'04 Da Bird - SEEMS LIKE I HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM! NEW
TPS INSTALLED!
Codes read P-2111 Throttle Actuator Control stuck open; P-2106 Forced Limited power; P-2104 Forced Idle.
At first I thought I'd needed to replace
throttle body. = $$$ Further research uncovered that Ford's
throttle position sensors (or
TPS) has/had issues in model years surrounding our Gen 11 Birds. That is, Fords with
electronic throttle controls.
Upon inspection (taking
engine cover off) I discovered I had the dreaded 1st generation
TPS. (easy to spot, it has a Trapezoidal body). With throttle issue codes being thrown, I decided to take a chance and replace it. That's when I discovered that Ford
TPS's are now on their 3rd generation (which has a rectangular body and a bit thicker than Gen 1 and cost $85
Autozone). 3rd generation, that tells you something. Although it's up top the engine, the water inlet is in the way, preventing a rather simple replacement. Took me about 90 minutes to replace. It's attached with
Torx screws so you'll need to grab a set of those (looks like Allen wrenches) and be a little creative getting at the bottom screw. The secret is to heat up the
throttle body near the screws, above 130 degrees F to "melt' the thread locking compound.
You must do this or you're asking for trouble. I found out the hard way. Broke the top screw off. I had to break off the old
TPS, heat up
throttle body housing (with wife's old hair dryer, easy to do with
TPS gone), then screws came right off. The broken one had enough thread sticking out to grab with vice grips. Replaced
TPS, screws torqued down appropriately (the bottom one is a bitch, 1/4 turn at a time), plug connector back in and done.
Went for a 150 mile test drive this afternoon experiencing absolutely NO issues. Did city driving where most issues cropped up, country and interstate driving = NO ISSUES! No rough idling, power loss, etc. Ran like a Gen 11 Bird with only 30k miles (current miles) should.
If you're experiencing similar issues and have already replaced
COPS /
plugs, look at replacing the
TPS, especially if it's a 1st generation
TPS. Image of Gen 1 attached.