I have been having problems with my gas pedal not moving freely. Sometimes feels "gritty" like sand. Engine idles fine and accelerates smoothly. When going from 1st to 2nd in conservative fashion as soon as it changes to 2nd the accelerator seems to "free up". Any ideas whats going on?

in your sig, it says you have an aftermarket sterio system. make sure none of the wires are catching on anything and power wires need to be ran away from main wiring harnesses. the magnetic field created by the current running through the wire may disrupt electrical equipment causing false reading of sensors.

on the other hand, it could just be dirt around your gas pedal. get down their and check, clean and lubricate the bushing under the dash that the gas pedal rotates on.

hemihead,

I agree with sabin, check everything out and make sure the bushing is free.
If you still get the gritty sensation, get your '04 in to your dealer just to be safe.

The stereo was installed by Best Buy and I also have a remote start they installed. There are a lot of wires bundled under the panel below the steering column for the remote start but the stereo wires are mostly located behind the deck. And this bushing you speak of I'm having trouble finding it just looks like a hinge to me

yes, it is a hinge, but in side the hinge is a thin brass bushing that is used for smooth operation of metal against metal movement. The brass being the softer metal allows the steel of the gas pedal to rotate freely. Spray some wd-40 on it and see if it helps out...Not too much, you don't want it to drip on the gas pedal and make a slippery gas pedal.