icp sensor bad?

[bryanbrown]

i wanted to test my code reader, so I unplugged the icp sensor. cel goes off, but my code reader didn't pick up a code. I think the reader is bad. That's not the problem. later, i stopped for lunch, got back in, fired up, and it would barely idle. the rpm was jumping up and down, 2-300 rpms. it was like it wanted to die, and it would catch it, then drop to about 500rpm, then catch and jump to 800. you get the picture. I got it out on the highway, and it seemed to run okay. I stopped later, and it was still doing it, so I pulled the icp plug and washed it out with wd40, plugged it back in and it ran fine. later, it did it again, so i cleaned it, but didn't get better. I pulled the chip, no help. I turned it all the way up, and it seemed to idle a little smoother. It was very jumpy, though. the throttle would go down about 1/4 of the way before it would rev. I couldn't hold it at a lower rpm. it would either not rev at all, or rev up higher. I'm thinking the icp is bad, that's why it kinda worked in the high setting, because it was asking for so much more oil pressure? I appreciate any ideas. thanks

[bryanbrown]

I don't think the sensor is bad. I unplugged it, and it ran fine with the cel on, so I don't think it's the hpop. I think the prongs aren't making a good connection. I cleaned the connector again, and tried to tighten the female ends of the connector, and now it's okay. how do I get one of those connectors? the ford guy couldn't find that connector in any of his books, so I guess I'm gonna have to keep trying to tighten it up. any suggestions? thanks

[Sabre2th]

If it ran better with the ICP sensor unplugged, then the ICP sensor is probably bad. With no feedback from the ICP, the PCM "estimates" the pressure from other parameters and overrides. Just my .02..
Tom

[Dagnuten]

Originally Posted by bryanbrown

I don't think the sensor is bad. I unplugged it, and it ran fine with the cel on, so I don't think it's the hpop. I think the prongs aren't making a good connection. I cleaned the connector again, and tried to tighten the female ends of the connector, and now it's okay. how do I get one of those connectors? the ford guy couldn't find that connector in any of his books, so I guess I'm gonna have to keep trying to tighten it up. any suggestions? thanks

I had that same problem... was the connection. cleaned it up and used a little lightbulb grease and it's been fine since. But I wished I never had touched it because it took about a week for me to figure it out!

[bryanbrown]

thanks for the info, it runs fine now. I have a feeling I'm gonna have to clean the connection every so often, but that's okay, at least I know what's wrong, and it saved my $180 at the dealer. now I just need a code reader that works.