HELP! Car doesn't hold idle!

[2Fast4U86]

After my recent carb. overhaul, everything was going fine, I drove the car around, drove it ~300 miles to school...

Today, I come out of class, drive the car out of the parking lot, and all of a sudden it stalls. And stalls again. Basically, the car isn't holding idle anymore.

The one suspect I have right now is the idle control solenoid (on the advice of the mechanic) - especially since I remember having to put a major kink in the electric wiring to get it to fit - maybe vibration made the wire break at that spot?

Any other advice is appreciated while I go and take off the airbox!

Thanks,

Gene

[edit] it's also warmer than it's ever been since I ran the car after the overhaul - might that have something to do with it?

[A20A1]

You mean you suspect the solenoid at the rear of the carb isn't getting power? What kinda kink are we talking about... the wire connects with a bullet connector... where was the trouble when connecting the two wires?

If the wire to that solenoid is good, then a ground wire is at fault.... check the one to the valve cover and the one to the thermostat housing.

I don't think it's called the idle control solenoid... but I don't know the name off hand. Anyways run an on/with ignition (+) wire to the solenoid if you think the wire needs to be replaced.

[A20A1]

Oh just had a though.... you might as well check the solenoid first... have someone turn the key all the way on and hear/feel if the solenoid clicks.

[2Fast4U86]

When rebuilding I didn't touch the bullet connector, unscrewed the solenoid from the carb., left it in the car. When re-connecting, with the jumble of vacuum stuff in the way, I couldn't connect it well, so the actual cable ended up with a pretty severe kink in it (I know, I had to kink it, otherwise it wouldn't fit).

So if we assume that the wire broke - could this actually cause the problem I'm having?

Thanks,

Gene

[A20A1]

yes... without power to the solenoid the fuel is cut off from the idle fuel circuit...

[2Fast4U86]

Something clicks in the car when I put the ignition on. I haven't had time to take the AB off again so I can touch the solenoid (to make sure it's it), but... are there other "clickies" under the hood? Either way, I'll pop the AB off asap (as soon as school gives me a breath), and see.

Gene

[2Fast4U86]

Allright! So, a big update...

I come home, pop the Air Box off, listen to the solenoid. It ticks.

However I find the fuel level like this

http://webpages.charter.net/ygisin/level.jpg

So, not thinking twice, I ask my friend to keep the car idling, while I adjust the fuel level.

After some adjusting, the sound of the engine changes... a "burbling" sound appears...

I adjust the level to the middle... the car seems to be keeping idle now, but with the burbling sound present. So I play with the black screw at the back (not turning it more than 1/5 of a turn), thinking it might do something.

This is when for some reason the coolant hose on the back of the carburator (at the manifold) COMES OFF, scolding my hand with hot coolant! I freak, turn the car off, put the hose back on.

Did the hose come off because of something I did or was that just a lucky (since it didnt happen while I was on the freeway) coincidence?

Thanks,

Gene

P.S. Any guesses on the burbling noise? Any thoughts on whether I can still drive the car safely (to the mechanic)?

[Mantis88LX]

burbling sound could be the AS valve, or air in your coolant? since u said it seems like it was hotter that may be a idea.
try bleeding the system.

[2Fast4U86]

1) AS valve? Coolant? The sound appeared only after (like, in the process of) float level adjustment.

Any carb folks know what I done did do to my poor accord? :)

Gene

[mindlos]

were you on some steep ass incline or is it the camera? Somehow I think I see a horiz. fuel line and tilted window, which may be high by extrapolation but parallax may be killing my guess too. Make sure the car is as horizontally level as possible and the fuel line need to be between that pinch on the window. Clockwise lowers the level and counter raises it. Messing with that thing too much is gonna make it squirt unstoppably like a girl between the legs as the o-ring gives up. Careful!

I dont know what burbling is but does it sound like your engine is choking , which may indicate some sort of mild flooding after messing the float level, or does it come from one of those little components around the engine???

[2Fast4U86]

My window is tilted when bolted in. It came that way. The car is in the garage, on level ground.

Any reason why the hose would pop off from something I was doing to the carb? Or just an unlucky coinc.?

Gene

[mindlos]

Did you connect that 3-finger tube which has two open and one closed. It hooks up to the driver side of the air filter housing and a black lateral box anterior to the filter housing but posterior to the cam/valve cover??

Now that I think of it thats where I have heard enging blurbing coming from at idle. If connected it also blurbs when the filter housing open. You normally would have disconnected it to remove the filter housing and get to the carb.

If that was it then they would have been right about the AS valve. Just that it wasnt connected.

[2Fast4U86]

I popped that 3-finger tube off... actually, I think the burbling started after that... huh... so that could be the reason! cool, thanks!

Gene

[doug]

if you take the airbox off then do not plug the #17 vacuum line which connects to the right rear of the aibox (drivers side) just leave that hose open

[A20A1]

Originally posted by 2Fast4U86
My window is tilted when bolted in. It came that way. The car is in the garage, on level ground.

Any reason why the hose would pop off from something I was doing to the carb? Or just an unlucky coinc.?

Gene

Yeah your window is just flipped around... i did that on purpose to my float window because it's easier to see the center mark.

[doug]

also I think the bowl level site cover is in upside down or backwards because the fuel level in the bowl is supposed to be set so that when viewed through that site glass the fuel level is between the upper & lower prongs, the flat space between the prongs is supposed to be level with the ground. like this,
http://87accord.com/image/carb003-2a.gif

[A20A1]

I't doesn't effect the center line though...

[mindlos]

I guess it doesnt affect the centerline. For a second I had thought something was amiss when I saw Gene's picture.

Gene, so does it still blurb when completely closed up and the 3-finger tube connected?

-Mindlos

[A20A1]

The 3-fingered tube is actually called a silencer... I thought that was kinda funny.

[mindlos]

Now THAT I dint know! I always wondered why the intricate design. I just thought it was a conduit and the AS was silenced because the filter housing is closed tight.