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View Full Version : My girlfriend's 86 LXI has trouble maintaining idle @ start



Greg
10-22-2002, 09:55 AM
This symptom only occurs on cold starts -- basically only in the morning. After that, the car starts ok all day even after being off for several hours.

When I first start the car, it catches, the idle goes to like 2000 for maybe 5 seconds, but then it drops to 1000 and almost immediately drops and the car stalls. If I keep the idle @ 2000 with my foot lightly on the gas for maybe 20 seconds, the engine keeps going, and then it drops to 1500 and will idle that way for about the first minute or 2, and the car runs ok. After 2 minutes, even on a cold morning, it drops to 1000 or so. I think it would be better if it idled a little higher until it warmed up for maybe 3 or 4 minutes, but it only dies in the first 30 seconds or first minute, right after you start the car, unless I hold it @ 2000 for a while.

I'm going to change my fuel filter. I think the plugs are OK.

When I hook up a timing light, it is dead on the mark @ the center hash mark in the advance range, when I plug the vacuum lines to the advance/retard, it also shows that it is right on the TDC mark.

When I rev it with the timing light hooked up and the lines unplugged, the timing is inconsistent for about 5 seconds and then steadies @ the advance mark.

Sometimes the car runs a little crappy betw 2500 - 3000 RPM in 5th gear and shakes a bit. I don't think it's a suspension/alignment problem because it only happens SOMETIMES. Also, I think all the engine mounts are fine. I have this suspicion that maybe the advance/retard is a little erratic, but I could be 100% wrong on this, and I really can't test it to be sure.


Does anyone have any ideas? I feel like I'm losing power sometimes at high RPM's, but I'm not 100% sure.

Do you think it's fuel related?

After a couple minutes of being warmed up, the car idles fine, and it runs fine up until 65 - 70mph when it sometimes seems to lose a little power but other times does not.

89lxi95zx7
10-22-2002, 09:57 AM
thats a long fucking post-sorry dude,no idea

anchovies
10-27-2002, 07:31 PM
sounds like fuel related to me

smufguy
11-06-2002, 08:08 AM
is ur throttle free on movement? does it spin free without sticking? If thats good, its probably ur cold idle valve that sits near ur TPS sensor. its coolent controlled so u know, if it goes bad then ur idle sucks. if they all work out. check the coolent splitter from which the coolent goes. is it warm enough?

1987HondaAccord
04-29-2003, 04:04 PM
my car is having the same problem... but i need it explained a little better :)

dj99
04-29-2003, 04:48 PM
The vacuum advance could be bad. Do a search about it here at 3geez to see how to check it out. We've been over this before. Still couldn't hurt to change the fuel filter first, since it might be original?
:(

cruznz
05-01-2003, 03:24 AM
check the auxillary air valve on throttle body is operating correctly

chris
05-01-2003, 12:35 PM
its prob. the idle sensor ( mines does the same thing its a 87 lx-i)