# 2006 Ford Escape Won't Start in Cold Weather Without Annual Repair

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-ford-escape-wont-start-in-cold-weather-without-annual-repair/60191>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** weather, escape, start, ford\
**Created:** [January 20, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-ford-escape-wont-start-in-cold-weather-without-annual-repair/60191 "2011-01-20T02:38:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![polarbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c77e96/32.png) [@polarbear](https://community.cartalk.com/u/polarbear)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-ford-escape-wont-start-in-cold-weather-without-annual-repair/60191/1 "2011-01-20T02:38:56Z")

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Problems starting in cold weather: Made it through first winter without needing repairs. Now every year the car needs a major winter repair for to start.  
  
  
  
 Is this a lemon? Are the mechanics fixing the wrong thing?  
  
  
  
 Repair History for this problem:  
  
  
  
 CAL WORTHINGTON FORD  
  
 12/4/2008 16,703 MILES  
  
  
  
 VERIFIED VEHICLE RUN BADLY HAD 2 0&C P0104 MASS AIR FLOW INTERUPTIONS. P0507 IAC NOT READING . FOUND BAD MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR. REPLACED SENSOR. VERIFIED PROPER OPERATION.  
  
  
  
 PARTS: 3L3Z-12B79-BA SENSOR ASY  
  
  
  
  
  
 12/18/2008 16,805 MILES  
  
  
  
 VEHICLE WILL NOT STAY RUNNING. GAS PEDAL STICKS. SELF TEST PCM NO CODES. STARTS FINE. PUT OUTSIDE IN COLD. NEXT DAY STARTS AND DIES. NO IAC CONTROL. REPLACE IAC MOTOR. TEST RPMS ARE NOW CONTROLLED.  
  
  
  
 PARTS: 3S6Z-9F715-AA VALVE ASY ? TH  
  
  
  
  
  
 1/05/2009 17,004 MILES  
  
  
  
 VERIFIED CAR WON?T STAY RUNNING UNLESS FOOT ON GAS PEDAL. FOUND THROTTLE BODY TO BE STICKING OPEN. REMOVED AIRBOX THROTTLE BODY. INSTALLED NEW THROTTLE BODY. INSTALLED AIR BOX. VERIFIED WORKING.  
  
  
  
 PARTS: 5L8Z-9E926-AB BODY ASY ? CAR  
  
  
  
  
  
 1/7/2009 17,011 MILES  
  
  
  
 REPAIR FOR VEHICLE WILL NOT START. CANNOT VERIFY PROBLEM.  
  
  
  
  
  
 KENDAL FORD OF WASILLA  
  
 1/25/2010 22,455 MILES  
  
  
  
 STARTS IF GAS PEDAL DEPRESSED BUT DIES WHEN FOOT TAKEN OFF GAS. EEC TEST DTC P0507 PPT TEST FOUND DEFECTIVE IDLE CONROL VALVE. TEST VALVE FOUND STICKING. REMOVED AND REPLACED IAC VALVE. MAY NEED FURTHER WORK  
  
  
  
 PARTS: 3S6Z-9F7155-AA VALVE ASY ?TH  
  
 3S4Z-9F670-AA GASKET

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**Author:** ![jesmed1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jesmed1/32/2097_2.png) [@jesmed1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jesmed1)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-ford-escape-wont-start-in-cold-weather-without-annual-repair/60191/2 "2011-01-20T02:59:32Z")

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Wasilla, as in Wasilla, Alaska?

Sorry, had to ask.

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**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 5:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-ford-escape-wont-start-in-cold-weather-without-annual-repair/60191/3 "2011-01-20T05:54:55Z")

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Sarah?

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**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-ford-escape-wont-start-in-cold-weather-without-annual-repair/60191/4 "2011-01-20T13:48:23Z")

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Each time they fixed or replaced a different thing. It’s not a recurring problem, it’s a new problem each time. I assume this is all being done under warranty.

The scary part is the statement “May need further work.”

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**Author:** ![polarbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c77e96/32.png) [@polarbear](https://community.cartalk.com/u/polarbear)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-ford-escape-wont-start-in-cold-weather-without-annual-repair/60191/5 "2011-01-20T16:58:44Z")

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She lives nearby:)

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**Author:** ![polarbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c77e96/32.png) [@polarbear](https://community.cartalk.com/u/polarbear)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2011, 5:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2006-ford-escape-wont-start-in-cold-weather-without-annual-repair/60191/6 "2011-01-20T17:12:24Z")

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Until warranty ran out.

No longer “May need futher work,” it’s acting up again almost a year to the day since last IAC replacement. Replacing IAC every year makes me think something is causing IAC to fail.

I’m not a mechanic, don’t have any mechanic friends and $400+ annual repair is getting old not to mention the inconvenience of having a car fail to start in the Alaskan. The idle sometimes goes nuts as well, races to 4500+ RPMs from about 3000 when clutch disengaged while to upshift.

From pictures I’ve found on the Internet replacing IAC myself seems possible. Should I replace it without diagnostic? Should I buy a six pack of IACs and plan to change it out every year?
