• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Intermittent Won't Idle

xjklmnop69

NAXJA Forum User
Location
MI
1999 4.0L with about 240K.

Every once in a while on cold starts the engine will not start and begin to idle unless I crack the throttle a tad. Once it starts I hold the engine at about 2000 rpm for 30 seconds and slow the engine speed down to about 1000. Sometimes it will continue to run, others I have to hold the revs longer then it will idle. No strange smoke out the tailpipe.

The idle is not rough and seems to be fine at all other times. Initially it happened about a year ago after the battery died one night. Didn't think much about it since it was really dead. Then it happened about four months ago on a cold winter day. In the last two weeks now it has happened three times.

The plugs have maybe 3000 miles on them and still look good. Cap and rotor were replaced at the same time along with ignition wires. On the last oil change I ran some fuel injector cleaner through the tank. Then about a week ago I pulled the Idle air control valve and cleaned that to see if it would fix it. The IAC was not too dirty but did clean up the idle a bit. When I was putting the valve back on I also sprayed out the throttle body and cleaned up a little carbon.

Its had the idle issue once since all the workings. Any suggestions? I did a quick search but didn't find anything with my issue.
 
Back
Top