So, I've been having a sticky throttle on my '97 5.4l Expedition for some time now. When I accelerate from a dead stop the pedal needs to be pushed down quite a bit before it engages and then your @ nearly 1/2 throttle. Not sure what the problem is... a sticky cable is all I can think of... any ideas?

Tom

 

Take off the air filter assembly from the throttle body and see if it's all gummed up in there. I would guess it's more of a TPS (throttle position sensor) problem not sending the signal to the computer until your really on the gas. I'd try cleaning the butterfly valve in the throttle body first and give the cable and spring connections on the outside of the TB a shot of lube.

 

Tom,

If the cable was sticking and suddenly the resistance was overcome then the truck would lunge. Remove the cover on the TB and check to see if the cable is stretched or improperly routed. Remove the air inlet tube going into the TB and have someone press the acclertator to see if the butterfly is moving accordingly to the position of the accelerator pedal.
If all of this checks out I would do as pjf77 suggests and have the TPS verrified. What are the rpm when the truck finally starts to move?

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

Thanks...
I did spray lube all over the outside spring/cable assembly without any results. The butterfly valve has a sticker on it or something that reads Do Not Clean. Or something to that effect.

 

I had the sticky throttle also until I pulled the Throttle Body off and cleaned real good on the inside. I intially started to use soap and water to clean all that funk on the throttle plate and body but it couldn't cut it so I ended using Throttle Body Cleaner. I know that the sticker says not to but I did and the problem went away. Doesn't take very long to do.

 

I have the same problem with my wifes 97 5.4 expedition... About every 20k miles I have to go in and clean the throttle body and throttle plate.. It started doing this at about 40K miles.. She has 130k on it now..

I went to Ford and bought a foaming throttle body cleaner.. Its what their mechanics use.. and it works great..

Also found a dry rag will also work in a pinch..

I have had this same problem with all my injected Ford engines..
87 5.0 mustang, 87 Merc grand marquis, 94 4.6 Crown Vic, 95 f-150 Lightning
But the 1997 5.4 triton has been the worst. Now my 99 5.4 Econoline work van has never had the sticking throttle problem and it is at 85k miles.. Maybe they fixed something?

 

Well I've put up with this for 10k miles now and finally cleaned the throttle body and it's all better!
I didnt'' have any carb cleaner... so... I used some brake cleaner and a rag!

Tom

 

I wouldn't use brake cleaner anymore. That sticker that says don't clean is there for a reason. I cleaned mine with a damp rag and no chemicals. Some TB cleaners are probably fine but brake cleaner will remove the coating off the TB. This will cause it to gum up faster in the future.

Hopefully yours will be ok. Glad to here you got it fixed.

 

nope, his first shot of brake cleaner (Or carb cleaner for that matter) stripped all of the plastic coating off.

it shouldn't really hurt anything other than now you will have to clean it much more often and your idle might be a hair off.

unfortuneately old school dosen't apply here. Only use intake cleaner or just a damp rag.