Sticky accelerator/lunging from stop?

[wburgpilot]

I have been having problems with my 2004 EX for quite some time now with what seems to be a sticking accelerator pedal. It seems that when I accelerate from a stop, the pedal seems to stick a bit and having to press it a bit harder to get it to move causes the truck to lunge a bit from a stop. Anybody else dealt with this or know what it might be caused from? Thanx.

[rocky]

The 04 has a cable controlling the throttle unlike the 05 that went to electronic control.

My initial suggestion is to remove the cable, clean and remove any signs of rust, lube then reinstall it. I've had two cars where I had to do that on.

[mclairmo]

The problem is most often caused by gunk and varnish on the throttle blade which makes the throttle blade stick to the throttle body bore when closed, requiring extra pedal effort to unstick when accelerating from a dead stop. What I do to clean it is to spray some carb cleaner on a rag or paper towel and clean the front outer edges of the throttle blade while holding it open. Also, get under/behind the lip in the throttle body that touches the front of the throttle blade when it is closed. You will see lots of black crud on your rag/paper towel. Keep cleaning till your rag comes out clean. Warning, do not spray inside the throttle body as you risk destroying the throttle position sensor (TPS) or other delicate electronics.