If any of you recognize my screenname, I've got the car with never ending idle problems -
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/v6/4...e-problem.html


Tonight though, it stalled on me maybe 4 times in about a 7 mile distance. I like in Jacksonville, FL, so in that 7 miles I went through plenty of stop lights/signs. Almost everytime I stopped and put the car in neutral, my idle would be good for about 4, sometimes less, seconds and then stall.

When it does stall though, I can hardly tell because it stalls smoothly, maybe because its in neutral? The only way I really notice with the music up is because of the SES light and my lights diming.

It takes about 2-3 full seconds during which you can actually just watch the RPMs fall somewhat slowly till it dies. Funny thing was, twice I started it up after stalling, and suddenly the idle was at 2,000 for a minute. It went down soon after, but I'm thinkin "Man, if its not one extreme its the other..."

Opinions? Advice?


Something I thought of on the ride home but doesnt sound too realistic - the coolant temp sensor. I've heard if thats reading cold, it'll dump more fuel into the engine to warm it up. Does it do the same thing vice-versa? Just a thought....

 

What happens if you idle in gear?

 

did you check your MAF sensor?

 

check the iac valve and maf.

 

I am having a similar problem. Stopping at a light brings a rough idle after a few secounds. Putting it in neutral corrects it for a while. Leaving it in drive, it will start to stumble like it wants 2 shut off but rarely does...

 

use to happen to me also it was a valve for me,check every little vac fitting or hose for some type of leak or anything like that thats what fixed mine.

 

The IAC should be good. I've replaced it twice trying to fix the high idle problems.

We just cleaned the MAF a few weeks ago and thats actually what helped the idle problem start to occur less. It used to be everyday and once we cleaned the MAF it would happen alot one day and not happen at all for 2 or 3 days sometimes. Maybe I should clean it again. I don't get any codes for it.

If I idle in gear it still stalls...I think...I actually put it in nuetral so often, since its a 5 speed, that I actually don't think I could honestly say it occurs just as often. Next time it does the stalling stuff again, I'll try keeping it in gear and checking it out.

We've been lookin for vac leaks everywhere. I haven't been able to find any yet and I've replaced alot of the lines.

Thanks for the replies.

If injectors weren't so expensive, I would've replaced those by now just to rule those out. They're probably the original 1986 ones.

 

i think you should replace it, mine was acting up before i got the new MAF and was not making any codes. i changed it and it ran nice and smooth.

 

Sounds like a good idea. Know a place that sells new ones for cheap-ish? I've got a little under 2 months till I can get into junkyards down here in Florida excited.

I don't know if I want to risk a used one.

 

I dont recall the previous posts but what about the fuel pump/pressure regulator? Sounds like you might have a bad fuel pump?

Also for me, when my injectors went bad, they apparently stayed open causing the car to idle high for a while and eventually it would drop. But it wasnt smooth and the idle was pretty rough and choppy. It would also be hard to start and would just stall once in a while and smell badly of gas. Hope this info helps somehow!