Cleaning stepper motor - daft question

[Gavstar]

This is a really dumb question i'm sure, but here goes....
What can I clean the stepper motor with other than petrol? WD40? Methylated Spirit? Or is it best to use petrol?
Ta.

[Big Al.]

I just used to use 0000 steel wool and WD40.

[Gavstar]

Big Al. said:

I just used to use 0000 steel wool and WD40.

Cool, thanks Al. I have a steel wool brush bought from Halfords, designed for cleaning spark plugs, so will use that with WD40.
Ta.

[Big Al.]

Like plugs it lives in a fairly hostile environment, you just need to get it clean, not polish it.

[Zippee]

I just use a can of carb cleaner and a small wire brush!

[lifebegins@400]

meths and a cotton bud worked for me when it came to the seating part which you can't get at easily

Andy

Edited by lifebegins@400 on Thursday 17th April 00:11

[Gavstar]

Well I cleaned it last night and gave it a quick drive. Nearly stalled twice but recovered itself so seems better. I guess it takes a short while to settle down? Will take it out for a longer drive tonight.

[thegman]

Clean it with some electrical or carb degreaser (from halfords) and a cloth or soft brush.

It is simple to tell if the stepper is working properly. Unscrew from the plenum but leave plugged in. Turn on the ignition - the stepper motor will move through its phases and be fully extended. When you turn of the ignition you will see the stepper motor reset to fully closed. If it is moving freely then it is very likely its working fine and your issue is not the stepper.

Hope this helps

[Gavstar]

thegman said:

Clean it with some electrical or carb degreaser (from halfords) and a cloth or soft brush.

It is simple to tell if the stepper is working properly. Unscrew from the plenum but leave plugged in. Turn on the ignition - the stepper motor will move through its phases and be fully extended. When you turn of the ignition you will see the stepper motor reset to fully closed. If it is moving freely then it is very likely its working fine and your issue is not the stepper.

Hope this helps

Do you mean start the engine or just turn ignition til the ignition light comes on?

[thegman]

Gavstar said:

thegman said:

Clean it with some electrical or carb degreaser (from halfords) and a cloth or soft brush.

It is simple to tell if the stepper is working properly. Unscrew from the plenum but leave plugged in. Turn on the ignition - the stepper motor will move through its phases and be fully extended. When you turn of the ignition you will see the stepper motor reset to fully closed. If it is moving freely then it is very likely its working fine and your issue is not the stepper.

Hope this helps

Do you mean start the engine or just turn ignition til the ignition light comes on?

Just the ignition, the engine would stall anyway if you tried to start it having removed the stepper.

[Gavstar]

thegman said:

Gavstar said:

thegman said:

Clean it with some electrical or carb degreaser (from halfords) and a cloth or soft brush.

It is simple to tell if the stepper is working properly. Unscrew from the plenum but leave plugged in. Turn on the ignition - the stepper motor will move through its phases and be fully extended. When you turn of the ignition you will see the stepper motor reset to fully closed. If it is moving freely then it is very likely its working fine and your issue is not the stepper.

Hope this helps

Do you mean start the engine or just turn ignition til the ignition light comes on?

Just the ignition, the engine would stall anyway if you tried to start it having removed the stepper.

OK. When i first started it after replacing it last night it spluttered and stalled. Presumably settling itself down?

[RedCabbage]

TADTS

[thegman]

Gavstar said:

thegman said:

Gavstar said:

thegman said:

Clean it with some electrical or carb degreaser (from halfords) and a cloth or soft brush.

It is simple to tell if the stepper is working properly. Unscrew from the plenum but leave plugged in. Turn on the ignition - the stepper motor will move through its phases and be fully extended. When you turn of the ignition you will see the stepper motor reset to fully closed. If it is moving freely then it is very likely its working fine and your issue is not the stepper.

Hope this helps

Do you mean start the engine or just turn ignition til the ignition light comes on?

Just the ignition, the engine would stall anyway if you tried to start it having removed the stepper.

OK. When i first started it after replacing it last night it spluttered and stalled. Presumably settling itself down?

mine didn't do this, but the ECU has a lot of variables to consider. mine overevved for a little while then settled if memory serves me correctly). is it still stalling? make sure the stepper motor is in tight (but not too tight as its only a plastic screw and can snap if you wrench it) - if there is a gap it will stall because air is escaping the plenum.

one thing you could try is running with the stepper unplugged. see how it idles then - probably at a much higher rpm. if it is still stalling when unplugged I suspect you have a fuelling issue. the feedback loop is complex though and you really should see a specialist who can test each component otherwise you will replace everything and may have no joy.

[Gavstar]

I screwed it back in, but not with a wrench as it seemed tight enough without. i'll give it another go tonight. i stopped last night cos i made my head bleed by whacking it on the corner of the bonnet and had to sit down!

[WazzaL]

Gavstar said:

I screwed it back in, but not with a wrench as it seemed tight enough without. i'll give it another go tonight. i stopped last night cos i made my head bleed by whacking it on the corner of the bonnet and had to sit down!

I know to do a job properly you need to shed some blood and tears, but that is taking it a little too extreme. - Good luck with it this eve. Did mine a while back, revs went high for about 30 seconds then came back down and it settled back in.

[thegman]

Gavstar said:

I screwed it back in, but not with a wrench as it seemed tight enough without. i'll give it another go tonight. i stopped last night cos i made my head bleed by whacking it on the corner of the bonnet and had to sit down!

i firm hand should be enough