My car's RPMs stay elevated for 10+ seconds with clutch depressed

Factual Questions
1

I have a 2007 Ford Escape. It has 160k and for me is at the end of it’s life cycle. Recently when I come to a stop and depress the clutch the RPMs stay in the 2-2500 range for 10-15 seconds before settling back down to the normal 1000 range. I’ve also noticed that when I drive on flatish roads it will keep the speeds that would normally be in the 2000 RPM range, it will stay at 50 for a good minute without depressing the throttle at all.

I’m not willing to put much money in to the car, but if it’s something simple I would have it fixed. I have been saving money to get a new car in about a year. I’ve been thinking it might be a vacuum leak, or a sensor, which I might be able to replace myself.

What kinds of things can cause the RPMs to stay up for a bit? Are most of those ‘easy’ or cheap fixes? Will it continue to get worse or will it stay the same most likely? Will it ruin the engine? If I can pay a few hundred at most I’ll have it fixed. If I can keep it running without stranding me I will probably keep the car for at least a few more months. I’m torn if I should take it in to the shop and pay $100 to have it looked at or just deal with it.

2

Sticky throttle cable or throttle plate would be my guess.
Lubricate or replace.

Is the Check Engine light on?

3

Crap, I forgot to say the check engine light is not on, and it does turn on when I start the car so the light itself works.

4

A decent vacuum leak would probably set a trouble code.

Possibly sticky throttle plate or sticky Idle Air Controller. Get a can of throttle body cleaner, some nitrile gloves, safety glasses, and a used but clean toothbrush. I’m partial to the Seafoam aerosol version of their fuel additive, I think it’s called Deep Creep?

Take off the intake hose piping and spray the throttle plate and bore and rub the crud off with the toothbrush. If you can, find the IAC (if your Ford has one) and pass some TB cleaner through that too. If it comes right off, fill the IAC’s air passage with cleaner and slosh it around to dissolve any gummy goo.

Anything more complex would require diagnosis by a professional, a can of TB cleaner is relatively cheap.

5

Could be the throttle position sensor. Not very expensive or hard to replace.

Look it up.

6

I can’t see a TPS doing that. For the engine to run faster than intended, more air has to get in. Vacuum leak, IAC issue, throttle cable or linkage sticking, crud holding throttle plate open.

7

So I got some Carb/Throttle plate cleaner this morning. I just took the hose off and gave it a cleaning. Wasn’t too hard and it was fairly clean. Yesterday I also gave a couple of tugs on the throttle cable to see if it was sticking.

I haven’t had a chance to take it for a test drive just yet, but holding the RPMs at 3000 or so for a few seconds it did drop back down faster then it had been. It still sticks a bit at 2000, but not for 10 seconds like it had been.

Thanks for the help, hopefully it works and I can drive the car for another year plus.

8

Check for carpet sitting on the throttle pedal.