Check Engine light was on. Had the error code read, which said throttle position senor was bad or open. Took it in to the Ford dealer who reported that the throttle sensor senor AND the throttle body had to be replaced.
When I asked why the whole throttle body needed replacement, he said that it was dirty (carbon buildup, etc.)and couldn’t be cleaned because it had a special coating that would be ruined if cleaned, leading to all manner of bad things happening. Approximately $400 for the repair.
Any thoughts on this by those more knowledgeable than me???
I’d just replace the TPS and see what happens. It’s an easy DIY job, no need for the dealer.
If after that, you still have an operational problem, you can clean the throttle body. It’s just that once you clean the coating off, you will have to reclean it every so often. Don’t cause a problem where there was none. Don’t clean or replace the throttle body if it runs okay after replacing the TPS.
Ford does have a caution in their literature stating NOT to clean the throttle body because of the anti-stick coating used during manufacture. There must be something which wouldn’t damage the coating. Soap and water? Come on Ford. Give us some other option rather than replacing the whole thing! OK, back to just wiping it off (internally) with a water dampened cloth.
There is a code on the throttle position sensor (tps). What is it? We don’t accept someone else’s word for what the codes mean. We have our own sources.
The codes NEVER say that a sensor, or other part, is BAD. The codes say that voltage readings of the senors inputs, or outputs, are not acceptable values. That’s it. It’s up to the mechanic, with s/his various instruments, to do the detective work. There don’t seem to be many good detectives.
Now, removing and cleaning the idle air position sensor pintle, with throttle body cleaner, might fix the problem. It’s held on by only two little screws. http://www.autozone.com/autozone/repairinfo/repairguide/repairGuideContent.jsp?partName=Idle+Air+Control+Valve&pageId=0900c152801f161c&partId=0900c152801f161c
Here’s the throttle position sensor, and it shows the simple checks to make with a multimeter: http://www.autozone.com/autozone/repairinfo/repairguide/repairGuideContent.jsp?fromSearchPage=true&pageId=0900c152801f164b&partName=Throttle+Position+Sensor&partId=0900c152801f164b
The throttle body can be cleaned with a throttle body/air intake cleaner. That’s why this stuff was invented so it wouldn’t damage any special coatings inside the throttle body. Before they started making this stuff, people would use regular carburator cleaner to clean throttle bodies. And that stuff was too harsh where it would damage any coatings in the throttle bodies.
Tester
HOw much is parts and how much labor? It might cost nearly as much to clean it as to replace it. Otherwise, what Tester wrote. If you use the wrong cleaner, it will carbon up very quickly.