Slightly high idle speed - Ford Escort

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
View Threaded
Mon 8 Mar 2004 16:57
Slightly high idle speed - Ford Escort - Jvb
Dear All,

I have a very ordinary Ford Escort (1.6L DOHC Reg N). I have noticed recently that the tick over seems to be a bit on the high side about 1,200 rpm rather than usual 850.

The questions I have are

1)is this a general problem of Escorts of this age?

2)is there a relatively cheap way of fixing it or am I looking at having to reprogram the "brain" of the car?


Any advice or thoughts would be most welcome - Thanks in advance,


John
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 8 Mar 2004 19:36
Slightly high idle speed - Ford Escort - Carl2
After about 50000 miles the stepper valve can get a bit sticky and cause the problem you describe. It is a little motor with a valve that allows air to enter the system and control the tick over. It is very easy to change and can not really be cleaned very easily. Should cost about £70 at a main dealer.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 8 Mar 2004 22:00
Slightly high idle speed - Ford Escort - David G.I.Davies
The idle control valve on this version is unfortuneately very awkward to change as its located on the underside of the inlet manifold and access is limited both from above and below.Before servicing the idle valve try disconnecting the battery for a few minutes then reconnect and start up and let the system reset by allowing the engine to idle for a few minutes.If this does not fix it I'd suggest you have the engine management system scanned for sensor readings and possible faults.There are many possible reasons for your high idle speed e.g.throttle potentiometer,power steering switch ,coolant temp.sensor,air temp.sensor,air leaks after the throttle plate,and even the idle valve itself.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link

A guide to how much VED you will need to pay on your car.

Road Tax Bands and Rates