Ford 5.4 liter High idle problem and how to fix it

[@bruceraykiewicz6274]

Thanks for the video. Old geezer gearhead here. I have an '02' e250, 3/4 ton with a 5.4, 2 valve. Has done exactly what you describe. did the idle control moto. Did the same thing. I unplugged the wire to the idle motor. Yup, it came down to about 400 RPM. A friend who is a young 'modern day' auto mechanic, checked with the computer, every thing looked good. Plugged the wire back on. Drove the van for about two weeks, and it did the same thing again. That was it for me. this '02' van has steel brackets on the gas pedel. I made an idle screw set up from the steel gas pedel arm to the fire wall steel bracket. Set the idle to 550 RPMs. She runs just fine. Its been set up this way this way since Oct. 2013. Yup, 'check engine light' is on all the time. the van now had 327,000 miles on oig. 5.4. At 77 yrs old, I still do the maintainance work on it(oil changes, grease jobs, trans filter change and TLC). Sorry for the long post.

[@Amopower]

I too am not really sure what the verdict/fix was on this one. Was it the IAC pintle sticking in open position, and then when the power was turned off, it went back to normal, and then the cycle repeated? Can you explain to all of us exactly what the "fix" was for this - did you replace the IAC?

[@seanmcentee411]

That was JUST ENOUGH talking about what edward williams doesn't know what!!! I have that exact problem with my "93 bronco with 351 and I've spent a couple hours watching videos that didn't help, but you nailed my problem. Thanks, you're awesome and a great teacher!!! take that eddie boy.

[@briansmobile1]

@deion712 The air volume going through was holding the weak IAC motor from pulling the pintle back into the appropriate position from wide open. When you drive it opens up to ease the RPM's back down to be smooth and save fuel. The air rushing by was holding it from returning.

[@briansmobile1]

@Amopower The air volume going through was holding the weak IAC motor from pulling the pintle back into the appropriate position from wide open. When you drive it opens up to ease the RPM's back down to be smooth and save fuel. The air rushing by was holding it from returning. Good question. I think I left the last bit out. I've been way busy lately.

[@briansmobile1]

Perfection robs creation. A quick video on a topic is better than no video on that same topic. I can always make a response with more detail later.

[@thehaarpreport9203]

Great video! KZbin is the first place to look when you have a subtle engine problem. It saves hours of messing around, and reading manuals. I remember the pre-youtube days, when you just had to drive the car as-is for a year or two, until the problem got bad enough to figure out. Your video is a great example of how to do a good video to help other people. Thanks for the help!

[@sneakapeek2577]

it truely is a huge benefit to the home mechanic.

[@briansmobile1]

@MoneyMarcMes That's correct. Replaced the IAC. This was an attempt at a film as you go diagnostic process video. I've been getting requests for that. I know it's kind of confusing.

[@mutleysnicker]

Hi all just an FYI went thru a high idle issue on my 1999 ford f150---smoked it for vac leaks(yes, i made my own smoker lol) cleaned throttle body and Idle control valve--cleared computer and tried to let it find it's new base idle---no help--grrrr finally i remembered to clean (I mean really clean!!) the pcv valve--Freaking truck calmed down and is purring like a kitty!! PCV valve was sticking!! Hope this helps all!!

[@KINGRG1]

Was the high idle constant or fluctuating?

[@mutleysnicker]

@@KINGRG1 It was a constant high Idle till I cleaned it--settled right down right after cleaning it. hope that helped

[@brakedd]

you should definitely talk about your thought process when diagnosing problems in future videos too! that was excellent

[@snowbaordguru]

This is the procedure I followed that finally worked for my 1999 4.6L Trition. I was getting what sounded like spark knock because the air/fuel mixture couldn't be set right by the vehicles computer. If you replace the IAC valve and still have this issue follow this procedure: 1.Disconnect the battery negative cable for 20 min. 2. Reconnect the negative battery cable. 3. Turn off all things electronic: headlights, AC, ect before starting the vehicle. 3. Slightly depress the gas pedal and start vehicle for 5 seconds, then shut off. 4. Start vehicle again, and monitor rpm's, it should normalize in 10 sec or less. 5.Test drive for 20 miles and test using AC and Max AC for engine load. 6. RPM's should be steady even with the load of the AC turning on or windows rolling down. Hope this helps!

[@luisponce1472]

Thanks

[@briansmobile1]

YOU saved yourself time and money. Way to go! I just threw up some info on the web.

[@briansmobile1]

@feedinc The hose is the way to pinpoint the IAC as the culprit.

[@briansmobile1]

@MisterMattyMo It was the maximum air flow that hose would allow. The throttle butterfly was closed so the remaining air was going through that hose unrestricted.

[@spelunkerd]

Nice job, Brian. It is easy to see why a less alert mechanic might have replaced the ECM before realizing the fix was more simple. I guess you might call that a near miss.

[@jester_x]

Thumbs up for the video man. My 99 Ford F350 is having this exact same problem after a 2500 mile road trip. New IAC ordered and hoping it solves the issue. Thanks!

[@bonnyscott9334]

I've got a 2009 e250 5.4liter. With a similar high idle issue. It is throwing a code. I'm going to run through the same checks and see what I come up with. Thanks you gave me a few good points.

[@moaski]

I had a high idle situation on my 5.4L due to a faulty air filter. I drive an E-350 and the conical end of the Chinese-produced air filter came unglued from the element, so air was no longer being directed through the filter. I'm no mechanic, but I believe the MAF was reading higher CFMs telling the computer it was traveling at higher speeds and therefore generating a high idle. I replaced the filter with a USA-made Motorcraft, cleaned the MAF and reset the computer to get things back in order.

[@briansmobile1]

@1hondaluver Get it hooked up to a computer with datastream and watch the numbers- WAY more cost effective than guessing and parts swapping.

[@markd6641]

great video had the same exact problem with 2001 f150 crew 5.4 liter thanks for video saves alot of cross checking

[@briansmobile1]

@feedinc I replaced the Idle air control valve.

[@demaXxXx]

Thanks for the video, nicely explained. I didn't quite catch the exact location or image of the IAC - a pointer would have been great. Also is the IAC solenoid built-in ? or attached ? Were is the IAC control ckt ? which is one of the possible problem under P0507 the trouble code. And the Air intake after the Throttle body ? also mentioned under P0507 You helped an awful lot, but mentioning the other (3) possibilities would have made this video truly educational. The Ford Manual is TSB 03-3-5

[@johnonthecooldoe6338]

you can pull the top hose going into the air intake right before throttle body. The engine gives you like 3 sec before it stalls. Plug it back in before it stalls. You have a vaccum leak.

[@briansmobile1]

@beefystik You bet man. I'm glad you're liking them. ; )

[@briansmobile1]

@BAXMAN68 You're most welcome my friend!

[@hankbridges5055]

On older cars, replace parts like CTS, IAC, MAF, EGR, TPS, MAP, etc. Those parts tend to go bad overtime. Check codes after replacing parts.

[@briansmobile1]

@1hondaluver It SHOULD smell like that when it's in Open Loop and not warmed up yet. If you get off the highway and it smells like that then it's a problem. Hope this helps.

[@snowbaordguru]

Brian I have this same issue but with a 99 expedition 4.6L. Replaced the IAC today (Advance warrantied it even though it was 4 months over a year) and it works fine with out max AC on. But once the max AC is on it idles high until I tap the top of the IAC with a screw driver. Advice? Thanks in advance!

[@briansmobile1]

@brakedd I'll have to do that on the next sticky one.

[@Rabbit.760]

Worked out for my 2004 Excursion. Thanks

[@trjonez]

I might add,...the reason Ford opens the IAC Valve when the throttle is opened and RPM is increased (which is contrary to what you'd normally think), is that the instant the throttle is released,..hydrocarbons (unburned fuel) spike very high. All auto manufacturers strive to protect their expensive catalytic converter. One way to do that is to eliminate the sudden closed throttle hydrocarbon increase by decreasing the RPM drop more slowly, which also lessens the chance of a return to idle stall.

[@briansmobile1]

@ronaldfdoculan04 You're most welcome my friend!

[@ginabartley6962]

On this truck does it have a egr value and erg value pressure sensor? And where is on this truck? Please show in a video. Mine looks just like yours but I can't find a EGR valve.

[@GerryJ08]

Another good one Brian. It's always helpful to know the diagnostic steps taken to determine the cause. A part replacement video would supplement this video. Cheers.

[@byerstony1]

To everyone with this problem. Check the cylinder head temp sensor if you take off the alternates it will be on the right. Easy to see it's a 3/4. Mine was broke off but still hooked up. Corroded!! Easy fix.

[@Nowen97]

Did this throw a code for you? I have no code. I checked my vaccume lines, replaced the IAC and cleaned the PCV valve

[@Nowen97]

04 Navigator with the 5.4l 4v throws no code

[@briansmobile1]

@chillincruisin Check out your control/trailing arm bushings for play.

[@jrfun4647]

Hi, Brian I have the same problem but I have permanently pinched the hose so it does not idle crazy high, if I let the hose go it will go up, so what you are saying is that it is the IAC? thank you for the video is the only video that I have found with the exact same problem.

[@briansmobile1]

If you do the testing I described one can be sure.

[@brakedd]

Funny, I just diagnosed a bad IAC in my GM. I hate those stepper motors. Great vid, thanks

[@casimiro002]

Hi brain i have the same problem whit my ford explorer the engine light turned on Autozone tell me bad iac valve replace the old valve with new valve now i have high idle 1500 rpm in neutral when put gear 1000 rpm when unplug the valve back 700 rpm you think the new valve is damage please help me

[@ncrdisabled]

Any idea on how to get a stuck ball joint on a 1991 toyota camry . I am disabled vet so I lay on the ground tried pickle fork banged it all the way in no luck broke 2 snap on 2 arm pullers I even beat it with a 5 pound hammer no luck . I have a stripped bolt hole that the 2 bolts that hold the ball joint on the car. I have a nut and bolt holding it now untill I can find a way to replace it. Nut is not hitting the cv axle so it works for now.

[@stephaniewaddell8602]

I have a 2001 F150, 5.4 liter and had the Idle Air Control Valve replaced twice by local mechanic due to placing my truck in Park and the idle rise above 2K RPM. (engine light was NOT illuminated) It will run fine for a couple days or weeks, then after driving it on the highway, and place it in Park, the idle rises above 2,000 RPM. Should I take it to a dealer or what else could this be? Do I pinch the hose and hope that's it?

[@arizonakilla480]

what about a 96 mustang 5 speed gt? mine idles high then fixes itself? but sometimes i have to turn off to get it back to noirmal

[@robinsonsauto]

hey Brian, nice job you gotta love it when things work out, been there before, when you have a gut feeling however it just don't ad up then after hrs of pocking and brain storming your instinct was right the hole time,

[@ricbaez3243]

I've got a 05 Grand Marquis with a wacky idle, idles higher in gear than in park. Transmission has been rebuilt so I'm thinking it's engine related. The car doesn't have an iac valve, maybe it needs a tb cleaning?

[@briansmobile1]

@kary1982v6 lol I took it out yesterday. I then charged it up good and armour all'd it up good and put it in the barn with the rest of them. I've got four on KSL and I think I'm going to list the CBR too and get an adventure bike like yours.

[@chillincruisin]

hey brian ive got a question. I have a 2000 sienna that shakes like crazy (feels like from the back) at around 70 miles an hour had the tires rebalanced...nothing used a different set of wheels/tires....nothing got an alignment...nothing changed the rear drums on both side....nothing changed the hub assembly on one side...nothing i'm going to try swapping the new hub to the otherside, but i have a feeling that it won't work Any ideas? i'm really stumped now

[@CarlosMedina-ou9ds]

what if my truck is doing the same but is a 6.0 l turbo Diesel f250 2004 i unplugged the IAC en the high rev'g continues what else you think it may be ?

[@briansmobile1]

Could be a number of things. Vacuum leak, dirty throttle body, MAF, o2 sensor etc.

[@SuperNatedogg7]

sp what did u do to fix it ? i can't pinch that tube at the traffic light

[@SuperNatedogg7]

i got it know sorry was a little hasty on the comment, frustration has set in. lol

[@briansmobile1]

@@SuperNatedogg7 No worries.

[@briansmobile1]

@ronaldfdoculan04 He might have a leaking turbo (oil leak)

[@thecoolkidblove]

I have the same exact problem in my 1994 ford bronco. In park my idle is 1500-1700 rmp and about 1000rpm in drive. i disconnected the iac and the idle goes down to about 800rmp. ive actually been driving it with the iac disconnected and have had no problems, but im sure its not a good idea but i have to get to work at graveyard hours. if you find a solution plz let me know i would truly appreciate it

[@broken1965]

Brian 02 f150 5.4 when cold start without touching accelerator a minute or so idling i somtimes get a loud howling tap the acc pedal gone. throttle body sticking open?

[@meanieNJ]

Its your idle air control valve. It happened on my 4.6. It would howl like youre blowing over a bottle when it was idling. Replaced my IAC and hasnt happened since.

[@broken1965]

meanieNJ ya sounds like its the problem..thanks

[@ryans413]

On my car my IAC kept getting stuck wide open as it should be on start up and the computer should slowly close it as it idles down mine was getting stuck I know this cause if you try to drive the car witch is difficult at low speeds when your engine is revving at 2000 RPMs it would kinda fix it self as the car warmed up the idol would be great so I changed mine for a good factory one hope that fixes it

[@loftisbryan]

Thanks for the video. I will try this tomorrow. I have already spent 50$ on a new AIC. And still have problem. Wish I saw your video first. 95 f150 340k+ miles.

[@MisterMattyMo]

So it WAS the IAC valve? I don't understand why it stayed high RPM until you pinched the hose. It's not like a high airflow was still going through it.

[@adamavelar2691]

My rpm is going super high after ten mins of driving..like as high as it can possibly go. Any thoughts where i should start to diagnose this

[@choadcityusa]

Fuel preassure regulator?

[@nombr]

briansmobile1 interesting I had always thought that the 5.4 on super duties was the same as on the half ton trucks or is this a 2v?

[@curtisloeallen9208]

I have a 5.4 super duty had the same problem I'm not going to take credit for this but I had a pin hole in one of my vac lines I can see how ma y miles you have feel how bad your rubber lines are that was what was wrong with mine

[@ilostmyipod1582]

I have a 1998 XLT 4×4 5.4 liter expedition that does the same thing. Only in park and at stop after hitting high rpms but i found my vacuum line from throttle body to fuel pressure regulator was melted in half on egr, so i spliced it and uts better but still does the high idle 50% of the time, i also dont drive at high rpm much. Any help would be amazing! Thanks a million for the info! Happy 4th everyone!!!🙏❤️

[@1hondaluver]

@briansmobile1 Yep, it smells like this when its warmed up. Should I start looking at O2 sensors or other sensors such as MAF? It still blows my mind that there is no code set. Thanks so much for your advice.

[@ilostmyipod1582]

Also not often anymore but it will run a tiny bit rough at cold start only for a few seconds. I know what a misdire feels like and it feels like that or rough idle whatever... Im no mechanic. Thanks again!

[@chadspradling7627]

What did he do to fix the issue from happening again? Did I miss it?

[@FordRangerSAC]

Edward the video was great and his teaching was good haha. You got to learn how to listen lol Brian simply explained some other possibilities to his problem.

[@demaXxXx]

I have the same identical problem on my 2004 Lincoln. It also intermittent, and same symptom. Here are more possibilities. (1) Air Intake after the throttle body. (2) IAC control circuit is shorted to chassis ground. (3) IAC solonoid is damaged or has failed. (4) PCM has failed (Power Train Control Module i.e. computer) Trouble code P0507 The TSB 03-3-5 contains repair information on this trouble code. The above are per Ford dealer information.

[@sardinah70]

How did you fix you 2004 Lincoln I have the same problem

[@feedinc2735]

So what did you replace or fix? Did I miss something?

[@demaXxXx]

People in any tech field watch things in their field. That's how they get to be pros. Learning never stops regardless which field. And your paying for their knowledge not the minutes it took to fix a problem.

[@1hondaluver]

Hi Brian. You have some great videos. I have a 1999 F250 SD 5.4l with 183k miles. It runs great but has a very strong smelling exhaust. It always smells like it is running very rich. At idle, you can really smell it coming out of the tail pipe. I can't see any smoke, there is no check engine light. I even checked for old codes, but no codes at all. Again, it runs really good so I don't know what this would be. Any suggestions?

[@scottstillian160]

I have an '02 5.4 F250 doing the same thing. ? I smell a small gas smell and have the idle problem after warm up and driven to a stop(s) and get a stuck idle stuck idle when it feels like sticking. Any for sure solution(s)? Appreciate any helpful info. provided.

[@iromeolust5236]

hi there. good afternoon. I have the same problem with my 99 ford f150 . I just tap it and the problem went away on its own

[@VencedorGamer]

This is exactly what my 5.0L F150 does, it won't idle any lower than 2000-2400 RPM's. Then I restart it, and it starts idling around 1200-1500 RPM's, could it be the same problem as yours?

[@briansmobile1]

@robinsonsauto Thanks

[@briansmobile1]

@bradygd Thanks.

[@charlesmorales5737]

Sometimes when I’m driving on the freeway About 60 miles an hour the RPM drops and the engine starts to feel a little weak. Would you possibly know what that issue could be?

[@briansmobile1]

@dreamer2355 You're most welcome my friend!

[@mesothelioma5024]

Could that be why mines idling high and not shifting?

[@Papasmurf7597]

Thanks for the vid. Had EXACTLY the same problem with a '02' E250 with a 2 valve 5.4 and over 200,000 dependable miles. Started to act up all of a sudden. Got a lot of advise. None of which worked. Inst. new idle control motor. No Good! Being a REALLY OLD mechanic from the fiftys and sixtys, I drilled a #7 hole in the steel gas peddle arm, taped it for 1/4-20 thread. Installed my own idle screw with a locking nut. It makes contact with a steel plate on the fire wall behind the gas peddle arm.(idle screw stop) Pulled the wire off the idle motor. Set idle to 500RPM.(van has a tack) Been this way since 2013. Been across the country twice. Now has 275,000 miles. Yup, check engine light is on all the time. Has been since 2013. Truck runs great. This made me crazy.

[@robmello]

Great video. Thanks for sharing!

[@Bloodshed_Silence]

Anyone know how to fix this same issue on a ford ranger?

[@briansmobile1]

You're welcome

[@dreamer2355]

Another great video! Thanks again!

[@RapsheetRecordsLlc]

Thank you, crazy? Appreciate all your hard work!

[@russelljekina6416]

I have a 2008 Ford V 10 60,000 miles on it I’ll be parked at a stoplight and I’ll sign the gas wants to go up real high put on the breakS and turn the key off and restart it goes back to normal. I can’t figure out what it is. No engine light.

[@BAXMAN68]

Totally awesome find! Those intermittents are a pain in the a@#. Thanks for posting this :)

[@briansmobile1]

Test is pinching the hose. Fix is a new Idle air control motor.

[@dridiott]

Thanks. So the diagnosis is the pinch. And the solution is to replace the IAC. Got it.

[@docuron]

this isnt diesel right? just wondering because my dad's datsun truck has been having idle problems and the smoke is too much >__<

[@cliffgriffen623]

Thank you very much for sharing. I own a 1987 Ford,, F-250,, with a 460 , 7.5 L , carbureted engine.. It is doing pretty much the same thing,, different but close,, do you have any ideas... I'm going to go to the book and see if there is a IAC motor or something similar... I was thinking vacuum leaks somewhere but I'm not sure where to start.. I enjoy your videos very much thank you.. Great fun to watch !!

[@feedinc2735]

@briansmobile1 Gotcha. I was thinking the hose for some reason.

[@dannyalvarez9713]

Check your throttle cable at the pedal

[@bigheadedmartian]

Thank you for your video much help.

[@papab2010]

Great job. Thanks

[@briansmobile1]

Welcome!

[@victhompson7657]

So what did he do to fix it??

[@briansmobile1]

Replaced weak IAC valve.

[@mohamdalnajdi]

great pro i well trying to do these in my mustang 👌🏻

[@joehalliday4989]

So what's wrong with it then you did all that and you pinch the hose and it went back to working that's not going to correct it it's going to do the same thing again

[@mlb0611]

I guess you do not deal with a lot of fords, I would have been done with that issue in a couple minutes:) FYI most fords do not have a hose going to the IAC just the HD trucks and Vans, so not a valid test on most. FYI 5 minutes with a good scan tool would have found that issue easy

[@123wildcake]

bro check the throttle hose. small hole in your vac somewhere

[@dboydb1]

Old thread I know but I had this same problem and found the IAC mounted backward.

[@MrNightpwner]

So the fix is pinching the hose? I don't get it.

[@williecomputerman9219]

Great video kis Keep it Simple! Wsh

[@optionsniper5428]

Great video. My problem is....I replaced the IAC and the gas pedal sensor. It's still running at 2k rpms?? I also have a Ford F250 (gas) 2000 model

[@MoneyMarcMes]

So how did you fix the problem??? it wasn't clear how you solved teh problem. If it was a stuck IAC then just replace it.