Cold Idle Kicker
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 7 other vehicles, including the 2007 Ford RV Cutaway, 2007 Ford Pickup, 2007 Ford F550 Super Duty, 2007 Ford F450 Super Duty, and 2007 Ford Econoline. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The cold idle kicker strategy provides an increase in idle speed during cold engine warm up. During extended idle conditions, the PCM increases engine speed up to 1,100 RPM (normally 725 RPM for manual, 690 RPM for auto) to achieve a faster engine warm-up. The PCM uses the engine oil temperature (EOT) sensor input and adjusts the RPM accordingly, to a maximum of 1,100 RPM.
The idle speed is increased proportionately when the engine oil temperature is less than 70°C (158°F) and the engine has been at idle for more than 2 minutes. Applying the brake pedal, clutch or accelerator pedal deactivates the cold idle kicker strategy and returns the idle speed to 690 RPM.