"Sticky" acceleration from stopped - any suggestions?

[Andy(SC)]

Picked up an '00 Mountaineer a few weeks ago and really like the looks and feel of the truck . . . one issue I am hoping someone has a cure for is when stepping on the accelerator when its standing still, it seems like you have to push down just a bit harder and then you get a lurch when it starts . . . once it is rolling, it seems to be fine but that initial "go" seems to be as if the pedal or something in-line is sticking.

It has just over 56K on it . . . . .

Anyone have any ideas on what to check?

Thanks in advance

Andy (SC)

 

[lindleyt]

My 00 Sport does the exact same thing. I'm going to lube everything I can in the linkage
in the morning. If I get any positive results I'll post right away. This has been bothering me for some time now. Reading your post has finally kicked me into gear on trying to fix it. Thanx for the push. Tim

 

[cgolden]

I have had this same problem for over 150,000 miles you'll get used to it.

 

[Andy(SC)]

Other posts may have the solution . . . .

In doing a search here and on other sites, the consensus seems to be that cleaning the throttle body will help the condition . . . . . I've collected a number of posts from different sites and intended to give the techniques a try this weekend and if successful, will post some photos of what I found and what I did.

Andy (SC)

 

[Andy(SC)]

SUCCESS . . . . . . . And real simple at that!

Well, it looks like the fix is as simple as others have alluded to . . . . .

I pulled the air hose off that goes between the air filter box / mass air flow sensor and the throttle body assembly. Looking into the throttle body it was clear that there was a good deal of black "gunk" that had built up on the sides of the intake as well as on the edge of the butterfly.

Went over to Pep Boys and talked to one of the guys that I've dealt with before that knows what they sell and can answer a question . . . . . he recommended a can of Gumout Air Intake & Throttle Body Cleaner ($5).

Sprayed it on the affected areas and wiped the gunk off . . . took several shots and a few spots I used the edge of a screwdriver blade to get the real bad stuff off (very gently - don't want to buy a new assembly!).

Also took the time to wash out the air hose since it had a good deal of black sooty buildup in it and then after drying it out, put it all back together.

100% better . . . . . nice smooth acceleration from a stop and took a total of 30 minutes including waiting for the air hose to dry out.

May not be the solution for everyone but if you have a sticky accelerator, it's an easy fix that might just solve the problem.

Andy (SC)

 

[lindleyt]

Just finished doing mine and test driving. Big difference, no more sticky. I could'nt believe how gunked up that TB was. I'll take a look at the thing in about 5000 miles to see how fast this build up occurs. I spent 20yrs as an Infantryman in the Army, I learned to detest dirty equipment. It tends to wait until you need it the most before it screws up. Again thanx, your post got me movin' on fixin' that sucker. Tim

 

[whdahel]

I tried that once when mine was sticking and it made little difference, I got the idea of adjusting the butterfly position (turned up the idle slightly) and it fixed the problem. I think that there was some sort of air pressure difference on both sides of the butterfly which caused it to feel like it sticked. I didnt turn the idle up hardly at all.

 

[Tom G]

Don't use a screwdriver, use Q-tips dipped in cleaner.

 

[askingxforxit]

Did any of you have to replace the gaskets/seals of the TB spacer??


This is a good thread, i'm thinking of doing this before I have any problems. Probably good to do with 85k+ on mine anyway

 

[lindleyt]

No, I didn't use a new seal. The one that is on it is still good and pliable. The build up that occurs on the walls of the TB also occurs along the entire edge of the butterfly. On my rig this build up was profound, probably due to excessive miles without a prior cleaning. 155,000.(I bought it well broken in @ 120,000) To clean it just use TB cleaner, rags and Q-tips. No screwdrivers or other sharp instruments are needed. Just keep rubbin' and sprayin'. Tim

 

[99SportX]

My dads mountaineer (99 V8) had this same problem since the day we bought it brand new. I think I decided to adjust the butterfly stop screw as suggested above. It was a while ago, so I don't quite remember. I believe it fixed the problem though....haven't driven it in a while.

 

[askingxforxit]

No, I didn't use a new seal. The one that is on it is still good and pliable. The build up that occurs on the walls of the TB also occurs along the entire edge of the butterfly. On my rig this build up was profound, probably due to excessive miles without a prior cleaning. 155,000.(I bought it well broken in @ 120,000) To clean it just use TB cleaner, rags and Q-tips. No screwdrivers or other sharp instruments are needed. Just keep rubbin' and sprayin'. Tim

Sweet! Thats all I need to know. Got my self a little project for the weekend. Thanks for the tips!:exp:

 

[JoeMahma]

I think our throttle bodies have a Teflon coating on them too. Make sure you get a cleaner that is not going to damage this coating. Maybe clean the IAC too while your at it?