Hello: I have a 2002 Ford Taurus with 174k miles on it. A a week ago it got a $500 “deluxe” tune up. It’s running great, however recently the gas/accelerator pedal sticks a bit going from a start position. I have to tap down on it or push causing the car to jump or lurch forward from a stop position. Any ideas or a quick home fix I can try??
The problem might be caused from deposits built up in the throttle body. Try cleaning the throttle body with an air intake/throttle body cleaner to see if deposits are causing the throttle plate to stick.
Tester
I agree that this is likely to be a gummed-up throttle body.
Shouldn’t a “$500. deluxe tune-up” have included cleaning of the throttle body on a car with this many miles?
Thank you! I’ll give this a try. I’m just hoping this will be the extent of this problem.
I would like to think it would have been included. Ironically, it seems to have gotten worse since the “Deluxe Tuneup” the Ford dealer did…However on the paper work, I don’t see anything like that having been done.
If the throttle sticks but pops loose when pushed, then it is probably the throttle plate sticking, BUT IF IT IS STILL STIFF AND DOESN’T RETURN FREELY, I probably is a frayed cable.
Yes, once I press the peddle down and and it “pops” it is fine–especially with regular driving – even in stop and go driving it’s ok —but from a cold start its more stiff. The past couple of days I actually press down on the pedal and POP it before I start the car. At a stop lite when I move from a stop postion, it has a light POP ----but it’s not a smooth slow acceleration.
Please get this fixed before you wind up rear-ending another vehicle in stop-and-do traffic. Once this situation crops up with the throttle body, accelerator pedal response is very unpredictable, and thus, this is a potential safety hazard.
yes, I will. However when I use the word “jump” and “lurch” the movement is so slight, it’s not a massive jump etc. From the outside, a bystander would probably not even notice anything. Inside, I feel it. Also it really is the worst at a cold start in the moring –
Just bear in mind that the current “slight” lurch could suddenly become something more pronounced, and could be a problem in heavy traffic.
Ok! we cleaned the throttle chamber with some spray cleaner and a rag and the acceleration is now very smooth!!! Finally something that’s an easy fix on that Taurus! Thanks guys!! -Mike