2003 Ford Taurus Stalling

Thanks, appreciate the help. Checked the air filter, is dirty so bought a new one and some Throttle Body Cleaner (CRC). Took off air canister and looked at throttle plate, seems clean enough but noticed it was very stiff to manually open. Only experience I have is with old carburetor plate, that I remember as opening very easily. Checked the transmission fluid level (remember "TRANSAXEL" light was on when it stalled) and it was low. Still showed on stick, but put in a little over a pint to bring up to almost top of "hash" marks. Then drove the car to auto parts store, 12 miles, NO STALLS, and bought cleaner and air filter. Stopped at a garage, that repaired my a/c a while back, he checked the computer, NO CODES STORED. Returned home, NO STALLS. I will take back apart and use cleaner on plate and the " AIC" hole. Should I take off the AIC? Clean and put back on. This is what the garage said they would do if I brought it back to them next Thursday. PROBLEM: wife needs car Saturday and next week for work, which sometimes includes hauling kids, that she watches, around. I need to fix this stalling problem today, so will do cleaning and put back together. I am very uncomfortable letting her drive the car without me finding "something wrong". Can it really be just a dirty throttle plate? Could me "manually" opening the plate a couple of times really "fix" the stalling problem? I will clean throttle plate and aic and drive for at least a half hour to make sure it doesn't die. Anything else I should do? Thanks Again!

Thanks for the advice. Took air filter off, checked throttle plate, stiff but looks clean, put back together. Checked and filled transmission fluid (remember the TRANAXEL light was one that came on during the stall), then drove 12 miles to auto parts store and back, NO STALLS. A garage, who fixed my a/c a while back, checked the computer, NO CODES STORED. Will clean throttle plate and aic hole and then drive for a half hour to check for stalls. The day before it stalled half-a-dozen times, to the same part of town.

Thanks, I'm trying. This was a lot easier on my first car, back in 1963, a '30 Model A. Carried a rebuilt carb under the back seat with a pair of pliers. If it stalled you just lift the hood and replace the carb - then back on ur way.

Anyway, started to clean throttle plate and before I started there is a label on the trottle body "do not clean throttle body or adjust stop screw"?
Now what? The cleaner I bought is for throttle with Teflon coating. Is the label just warning me to make sure I don't use brake cleaner on the Teflon?
Is it safe for me to use this cleaner? Or do I have to have shop do this?

Thank you very much for the help. Cleaned the throttle, body and aic. All were dirty (like greasy soot) and have probably never been cleaned.

Some background: car is father-in-laws, 89 year old vet, told he couldn't drive last year and since then my wife and I have had the car. We have done two oil changes in the past year, have driven the car only to take him back and forth from assisted care, to the va for treatments, and back to assisted care. Take him out weekly for lunches, dinners, etc. The car was purchased used with roughly 50,000 miles on it - eight years ago. I would guess it never had a 30k, 50-60k, 90-100k service. Tires, brakes and a couple of starters. We have put about 5000 miles on it in two years.

Anyway, test drive after cleaning, STALLED AGAIN. Went over engine again, couldn't find anything. Had my wife and daughter come out and listen, they said they heard "Hissing". Checked all the lines again, when I moved the pvc tube they said the hissing got worse. Pulled the pvc (for the third time) and finally saw a tear on the inside of the small tube where it connects to the large end that connects to the engine. Replaced pvc tube connector, test drive - NO STALLS. 30 minute test drive, only problem was a "hiccup" and "Jerk" going up a 6 percent grade (at 3000 rpm). Quickly returned to normal and nothing more all the way home. NO STALLS.

It would appear the problem was a very small tear in the pvc tubing. Does that make sense to you? Only when engine warmed up? The trips from my house, to assisted care, to the va is roughly ten miles, the car "just" has the time to warm up when we arrive. Then sits (and cools down) for at least an hour at the va, then return home. Maybe that is why this hasn't shown up before. Do you think I should do anything else? Again, Thanks for all the help.

Thank You. Your help is greatly appreciated. Will keep my eyes open and my wife "listening" for anything unusual. Thanks again!

How Awesome was that, Congrats. Thank You, again, for all the help. My father-in-law just "glows" when I pick him up in his Taurus, and for the "hundredth" time he tells me how "shinny and super" it looks, AND what a great car it is. It makes his day. Thanks for helping me get it running again!