wires then and check t see it the are broken and not getting a good connection.

I am looking for a pic of your engine to see if I can tell what cover you are talking about over it, because I am not picturing it in my head...

Be back in a minute...

 

Yes...I bent one of the wires in the tube itself.....not the electrical wires. Man I don't see where there is any torx screws that hold that plug in. I had the plug about 3/4 the way out but couldn't get it any further.

You mention "...once you get the screws out, pull up on the plug...". Man I must be blind....I didn't see any screws.

I've got it parked right outside my office. I'll look again right now for the screws. Altho it finally started snowing around here (been drought so far) last nite, and it is still snowing. I'll have to move about a foot of snow of the hood. Thats OK tho!!!

 

Hey!!!!.....Hey ...Hey.....Hey!!!

I might have found the problem....man it's really snowin.

I went out and looked and noticed the lower of the two hoses that hook into the air tube just before the throttle body, was disconnected. Thats gotta be it....right? I'll drive it later and find out. Should I disconnect my battery cable before I go home? I can start it and let it idle a while before I take off for home.

I will still be wondering how to get at the MAF. The "plug" I'm talking about is on the bottem of the air filter housing so I couldn't really see any screws. If I buy the electrical parts cleaner (LPS instant contact ckeaner) do I need to take it completely apart? Or can I just look at it thru the filter housing and spray from there?

 

If you had a vaccum leak on the intake tube, it could be causing it also. That may solve your problem! When I leave today, I am going by a friend that has basically the same setup as yours, and look at his mass air. I will post later how to get it off and taken apart...


Good Luck in the snow!!! It was 65 here yesterday, but by Friday, we are supposed to be in the teens... I hate winter...

 

Thanks Cobra....really appreciate your help. Ya think I oughta take the battery cable off for a while and let the computer reset?

You guys down south are getting our winters! Someone said we would need a foot of snow a day for the rest of the winter to pull us out of our drought. Snow pack in the mountains is less than 50%. It's been that way for the last 3 years.

 

You don't need to disconnect the battery. About the only time you need to do that is if you are working on the engine, or you get a CEL.

I am not a cold weather person - if it is too cold for me to get on the water on my jet skis', then it is too cold for me!!!

 

i just read your post about having to make your own tool. the torx with a hole in the middle you described is called a security torx and should be avalilable at most hardware stores or better tool stores. hope this helps