Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting RPM's won't come down

The last time I drove the SVT, every time I would come to a stop, it would take forever for the RPM's to come back down. I'd be cruising along, maybe 3500 rpms, I'd push in the clutch and come to a stop, but the rpms would stay up at 3500 and then come down very very slowly....what could that be??? :rolleyes:

Throttle hang!
There is a fix here:
Throttle Hang (TH) Fix

This could also be caused by a bad throttle position sensor.

I had this problem and replaced the throttle position sensor and it went away.

Brian

i've got the same damn problem...but it happens so infrequently that it would be impossible to diagnose. If i took it to a shop, they would look at it, tell me it's fine, then hand me a bill for $65. Not worth it yet.

Cheers
rimmie

I can try that copper plug suggestion in the Throttle Hang Fix link, but where do I get these copper plugs.

Has anyone else had to do this or am I just the lucky one?

At a hardware store, they are just the caps that you would use to cap a copper pipe with, Im pretty sure I used 1/2 inch... Good luck... -Nick

make sure your throttle cable is securely fastened into the bracket next to the T/B, mine was not (when I got it back from the dealership once), and once I put it in, it was fixed.

qaz could be right. I've got a 2000 Cougar with the Duratec V6 and I had the same problem. I think the throttle hang problem and the one you're having are not quite the same thing. With throttle hang, if I'm not mistaken, there is a slight delay before the RPMs drop. But if your problem is like what I had, the RPMs will stay up for over 10 or 15 seconds - sometimes it seems like forever. I had the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) replaced to cure an intermittent but obvious slowing down of about 5 MPH even though my foot was still on the gas. To get it back up to speed, I would have to get off the gas and get back on it. The new TPS cured this problem and also the excessively high RPM at idle.

The TPS is basically a potentiometer (variable resistor) with likely a voltage range of approximately 0 to 5 volts. As you step on the gas, the throttle cable acts on the throttle lever which in turn acts on the TPS. The TPS is the little black box attached to the entry of the throttle body opposite the throttle lever and cable. As you give it more gas, the voltage at the TPS goes up which tells the PCM (Powertrain Control Module) to richen the air/fuel mixture. As you manipulate the throttle, the resistance and therefore the voltage should change smoothly. When you have a bad TPS, the carbon trace of the potentiometer is getting worn down and no longer reports the proper voltage consistently or it will glitch, sending sudden voltage changes to the PCM. Basically, the PCM thinks you're on the gas when you're not, and vice versa. This can cause a surging sensation while at cruise, a sudden loss in power with a just as sudden return of power, bucking, etc., not to mention a racing idle. What is likely happening with the racing idle is when you're off the gas, the TPS should be reporting close to 0 volts to the PCM, but if there is a glitch in it, the PCM will still be receiving a higher voltage and therefore richening the mixture and creating a higher than normal idle.

So...if I do need to go with a TPS, where do I get it and how much will that bad boy cost? I'm guessing a Ford Dealership

Spray down your your throttle body with cleaner first. I think something like that happened to my car with the previos owner.
He said he just got some carb cleaner and cleaned it up. Much cheaper than buying new sensor that is most likely not needed. To do this all you have to do is take off the air inlet tube and spray it down. You will most likely notice a good build up of carbon on it. Besure to open it a little and get around all the edges.