Multiple Symptoms with 98 Taurus 24V

[adandy]

I have noticed 3 issues with my car recently, one of them probably not related but I don't know cars...

First issue:
Ever since it got cold the car has had some trouble in the morning. The car starts just as it always has, however it wants to idle at around 500 (causing it to stall) but in the warmer seasons it is usually around 1000. I have to step on the throttle a bit to keep it at 1000 until it warms up a bit. Takes about 60 seconds. This only happens in the mornings before the sun comes up (every morning for me), once per day so I'm going to assume the low temperature has something to do with it.

Second issue:
This is the scary one and has started about a week ago. Please keep in mind that this scares the crap out of me, causing me to be more focused on not dying than on the dash. About every other day I will be driving down the highway or some other road 35mph+ and my fuel indicator will suddenly drop to E, I get a gas light, and the car will be just below 500 RPM. After about 1 second the dash will show that I have gas again and it will spike to about 5,000RPM (probably because I still have my foot on the throttle).

Third "issue":
My girlfriend noticed that my theft light sometimes stays blinking after the car is started. This is fixed by just starting the car again.

Appreciate any help I can get, thanks all in advance.

[shorod]

Welcome to the forum!

The first issue is probably either an Idle Air Control (IAC) that isn't working properly, or possibly even a build up of carbon on the throttle plate. If you turn the steering wheels fully to one side (lock) and hold it there for a second or two, does the engine speed drop or remain constant? If the engine speed drops or the engine stalls, that's a reasonably good indication that the IAC system is faulty. If the engine speed seems uneffected, then you should inspect the EGR system and Intake Manifold Runner Control (IMRC) system.

For your second issue, that sounds like a loose connection to the fuel pump assembly. The fuel gauge and fuel pump are part of the same assembly. If the ground to the assembly is momentarily dropping out, that would effect both the fuel pump and the guage. Maybe a corroded connection is adding enough resistance that the fuel pump is still running, just very slowly causing the loss in power and the gauge to read low.

The theft light blinking is a bit odd. I'll have to think on that one a bit.

-Rod