My Ford Taurus Idles Too Fast – What Is The Problem?

Reader QuestionI have a 1996 Ford Taurus with 56K original miles. It’s an LX 6-banger. I recently had a tune up as well as my thermostat changed with a coolant flush. It was running hot and the engine was “revving” without any help from my accelerator or the air conditioning. THe problem went away after all of the previous work was done to it. Now it is back to idling at 2200 RPM after a drive greater than five miles.

It’s like my own cruise control at 35 MPH! Yet, every time I have to stop in traffic, it wears on my breaks and when I release the brakes to go, the car jerks forward looking for that 2200RPM that the engine wants to sit at. What do you think? HELP!
Greg
Las Vegas, Nevada

Greg thanks for your email.

I would have your mechanic look at a few items.

1. Is there something binding the throttle cable, is it corrected to the engine correctly, is there something in its way, does it move freely etc. etc.

2. Have your mechanic clean the throttle body and the idle speed control motor. Carbon and dirt build up in these parts and can cause idle and dying issues. This is a cheap and easy repair, and should be part of regular maintenance anyway.

3. Listen for a vacuum leak in the engine area (hissing noise). Inspect all vacuum hoses and connections and replace any cracked hoses or connectors.

Keep me posted as to what you find.
Blessings,

Austin C. Davis