96 Crown Vic Starting/hesitation Problem

[Aje]

I have a 96 Crown Vic with 36,000 miles. It sits in a garage a lot of the time. It has never had any check engine warnings. It has a problem with cold starts. Without touching the gas the engine will start but be very rough and will usually stall. If immediately restarted, it will start normally. Once started, there will be a hesitation from dead idle when the gas is applied. This hesitation continues even when warm. This is all when the car is in park. The hesitation is no noticeable when driving and the engine is very smooth on the road. Any idea where to start?

[ModMech]

That sounds like a lean condition, possible causes are a dirty MAF, vacuum leak(s), spark plugs, wires, Inlet air temp sensor.

[Aje]

Symtoms; 96 Crown Vic. starts hard from cold, sometimes stalls out on first start, starts second time, big hesitation from dead idle, fair when heated up and up to speed.
Fix; As suggested I looked at the MAF sensor. Using a stereo microscope it showed an accumulation of grey matter and fibers on the leading edge of the wires. You could not see it without magnification. The wire and ceramic was covered so that they were over twice the orginal diameter on the leading edge. Used stuff called GC Bath (contact cleaner, no lubracation) bought at electronics store. $3. It took off all grey matter and fibers. After it dried it still looked wet. I touched this clear stuff with a needle and it wasn't the cleaner. It looked just like clear silicone. It came off in chunks with a soft artist brush and more shots of cleaner. I reinstalled it and reset the computer. It was interesting to note that the 96CV police models were recalled on 98E01 for "silicone contamination on MAF during manufacturing process". I would bet that the problem went to all models and Ford only fixed the ones they had to. Anyway the fix was cheap and I didn't have to deal with the dealer.
Results; The car started perfect and found idle. The hesitation has completely gone. The car runs better than it did when new. Thanks for the suggestions. I will clean it as a regular thing.
Results; The car

[Warren'74]

This problem sounds like the IAC (Idle Air Control Valve) not working correctly.

It is behind the throttle body, passenger side. Looks like a little starter. (Really). You could take this off, clean it, and see if it works. If not, replace it. Common problem, although they usually last longer then 36k miles.

[mik8828]

if the motor stalls at idle i have that it is an vacume hose [a tee] behind the left valve cover mine and my farther-inlaw crown vics done the same thing it costs 2 bucks to fix if this is the problem