Hey guys,
newbie here. I just traded for a 67 camaro with a TPI motor in it. This guy tried to do a restomod on it about 10 years ago. So i've got a 350 TPI out of an 87 vette that won't idle properly.

I can get the car to start and initially it will run for 4-5 seconds and bog out. Second start it'll run for 10 seconds and bog out, or catch and run. It'll run around 1000rpm for about 30 seconds, then go down to 6-700. From there on, it'll jump around between 500 and 700rpm in park, sometimes really trying to die, then catch again.

I've tried going through the IAC adjustment and TPS setting. The only real problem is that when I start the car with the plunger in the IAC extended, I can't adjust the setscrew to have the rpm set, because the rpms are always jumping.

also, when i was driving today, the car stalled out at a light.

any ideas, because i'm out of good ones?

thanks
Jim

 

The only code i'm getting is a "TPS sensor is too low" When I go adjust it up a little bit, the code I get is "TPS error"

Does this mean anything?

The TPS itself will run from .5 to 4V pretty linearly, so i figured that means it works..


i've read a few posts that if you've got a lumpy idle and if it's not the IAC or TPS, then it's probably dist. related. Where to begin though

 

OK, So i just ran it for 10 minutes after messing with the iac and tps setting (it's idling around 800rpm with a tps reading of .544V), and in drive it's down around 600+/-100rpm. Idling is a little bit better, not as lumpy, but it's still not nice and clean.

When i dumped the engine codes this time, i got a VSS reading. Any ideas on what that means?
Not sure how i'd get a vss failure when the car was in park.

 

Alright, just ran it for 5 minutes, same issues.
codes i'm getting now is tps low, coolant sensor low, and code 12, which is no reference pulses.

any ideas?

thanks
Jim

 

Any thoughts on if this is the coolant temp sensor? And how do you tell if it's bad?

 

The best way I know to get started is to get an ALDL cable and do some data logging. Once you see what the computer thinks is going on with the sensors, you can make much more educated guesses as to what is wrong. You should also check the other basics like the fuel pressure to make sure nothing funny is going on there.

 

Assuming I can't get a datalogger this weekend, is there any quick way to tell if the coolant temp sensor is goin bad? I'm planning on checking that, and looking at the distributor, because the intake should be all set up, and i'm still getting a jumpy idle.
thanks
Jim