Question:

My 1997 XLT 4.0 V6 Automatic 26K has an intermittent stalling/hesitation problem that has occurred since new, Seems to occur when pulling out into traffic from a stop and seems more frequent when pulling out into a left turn. May occur more frequently when the fuel tank is less that half full. It often occurs when the engine is warm then shut down for 30-40 mins and restarted and driven off again. The car will hesitate for a few seconds and regain power and operate normally afterwards. It never stalls to the point of having to restart. After 2 years of complaining, Tallahassee Ford has replaced the idle air control and spark plugs and reprogrammed one of the computers with no help at all. Anyone out there have a fix for this problem?

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> My 1997 XLT 4.0 V6 Automatic 26K has an intermittent stalling/hesitation > problem that has occurred since new, Seems to occur when pulling out into > traffic from a stop and seems more frequent when pulling out into a left > turn. May occur more frequently when the fuel tank is less that half full. > It often occurs when the engine is warm then shut down for 30-40 mins and > restarted and driven off again. The car will hesitate for a few seconds and > regain power and operate normally afterwards. It never stalls to the point > of having to restart. After 2 years of complaining, Tallahassee Ford has > replaced the idle air control and spark plugs and reprogrammed one of the > computers with no help at all. Anyone out there have a fix for this problem?

If you have the SOHC 4.0L then have your dealer reprogram your PCM under your extended emissions warranty per TSB 99-8-7. I had my ‘97 SOHC done about 18 months ago and haven’t had it hesitate since. It had hesitated 7-10 times during its first 18 months. Part of the text from the TSB is: "ISSUE The vehicle may have one or all of the following symptoms: ^ After vehicle comes to almost a complete stop (approximately 5 km/h (3 mph)) and then accelerates, the transmission may still be in 3rd gear which may cause a perceived lack of power. ^ After vehicle comes to almost a complete stop (approximately 5 km/h (3 mph)), a harsh 3rd-to-1st gear downshift occurs. ^ After a long highway drive followed by a complete stop, a quick acceleration by the customer may result in a perceived lack of power. ^ Acceleration from a stop (city driving) may cause a hesitation. These concerns may be caused by Powertrain Control Module (PCM) calibration strategy. ACTION Reprogram the PCM using New Generation Star (NGS) or Service Bay Diagnostic System (SBDS)." — Robert

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