Throttle sticking problem

[LeRoy70]

My 1995 Explorer LTD has a throttle sticking problem. It's happened a few times. When I hit the gas, it will keep excellerating. You have to slam your foot on the peddle to get it to release. I've checked everything like linkage, butterfly in intake, and can't figure out why or even simulate the sticking while the engines off. Frustrating, anyone experienced this and found a fix?

 

[Jason_25]

Is the area around the throttle body plate clean? When mine gets dirty it sticks at first but has never stuck open.

 

[Edubb44]

I have found that my throttle is hard to depress after I use the Cruise Control. Not to sure what the prob is but that is waht I found out.

 

[TPLYNCH]

check where the cable runs from the pedal thru the firewall. could be sticking there.

 

[LeRoy70]

Ya, my next step will to be pulling the cable and give it some more lube. The darn thing will sit on the floorboard when stuck. Not very good for the heart in heavy traffic. The intake looks clean so I don't think that's where it's sticking

 

[Stephen]

This just happened to my son as he was driving our 97 Limited. Our service rep said the throttle body opening was very dirty, so they cleaned it out well for us and the throttle seems a lot smoother. He didn't charge me anything for it, but a Ford dealership would charge you. It is very easy to do on your own.

 

[Harry5150]

I've had a recall repair done on mine a while back. It was actually the reverse of your problem. It would stick when I press the accelerator down from a stop.

It could be a similar type issue.


NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 00V422000
Component: FUEL:THROTTLE LINKAGES AND CONTROL
Manufacturer: FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Year: 1997 Make: FORD TRUCK Model: EXPLORER Recall Date: 12/28/2000

Type of Report: Vehicle
Potential Number of Units Affected: 220000
Manufactured: 05/1996 - 10/1998

Defect Summary:
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4.0L SOHC ENGINES AND STILL RETAIN THE ORIGINAL THROTTLE BODY (PART NUMBERS 97JF-9E926AB OR 97JF-9E926-AC). SOME OF THE ORIGINAL THROTTLE BODIES INSTALLED ALLOWED A GAP BETWEEN THE PLATE AND BORE TO BE BUILT TOO NARROW. THIS REDUCED CLEARANCE ALLOWED THE ENGINE DEPOSITS NORMALLY PRESENT IN THE THROTTLE BODY TO CONTACT OR BRIDGE THE GAP. IF THE ENGINE DEPOSITS BRIDGED THE GAP BETWEEN THE THROTTLE PLATE AND BORE AND THEN HARDENED, ON THE INITIAL APPLICATION OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AFTER THE ENGINE HAS COOLED, THE OPERATOR WOULD NEED TO APPLY ADDITIONAL FORCE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO BREAK THE BRIDGE.
Consequence Summary:
THIS COULD RESULT IN ENGINE SURGE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BREAKS FREE.
Corrective Summary:
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ORIGINAL THROTTLE BODIES.

 

[LeRoy70]

Sounds like what's going on with mine. The recall doesn't list my year 95 but I bet I'm running the same set-up. Stephen, did they pull your throttle body or just spray it with a bunch of carb cleaner or equivelant.

 

[kps36]

LeRoy, you don't have a SOHC, you got what I got OHV.
So no, the recall would not apply. The SOHC came out in 96.

 

[Stephen]

The dealer did it for me, he says the he pulled the body out and cleaned it well.

Interesting about the recall, mine did that also before, I'll ask my son to keep an eye out for it (he drives it a lot more than me)

 

[99exEB1]

We got ours replaced under warrenty, it would stick shut whenever it wasn't warmed up. We got a whole new throttle body put in for free.

 

[Stephen]

Ford's repair schedule is to replace the throttle body when its dirty. Even out of warranty they'll try and sell the customer on replacing the throttle body for $500 when a can of carb cleaner will do the trick.