If anyone can help i would be truly thankful, Our daily driver is having some problems, 1997 ford escort v6 manual, When at a light , the car wants to die, like its not getting enough gas and wants to die. When in neutral it does the same thing. Just started doing this yesterday, please advise as my camaro is not in driving cond. and i need this car to be working. Any help would be great!

 

Fuel pressure check is the only way to know if your
getting enough fuel to the injectors, and maybe a
quick fuel filter swap.

Any engine light during this period and does it stall?
smoke from the tail pipe? Can it rev to a higher rpm?

It's not a 3rd gen related, so ..I dont know how far
this will go.. but, I thought Id help.

Good luck

 

*Double post whoops*

 

Pretty much every time I've seen this, especially if it otherwise runs normally, it's been a flakey throttle position sensor.

 

Does it run alright if you open the throttle a little bit? If so, I would suspect that the idle air control valve needs to be replaced.

 

No it doesn't smoke at all, the engine light comes on but only when it dies on the road. It revs fine, it doesn't have any problems when I'm driving on the freeway only when I'm at a light or in 1st gear. Seems to switch normally and the clutch is okay.

 

Have you pulled codes from the ECM ?

 

No haven't done that...I kind of remember how to do it on my Camaro but can someone remind me how it's done?

 

Don't remember on a Ford, but Autozone has a pamphlet and a "key" that'll tell you how.
Free, as I recall.

 

Definately check your pcv tubing. These are very prone to getting a hole in the rubber of the tube and causing a vaccuum leak. This will cause very eratic idle but do ok at higher idle or driving at higher speeds. I work at a shop and I see this quite often. I would even bet that Ford would have this part in stock for around $20-$30. Look at the line itself and right at the rubber boot at the pcv valve you will probably see the boot caved in and maybe even ripped. This would be your problem. Good luck and let me know how it goes. .

 

Just went out there today to try to do an oil change, and started up the car to listen under the hood cause it had been making a hissing noise and well you were right, I found the tubing and it does have a hole in it! Thanks for the help, I don't know why I wasn't able to find it the first time I looked at it!

 

because it was a ford and not your chevy

 

The 1997 Escort never came with a V6.

If you have more troubles, you'd probably get a better response posting your question on a forum dedicated to Ford Escorts.

http://www.feoa.net/modules.php?name=Forums