idle ????

[adiandvic]

when idling the rev counter goes up and down between 900 and 2000 revs but has gone down to the point that she stalled. Suggestions as to cause please all, could the steppa need a clean would this cause this type of prob, at higher revs goes like a dream still and when moving at 1500 2000 rev etc no prob its just at idle

cheers

[tvrbob]

Stepper. Clean both plug and seat and be careful not to over tighten it when you put it back together. What fuel are you using? I find that I have very little stepper trouble now I use Optimax.

[coach]

Agree

dont over tighten!

I did! I was left with half a stepper and the core left in the plenum!!

Learn from my mistakes oh gentle one....

Coach

[GreenV8S]

All together now: "Clean the stepper motor!".

[Big Al.]

adiandvic said:

when idling the rev counter goes up and down between 900 and 2000 revs

They all do that sir! Just drive through it.

Cleaning the stepper may help.

[tahiti450]

Sometimes find mine idles erratically (have cleaned the stepper motor and seating) mainly tending to stall instead of idling. This usually happens on a second start after cold if the initial run has been brief (i.e; engine not fully warmed through. Solution in my case is to turn the ignition off (when stationary) for about 5 seconds, turn back on for a couple of seconds(without starting) then fire it back up. Can sometimes do this conveniently at traffic lights or a junction if waiting. You can usually hear the stepper motor resetting as the fuel pump comes on. Mine then idles perfectly after that routine. It suggests to me that sometimes the stepper motor control gets confused if the engine is turned off when not fully warmed up.

[adiandvic]

ok get the message I wil clean the steppa motor, is it as easy as it seems to do it... undo the nut and give it a wipe??????????????

[stegefal]

I cleaned mine after reading so many posts on here about it, thd idle improved immediately. I just used a clean rag and some white spirit.

There's a full section in 'The Bible'.

[tahiti450]

Suggest you consult "the bible" which has full instructions if i remember correctly. If you haven't got a copy then really you should as it is pretty indispensible, particularly given the rather fickle nature of these cars and the lack of other comprehensive reference works.

Oh, I see someone has already suggested that!

>> Edited by tahiti450 on Sunday 13th February 21:37

[adiandvic]

I have a bible as mentioned above, I will clean the stepper motor tomorrow but it also suggests disconnecting the ECU, has anyone done this, are there any risks etc.

[Big Al.]

adiandvic said:

I have a bible as mentioned above, I will clean the stepper motor tomorrow but it also suggests disconnecting the ECU, has anyone done this, are there any risks etc.

One thing at a time....

Clean stepper motor..

If that solves the problem ... polish it!

if it doesn’t try the ECU route...

Etc....etc..

[tvrbob]

Why would you want to disconnect the ECU? It won't do any harm; I've had the mulitplug off many times. I read somewhere that the ECU will reset (remap) once reconnected. I've never sensed any change after carrying this out.

[adiandvic]

in the steve heath bible it says about idling prob's clean the stepper motor and if that fails disconnect the ecu and reconnect so that it restarts the settings etc. I was just interested to see if there were any possible problems with doing this with alarms etc etc Im sure there arent but u never know

[tvrbob]

OK make sure you have power off (ignition key out). Unclip and remove the multiplug. Wait a while then plug back in and power up again. I can only tell you that doing this causes no problems for me.

[taylormj4]

Mine's always done this for the first few minutes of running. Starts up and idles fine until you raise the revs to drive off and then the next time I go to neutral or dip the clutch the revs stay up at around 1800. Until I stop and then they come back down again.

Cleaning the stepper and housing helps for around 3 or 4 days and then back to the usual again. It never looks that dirty anyway. Perhaps I should buy a new one.

Matt

[adiandvic]

have taken the steppa out and cleaned it, a little dirty but nothing to write home about, but cant see if it worked as the battery is no flat... another story and thread, might be the wrong relay, but shes going in to be checked over and then might sell her,

[adiandvic]

stepper motor lovely and clean, but still at idle rev 900 up to 2000 and back down up down stalls, starts first time
Have also disconnected ecu and put back on again, someone suggested it.

any other suggestions. Some one said the lamda sensors.... what the hell are they

cheers

[Nuggs]

The Lambda Sensors are the stainless steel 'plug like' things in the exhaust manifolds towards the front of the engine bay.

In very basic terms, the sensors measure the oxygen content in the exhaust gasses and the measurements are used to help regulate the fuel/air mixture.

More info here:

www.picotech.com/auto/lambda_sensor.html
www.ngkntk.co.uk/technicaltips/lambdasensors.asp

[Mike Heynes]

I've solved this problem on a couple of occasions by thoroughly cleaning the sticky gunge from the air inlet around the throttle butterfly.

You should ideally re-check / adjust your base idle after this. Refer to the bible for that - it's fairly simple.

Mike