Tickover - self reving
Tickover - self reving
Author
Discussion

razorman

Original Poster:

440 posts

260 months

Sunday 12th March 2006
quotequote all
It will become obvious I am not technical.
Also tried searching for this effect, but could not find the same thing on previous posts.

Usually when I start her up she ticks over at around 1500 revs for a few seconds and then settles down to just below 1000 all on her own. When the engine is warm it ticks over steadily around 750-800, so no problems.
Today I went out and noticed that until the engine was fully warmed up whenever I dipped the clutch she reved up to 1500 and dropped down to 1000 then reved to 1500 again down to 1000 and kept doing this all on her own.
Is this normal?
Is something about to go terribly wrong?
Does something need doing urgently?

verysideways

10,271 posts

302 months

Sunday 12th March 2006
quotequote all
clean your stepper motor ;-)

Big Al.

69,336 posts

288 months

Sunday 12th March 2006
quotequote all
razorman said:
Today I went out and noticed that until the engine was fully warmed up whenever I dipped the clutch she reved up to 1500 and dropped down to 1000 then reved to 1500 again down to 1000 and kept doing this all on her own.
Is this normal?


Well it was on mine! Had me worried the first couple of times it happened.

After a couple of months of driving got used to it and just used to drive trough it. It did prompt me to clean the stepper motor as well.

razorman

Original Poster:

440 posts

260 months

Monday 13th March 2006
quotequote all
Big Al. said:
It did prompt me to clean the stepper motor as well.


Did that sort it out, or are you saying it's worth trying it anyway?

tvr keith

1,908 posts

252 months

Monday 13th March 2006
quotequote all
Exactly the same as I had on mine. Interestingly if I turned the engine off for a few seconds and restarted it was perfect. The cure was to clean the stepper motor

everitj

262 posts

271 months

Monday 13th March 2006
quotequote all
Reset the Base Idle, Check for leaks

Big Al.

69,336 posts

288 months

Monday 13th March 2006
quotequote all
razorman said:

Did that sort it out, or are you saying it's worth trying it anyway?


OH

Just one less problem to rule out.

Nuggs

4,640 posts

264 months

Monday 13th March 2006
quotequote all
Cleaning the stepper should certainly sort out erratic idle problems to a certain extent. However, when the engine's cold, mine drives like a bag of spanners for the first few miles, with revs dipping on the first bit of throttle travel etc. That happened even after I'd had a brand new stepper fitted and idle speeds etc checked.

I think to a certain extent, it is a case of TADTS

Chris Smith

287 posts

256 months

Monday 13th March 2006
quotequote all
Nuggs said:
it is a case of TADTS


No way. It should be dead smooth. Unless you've played with the cams and fuelling, don't accept anything other than perfect; hot or cold. After all, that's half the point of a nice, smooth V8 and you couldn't see Range Rover owners settling for a 'bag of spanners'!!!

As above, cleaning the stepper motor usually sorts most ills along these lines. Might also be worth getting your air flow meter checked out.

Nuggs

4,640 posts

264 months

Monday 13th March 2006
quotequote all
Chris Smith said:
...don't accept anything other than perfect...

You're kidding right? I'd never get to drive the fecking thing if I insisted on it being 'perfect'. Mine is about as perfect as it gets after a few miles, and as for it being a bag of spanners when cold, I expect it and will live with it.

everitj

262 posts

271 months

Monday 13th March 2006
quotequote all
Mine is perfectly smooth from cold, as it should be. If it's not then there is somthing wrong....

Chris Smith

287 posts

256 months

Tuesday 14th March 2006
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Yep. Agreed! Sorry Nuggs

Nuggs

4,640 posts

264 months

Tuesday 14th March 2006
quotequote all
Chris Smith said:
Yep. Agreed! Sorry Nuggs

Certainly doesn't quite match with the advice I've been given by those in the know, who have looked at and driven the car and given it a perfect bill of health.

Maybe I overstated it with my 'bag of spanners' comment. It's not actually that bad, although the car definitely prefers being warm (as one would expect).

razorman

Original Poster:

440 posts

260 months

Sunday 26th March 2006
quotequote all
OK, as I said I am not very technical and so "good for me" I cleaned the stepper motor. Not as easy to get to as it could be and odd size but managed it. Really black, how long does it take to get like this? Wondered if it had ever been cleaned in it's 7 year life.
2 things now:-

1) Could be psycological, but she does seem to run better, no more "self reving" which was the original complaint, but now until she is really warmed up seems to tickover at around 1500 rpm whenever the clutch is dipped and so acts a bit like an automatic at times.
Is this normal or is something else going on as well as the stepper?

2) Typically, didn't see the recent post on the stepper motor until I had re-fitted it. When I took it out there was the "plunger" bit with about 10mm of "spring" visible behind it. The engine was totally cold when I did this so it this how it should have been? Saw the post about trying to push the plunger in and seeing if it comes out again when the ignition is on. Is it worth taking it apart again to see if this happens?