1996 Ford Taurus High Idle

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DAN GUSZREGAN
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
1996 Ford Taurus LX, 3.0 liter engine, 121k miles.

The car intermittently high idles up to 1800 rpm. Sometimes when stopping at intersections the idle is so high that the car will sit there and downshift the transmission. There is no "check engine" light coming on. Approximately a year ago I was having this problem and a mechanic said to replace and I had the IAC and TPS replaced along with having the throttle body cleaned. This helped for a while but now the problem is back and seems to be more frequent. Could this be a MAF problem and not be sending a code to the processor? I read the other Ford questions and did not find this particular problem listed.
Apr 16, 2006 at 1:23 PM
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LOSONE
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 1,616 POSTS
99% of Ford high idles are caused by a vacuum leak. The brake booster is a common source. Find a mechanic with a smoke machine and he can easily find the leak. Good luck
Apr 16, 2006 at 1:27 PM

Suggested Repair

Have a mechanic smoke-test the engine for a vacuum leak, paying particular attention to the brake booster, which is a common cause of high idle on Fords.

Conversation Summary

A 1996 Ford Taurus with a 3.0L engine intermittently idles as high as 1800 rpm, sometimes enough to downshift at stops, with no check-engine light. Replacing the IAC and TPS and cleaning the throttle body helped only temporarily. The expert says most Ford high-idle problems are vacuum leaks, often at the brake booster, and recommends a smoke test to locate the leak.

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