Ford Repair: idle, upper intake manifold, air control valve

Question
my 99 ford explorer v6 sohc will not idle. I can start the car no problem but it dies immediatly.  if I keep constant gas it will stay on.  do you know what is wrong.

Answer
This is a common problem. For years now, the idle has been controlled by the Powertrain Contol Module. It uses the Idle Air Control Valve (IAC) to control a small amount of air entering the engine to adjust idle speed. It is mounted to the upper intake manifold with two small bolts, and has a small electrical connector on it. It is about two by four inches. It may be stuck closed, you can remove it (be careful, it may have a paper gasket) and clean it out with an Air Intake Cleaner. If this doesn't help, it may have failed and need replacing.

I hope this helps,
Dave