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RPM drops below 750

E

eatbeansmrbean

New CEG'er
Joined
May 23, 2007
Messages
7
Hi. I have this problem, that everytime I start the car everything is okay, and later when I'm at the red light waiting the car's rpm drops down below 750 and it feels like it might turn off any minute. When I'm driving, it sometimes feels like the car isn't getting any gasoline and it makes the car engine to make a sudden shift.

My car:
1999 Ford Contour SE
2.0 4 cyl
158,000 mi
Fuel filter was changed not long ago.
 
Welcome. I presume you have an automatic? Is the O/D light flashing? Is the Check Engine Light on?

When you are at a Stop, put it in N or P. Does it get better? Is the lurching happening more in D?
 
Big Jim said:
I know I sound like a broken record, but start by cleaning the throttle body and IAC.
Click to expand...

on a zetec? they dont have the carbon buildup issues that the Duratec has, if his IAC is bad the car actually would stall, Cleaning it MIGHT help, but my money says no.

sounds like there might be a vac leak somewhere.
 
Tony2005 said:
Welcome. I presume you have an automatic? Is the O/D light flashing? Is the Check Engine Light on?

When you are at a Stop, put it in N or P. Does it get better? Is the lurching happening more in D?
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Yes the check engine light is on. And it's automatic.
 
i had this same issue with my zetec..and i was prety pissed when the new timing belt and head gasket didn't help that part at all...i tried several things and the only thing that end up working was a new fuel filter...stopped it bout 50% of the time...then i started running 91 octane..no more prob, also stopped missfireing...which was not fixed with the new plug wires and plugs:mad: ...funny, i have done a lot of crap to this car and the new filter and 91 octane has done more than any of the more expensive crap!
 
Tony2005 said:
Welcome. I presume you have an automatic? Is the O/D light flashing? Is the Check Engine Light on?

When you are at a Stop, put it in N or P. Does it get better? Is the lurching happening more in D?
Click to expand...

What does it mean if it gets better in N or P? When no load is on the trans.

My sisters tour does that and ive never been able to figure out what it is.
 
tredse1 said:
i had this same issue with my zetec..and i was prety pissed when the new timing belt and head gasket didn't help that part at all...i tried several things and the only thing that end up working was a new fuel filter...stopped it bout 50% of the time...then i started running 91 octane..no more prob, also stopped missfireing...which was not fixed with the new plug wires and plugs:mad: ...funny, i have done a lot of crap to this car and the new filter and 91 octane has done more than any of the more expensive crap!
Click to expand...
Improper diagnosis and then throwing parts at a car willy-nilly is not the car's fault. It's the fault of whomever made the wrong diagnosis. Ordinarily a gummed up fuel filter wouldn't cause a problem at idle any more than 91 octane gas fixing a misfire. How did you define misfire anyway? Was the engine scoped? Any codes thrown? Replacing a timing belt and head gasket is considerable overkill for a so-called misfire, IMHO.
Karl
 
98SVTC said:
Improper diagnosis and then throwing parts at a car willy-nilly is not the car's fault. It's the fault of whomever made the wrong diagnosis. Ordinarily a gummed up fuel filter wouldn't cause a problem at idle any more than 91 octane gas fixing a misfire. How did you define misfire anyway? Was the engine scoped? Any codes thrown? Replacing a timing belt and head gasket is considerable overkill for a so-called misfire, IMHO.
Karl
Click to expand...

um no acctually it had a blown head gasket and a f-d up timing belt tensioner, that's why i changed it...once that was fixed it still ran like total crap and misfired which i know because 1) it threw misfire codes non-stop, and 2)because it doesn't take a genius to tell when an engine ain't hitt'n on all cylinders...especially when u only have four!...i tried the logical things to fix the misfire...plugs, wires, and such, the fuel filter was replaced because i try to replace all filters when i buy a new car so i know where she stands...non of these helped much...the new wires caused it to misfire less often but it did not stop completely until i started running 91octane in it, and then it stopped instanly and hasn't misfired once since then...aprx 6K miles ago

what i meant was that i kinda hoped that after she blew the head gasket and it was repaired it would run better than before the head gasket went..and it did not.
 
Just want to let you all know, that it was the filter sensor by the filter in the engine. The long tube. Don't know how to call it.
 
I guess you mean the MAF sensor...

MAF sensor can exhibit that type of symptomps but it is not very common MAF sensor failures.
I have been having a similar issue on my 95 Contour Zetec - Automatic. I drove it for years and sometimes the rpm would dip down when I came to a sudden stop. And last year it got so bad that I had to stop driving it. I have been trying to fix the problem for the past 10 months with no luck yet.
I hope yours will be something much simple...
 
iskoos said:
I guess you mean the MAF sensor...

MAF sensor can exhibit that type of symptomps but it is not very common MAF sensor failures.
I have been having a similar issue on my 95 Contour Zetec - Automatic. I drove it for years and sometimes the rpm would dip down when I came to a sudden stop. And last year it got so bad that I had to stop driving it. I have been trying to fix the problem for the past 10 months with no luck yet.
I hope yours will be something much simple...
Click to expand...

vacuum
 
FunInNorthDakota said:
vacuum
Click to expand...

Easy to say for sure; not so easy to prove. After double even triple checking all hoses and many components, I found no apparent vacuum leak (with engine vacuum reading 20 psi at idle)
Let's hope eatbeansmrbean's problem would be easy to find. This is his thread...
 
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