Questions and Answers

Ford Tempo High Idle Problem Q. Hello, My name is Don. I have a 1992 Ford Tempo 4 cylinder. It all of a sudden started idling real high and will not idle down. I unplugged the mass air flow sensor and it idles down but spits and sputters. In your opinion what do you think the cause of this is and how do I fix it? With christian regards, Don

A. By unplugging the Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor all you did was set a code. I would clear the codes from the computer and drive the car around. Then check for codes. If there are codes stored then we will have a starting place to look for problems. If not, then there are a number of things to check.

I would check the Idle Air Control (IAC) Valve and the Idle Speed Control Bypass Air (ISC-BPA). Either one of these, if bad, will give a high idle. The throttle plate may not be closing completely due to dirt and gunk build up in the throttle body. There could be a vacuums leak or a bad intake manifold gasket. You'll need to do some checking and eliminating to locate this problem.