Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting major hesitation below 3000 rpm when accel

This problem has been driving me crazy. I have been dealing with it off and on for quite some time. I have replaced my spark plugs with Ford Platinum's, Wires with Ford high current, fuel filter (totally unnecessary when I looked at the clear gas coming out of both ends) and checked everything else.
Discription of symptoms:

1)When I am climbing a hill from a stop the car shutters and has major hesitation until I get past 3k rpm

2)Drove on highway last weekend for 3 hours one way and the same time back - cel kept coming on and going off along with crazy hesitation. (scary, didn't know if I'd make it!)

3)during that trip, depressing/disengaging the clutch I could watch my rpm's climb from 3500 to well over 4500. NO I didn't have my foot partially on the gas

4)in order to maintain decent power and smooth driving I must have rpm's above 3k in order to get any kind of smooth acceleration. If I don't it's like I am about to stall the car.

5)squeaking on occasion coming from trunk area on first start for the day (very faint and lasts for a matter of seconds)

6)start the car, quickly press gas to get rpm's to 3k immediatly, let go of gas = MOAN and almost stall, rpm's float at about 400 and I must give a bit of gas to level it off.

7)turning car off and back on would generally stop the cel and rpm boost when cluch depressed/disengaged

My mechanic friend scanned the ecu and came up with O2 failure reading but it's taken months to come to that conclusion. I don't know if I trust his equipment/troubleshooting ability. I would consider myself a do-it yourselfer but I don't know where to start (again!)
I am in canada and my car has less than 100k km's on it. This shouldn't be happening I feel seeing as I have only put 33k km's on it since I purchased my 95 contour se. I hope this makes some of you guys think and maybe stumps ya! Thanks to anyone who can think of something .

Just a thought, mine was hunting up and down at idle and would buck on start off until the rpm got over 3000 the engine just didn't want to go. Come to find out my actuating diaphram for the intake was not working due to the vacuum line being fused together. You can see the diaphram under the thermostat housing on the drivers side, so if you get someone to start your car while you watch the actuating mechanism you should see it move. Like I said just a thought.

I'll take a look at that. Do you have a picture or maybe a little more guidance you could provide?

Sorry haven't got a scanner but if you look at the dome right under the throttle body you will see the fuel pressure regulator, the rod for the IMRC or intake actuating gear runs in front of the fuel pressure regulator and joins to the IMRC diaphram. It is kind of buried but if you see the fuel pressure regulator it is right there.If you have hanes manual go to page 2B7 bottom right hand corner.

Thanks!

Try putting fuel injector cleaner directly into one of your lines, I forget which one it is, but have get a funnel and a friend to do this (also the cleaner). Turn the car on, take off the line, put the funnel on and start pouring the FI cleaner into it, have your friend hold down the gas a little bit (like 1500-2000 RPM) and just watch all the smoke come out the exhaust...Its a good smoke though so dont worry. I think its a vacuum line that you will be working with

Could you be a little more descript? Lines? Gas lines? How would I do that. I'm a do-it-yourselfer but I do rely on advice I understand (no offence, just not as knowledgable as you)