A/C and Stalling

[jbthompson]

Hi everyone. Just picked up a nice 88 LX to get me to and from work. Car drives great, but am noticing a problem. Around town and with the AC on, the car is prone to stall, particularly at lights and stop signs. With the AC off, no problems at all On the highway it blows cold and the car runs beautifully. Any thoughts?

[CzEcHy]

Located on the back of the carb (drivers side), there is a dashpot looking thing with an arm going towards the front of the carb, well there is an adjusting screw located on that dashpot itself (closest to firewall)

Turn car on, turn A/C on, and turn screw slightly until the idle raises (or lowers), if it lowers go the other way. That screw is actually the A/C idle boost screw so it will only control the A/C, not the cars idle when the A/C is off.


If that doesn't work, you may need a new vacuum solenoid (which is located next to the fuel line and fuel filter (in the engine bay). J/Y would have one for like free to 5$

Good luck (and you may need to remove the air filter box to get to it, or if you have small hands you'll save yourself 5 minutes.)

[jbthompson]

Located on the back of the carb (drivers side), there is a dashpot looking thing with an arm going towards the front of the carb, well there is an adjusting screw located on that dashpot itself (closest to firewall)

Turn car on, turn A/C on, and turn screw slightly until the idle raises (or lowers), if it lowers go the other way. That screw is actually the A/C idle boost screw so it will only control the A/C, not the cars idle when the A/C is off.


If that doesn't work, you may need a new vacuum solenoid (which is located next to the fuel line and fuel filter (in the engine bay). J/Y would have one for like free to 5$

Good luck (and you may need to remove the air filter box to get to it, or if you have small hands you'll save yourself 5 minutes.)

Thank you, I will check into those fixes.

[Dr_Snooz]

Check to make sure that the pot gets vacuum before doing any adjusting. It could save you having to adjust it back.

[jbthompson]

Check to make sure that the pot gets vacuum before doing any adjusting. It could save you having to adjust it back.

Having a hard time finding this screw! I was playing with the AC this morning and without the AC on my idle rev is around 1500 rpms. Switch the air on and it drops below a 1000 and dies. It's strange because after a bit of a tune up last night I ran the car at idle in my driveway with the AC on for 10 minutes without a problem. Hop in the car, go around a curve and the car stalls.

[CzEcHy]

It's like a tiny knob more than a screw per-say. Like I said it's on the DRIVERS SIDE, REAR of carb, basically in the corner of the carb closest to the driver.


It's connected to a dashpot, and the dashpot has an arm coming out of it towards the front of the carb.


It may have a rubber boot on it (for comfort of fingers), or it's just a small knob looking screw.



Now if the idle is 1500 in P with no A/C, then that needs to be adjusted also.

[jbthompson]

It's like a tiny knob more than a screw per-say. Like I said it's on the DRIVERS SIDE, REAR of carb, basically in the corner of the carb closest to the driver.


It's connected to a dashpot, and the dashpot has an arm coming out of it towards the front of the carb.


It may have a rubber boot on it (for comfort of fingers), or it's just a small knob looking screw.



Now if the idle is 1500 in P with no A/C, then that needs to be adjusted also.

Ok thank you! Just trying to figure this car out!

[Dr_Snooz]

It's strange because after a bit of a tune up last night I ran the car at idle in my driveway with the AC on for 10 minutes without a problem. Hop in the car, go around a curve and the car stalls.

You have a problem with the pot getting vacuum. Don't bother adjusting it until you get that fixed.

[jbthompson]

You have a problem with the pot getting vacuum. Don't bother adjusting it until you get that fixed.


How do I solve that? Replace vacuum lines leading to the pot?

[CzEcHy]

Where do you live I have a spare pot for the A/C, and any other part you may need for the carb..


Other than that, junkyard.



Also, you said took a turn and it stalled?

That's the float bowl being low or a low car idle + the A/C idle being low causing the car to stall, not the dashpot.

[jbthompson]

Where do you live I have a spare pot for the A/C, and any other part you may need for the carb..


Other than that, junkyard.



Also, you said took a turn and it stalled?

That's the float bowl being low or a low car idle + the A/C idle being low causing the car to stall, not the dashpot.

I live in Fort Worth Texas. Do you think I'll have to replace the pot? What causes the float bowl to be low? It dies as I come to a stop or the engine revs lower with the AC on. If i can keep the revs up it won't die. Weird!

[CzEcHy]

I live in Fort Worth Texas. Do you think I'll have to replace the pot? What causes the float bowl to be low? It dies as I come to a stop or the engine revs lower with the AC on. If i can keep the revs up it won't die. Weird!

Replacing the pot would involve taking the carb off I believe, cause the plate it's connected to is a pain to get off and has a screw under the carb itself.


The float bowl being low is pretty simple (if that's the problem)..

The way I check it is to just turn the car on, view the little glass window (left side of carb in the middle), look to see if the fuel is halfway between the top and bottom of the viewing window.


If it's low (aka near bottom of viewing window), slowly turn the FLOAT BOWL SCREW, it's located on the top of the carb, right above where the fuel line goes in. (You need to remove the air clear assembly box), it may be marked with yellow paint, but it's a flathead type screw.


Anyway, when turning it use very very small turns like 1/4 to 1/2 turns every 15 seconds atleast. Do this until the fuel gets halfway between the top and bottom of the viewing window.


Now, the screw MAY (probably will), leak. That's the only problem. I don't knowthe correct way to fix this besides replacing the gasket by removing the top hat of the carb, but for me I used silicone and put a dab covering the screw when I was done. (Seems to be working for me, I would not advise it tho, I was being cheap.)


Anyway I think I'm done, if you still have problems just make sure you did the following.

-Replaced dashpot
-Adjusted float bowl level
-Checked the vaccum solinoid located near the fuel filter in the engine bay (has two vac lines coming from the dashpot on the carb)
-Adjusted A/C idle screw (when you get it working.)


I think that's it.

[jbthompson]

Anyone know where to find a dashpot? Not seeing much locally