Hi everyone I am new to the site and hope someone can help. I bought a 2003 1.4 petrol fiesta with 100k on the clock from an auction earlier this week. The car isn't in bad condition other than a little issue with the drivers window but will look into that over Christmas.

The problem we have is that from a cold start the revs sit at 1000rpm you try and pull away the car stalls. It then is hard to start but when it gets going it seems to be OK. Both my gf and I drove the car yesterday so would have expected the engine to be fully warmed up but the revs still idle at 1000rpm. I have read about the Idle Speed Control Valve getting clogged but don't believe this car has one I cannot see anything around the intake manifold. The battery looks like it's the original ford one and there looks to be a bit of corrosion on the top could this be causing the issue? Being this close to Xmas don't want to start spending g big on parts that won't make a difference

Thankyou in advance for your help.

David

When was the car last serviced?

If you've just bought it, service it. It's the safest bet with any newly bought car.

Plugs, oil, oil filter, fuel filter, Air fitler, if its the original battery. Change it. Bosch S4 or S5 would be a good choice.

Remove the air ducting and clean the Throttle body too

Thanks ginger that was my first point of call someone also mentioned temp sensor under coil pack and the oil filler cap is broken so not sure if it is slightly dragging air in too will take a look over Xmas break

yep try the idle control valve. clean it out with carb cleaner.

Well car has had a service spark plugs air and oil filter changed. Noticed the air filter was full of oil so I'm sure the new air filter will help cleaned throttle body and still no joy still holding high revs. Would you still say battery could be confusing the ecu after startup?

If its a 2003 car with the original battery, id replace it regardless. It's winter after all.. aka, the time of dead batteries

Also, has the car had a timing belt change? It's due every 90k or 10 years.

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I'm not sure re timing belt that's another area that needs to be looked at....

Revs increasing gradually to 2000rpm there is also a hissing sound from near the alternator. Wondering if there maybe an air leak or if it's the throttle body even though it's been cleaned plus oil cap half snapped arrrghhh

hi sorry to butt in but i have the same problem too so any help would be great

Hi Wendy I think the problem is with a collapsed and split breather pipe that runs from the throttle body under the air intake. I heard a hissing from near the alternator so all you need to do is squeeze the pipe. If the revs settle then the fault is with the pipe. If you take the pipe off between the air box and throttle body and between the alternator and throttle body and feel around you should find it. Hope that this helps. Thankyou to a scrap yard helper for this fix. I'll pick up a replacing pipe over the next few days and see how we get on. Please note that the car is a 1.4 petrol on a 53 plate. And the revs would stay at 1500 ram even when warm and occasionally cuts out straight after starting. If these are similar symptoms it may help hope so anyway.

Hi Wendy I think the problem is with a collapsed and split breather pipe that runs from the throttle body under the air intake. I heard a hissing from near the alternator so all you need to do is squeeze the pipe. If the revs settle then the fault is with the pipe. If you take the pipe off between the air box and throttle body and between the alternator and throttle body and feel around you should find it. Hope that this helps. Thankyou to a scrap yard helper for this fix. I'll pick up a replacing pipe over the next few days and see how we get on. Please note that the car is a 1.4 petrol on a 53 plate. And the revs would stay at 1500 ram even when warm and occasionally cuts out straight after starting. If these are similar symptoms it may help hope so anyway.

hi thanks for the info found a small pipe split any ideas on how to remove it there is lots things in the way it comes from the left side of the engine and dissapears somewhere into the middle behind the four solid things that are attached to the engine

hi thanks for the info found a small pipe split any ideas on how to remove it there is lots things in the way it comes from the left side of the engine and dissapears somewhere into the middle behind the four solid things that are attached to the engine

Could you take some photos as your description makes it difficult to advise you :)