2004 Acceleration problem.

[Rugger1982]

I have intermittent acceleration problems from starting from stop or occasionally in higher gears. I push the pedal and RPMs drop and a few seconds later the car accelerates. I put high quality fuel injection cleaner in and high-octane gas. Still happens. Not making any noises. Can be multiple issues - fuel filter, coils, transmission, etc. The car has 60,000 miles. Any thoughts?

This page contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, and Amazon Associate I may be compensated if you make a purchase at no cost to you.

 

[DrDISK]

Go to Auto zone and have them pull the Diagnostic Trouble Codes

 

[Rugger1982]

Go to Auto zone and have them pull the Diagnostic Trouble Codes

Thanks. Good thought. I could not find the connection for the code reader under the dash. Any insights on that?

 

[biddle]

Go to Auto zone and have them pull the Diagnostic Trouble Codes

Better yet, buy your own OBDII Reader which is vital tool that can be used on all your modern cars for years to come. Sometimes the parts stores are busy.

I use the BlueDriver which pulls the most codes and provides suggested fixes.

 

[T-BirdTom]

Re: Connection for the OBDII under the Dash.....................
I believe it's to the RIGHT of the steering column. At least it is on the 2005.
Best wishes,
Tom

 

[doug7740]

The data link connector is located under the right side of the driver's dash panel under the steering column. It's pointed down about where your right upper shin would be located when driving. The first thing I would do is to check for faults stored in all control modules. Since your car is 20 years old, it would be a good idea to replace the fuel filter. When I purchased my 2004 Thunderbird one of the first things I did was to replace the fuel filter. What surprised me was that there were no drivability issues, but I couldn't blow air through the old filter.

Replacing the fuel filter isn't a hard job to do and requires just a couple tools. Here's how you do it:

1. Remove the driver’s side front wheel and have the car on jack stands on that side of the car.
2. On the kick panel of the passenger’s side remove the #4 fuse in the fuse panel. At this point turn the engine over for a second; this relieves the pressure in the fuel line.
3. With the wheel removed you have easy access to the back half of the fender liner. There are 5 plastic fasteners that hold this in place. Remove all 5 fasteners and then pull the rear half of the liner from the wheel well. You can now see the fuel filter bolted to the wheel well.
4. The bracket holding the filter is held in place with one 8mm bolt. Using a fuel line removal tool, disconnect the outer line. Then unbolt the bracket and remove the other line. You now have the filter free from the car.
5. The bracket has a holding tab on the side of it. With a straight blade screwdriver pry this tab outward while sliding the old filter out of the bracket.
6. To reinstall, just do everything I mentioned in reverse making sure the arrow on the new filter is pointing towards the engine compartment.
7. Once everything is back in place reinstall the fuse into the panel and you’re finished.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue

 

[Frankie the Fink]

Fuel filter won't hurt but that shouldn't make RPMs drop, could be transmission slipping (bad news) or possibly fuel pump and an OBDC scan is a ALWAYS a first step...I like the Blue Driver device - available on Amazon.

 

[Liquidlounge]

While the fuel filter may not be the problem, Doug makes a great recommendation to replace this often overlooked part. If you you want to drive 20 year old cars then coolant changes, correct trans fluid (changed) and fuel filer changes need to be added to the "basics" for maintenance. The only time I have ever been stranded (twice!) in the last 30 years was due to the often overlooked fuel filter. When the fuel filter becomes restrictive or clogged, the fuel pump is the next thing to go and that becomes a much bigger job.

 

[bbgun10]

I have intermittent acceleration problems from starting from stop or occasionally in higher gears. I push the pedal and RPMs drop and a few seconds later the car accelerates. I put high quality fuel injection cleaner in and high-octane gas. Still happens. Not making any noises. Can be multiple issues - fuel filter, coils, transmission, etc. The car has 60,000 miles. Any thoughts?

I had similar issues when I bought my 2005 earlier this year. I replaced the fuel filters, drained the tank of old gas but no help. I hooked up my engine analyzer and it said bad coil. I bought a set of high performance engine coils (Red Ones) and really inexpensive, and I installed them myself. I swear it was like I had a whole new engine. Good luck.