Engine Idle Problems Need Help Please!!!

[sgetts]

I Have A 98 Taurus Se And About 6 Months Ago My Check Engine Light Came On. The Mech. I Went To Said It Was My O2 Senser. And A Missfire. I Changed The Number One O2 And Nothing Got Better. I Just Had It Checked Out And He Told Me That A Hose Under My Radiator Was Leaking Onto My Serpentine Belt So He Changed Both Of Them. He Also Did An Oil Change And Checked Out My Spark Plugs. He Says They Are Fine. When I Am Sitting Still In Park Or Neutral The Engine Revs Up And Down. Before This Last Visit To The Mech It Would Go So Low It Would Die. Also Did This At Lights And Stop Signs. Now It Just Idle's Up And Down But Hasn't Died "yet". It Seems To Drop Really Low When I Am Slowing Down To Stop, Like From Second To First Gear. Please Help Me....i Don't Know What To Do!

[irish30]

Did the person you went to tell you what the code was? He should have. If you have an idle problem there is couple of contributing factores it could be. The Idle is controlled by an electromechanical solenoid called an idle air control valve(IAC). If this is not working properly then there should be a code. There is also another sensor called a throttle position sensor(TP). If this sensor is not working properly then this could give the idle problem. Since the idle is going up and down there also could be a vacuum leak somewhere. This would set the check engine light and would give a lean code that the mechanic may have interpreted as an O2 sensor fault. You do need to take into a shop that you can trust. Talk to some freinds or family for a trustworthy Mechanic. And get the code. With that I can tell you more.