my car forgot how to idle

[seancornelis]

Up until yesterday it idled smoothly at 800, now it will sit around 500 for awhile, shake violently and then die. The guy I bought the car from told me he had some problems with the choke once in awhile. I also ran the gas tank pretty dry the other night, could it be a fuel filter that's causing my problem??

BTW - when I put the A/C on the car idles at 1200 and won't stall out.

[Magny]

check your vac lines, had the same prob when i moved the air box. accidently pulled it out. didnt know until i looked.

runnin the tank dry wont really do anything but put air in your line. so you will feel a "burp" once the bubble passes. but its possible that your filter may be full, check it out and see if it is.

but yeah check the vac lines it may solve the prob that the guy wasn't able to figure out.

[shepherd79]

probably you got some dirt in your carb.
fuel filters don't clean fuel very good. the carb is probably dirty.
try cleaning it with some carb cleaner.

[seancornelis]

Tried carb cleaner, no dice. If it's nice out I guess I'll go through the vacuum lines tommorow.

[A20A1]

Well you should open the carb up and spunge out the float bowl and whipe out all the residue and fine grains of dirt or rust.

[jb2wheels]

I had to replace the choke pull off diaphragm(s). Mine would do this when "cold" - less than about 55F outside - would start fine then crap exactly how you described about 5-7 minutes later.

Or - yank all the vacuum choke crap and installa cable. I like auto choke but it's your car.

Of course, this time of year, this is probably wrong diagnosis.