Plug wires usually run around 2K ohms I thought.
Does the idle stabilizer vibrate when the key is on?
Idle stabilizers do wear out. The one on my '86 wore out long ago.
-Chris

I found some gunk in my stabilizer valve once, and shot some carb cleaner in there to swish the junk out. I suppose maybe a good German malt might do the trick too...

Obvious (or maybe not) stuff:

Last time the fuel filter was changed?
Last time the cap and rotor was changed?
Last time you put in fresh gas?
How many miles?
Original injectors?

do you think the wires are bad if higher resitance?

the idle stabilizer vibrates and twitches every 2 seconds.

the car idles at 750-800 stumbles to 650 and then "something" catches it and rpm goes back to 750-800.

could be in sync with twitch in idler....or is it normal
should it run/vibrate consistent all the time when it is in your hand and connected?

i want everyone to check theirs now:D :D :D only kidding

thanks CHRIS:)

Your wires are probably OK. The idle stablizer should hum. You won't be able to hear it but you can feel it. It shouldn't click really.
The ISV is basically a valve on a little electric motor. The motor doesn't spin 360 degrees, it goes back and forth. The part the brushes rub on or the motor brushes wear out (can't remember). Spraying them valve with brakekleen or carb cleaner will sometime makes them work a little longer.
-Chris

You may have an intake air leak. Disconnect each injector one
at a time to find a weak or misfiring cylinder. Use carb cleaner
to help find an air leak.

Check out this web site, systemsc.com. It may have some
helpful info.

Good luck
Loren
'88 3.2

One of my old posts showed some possible 3.2 vacuum leak locations. Hunting down Motronic vacume leaks
-Chris

I'm still tracking down an erratic idle. Mine idles right for 25 seconds or so, then falls to 600-650.

I squirted some carb fluid and found an intake leak on #1 manifold that was causing the cylinder to misfire. I'm replacing the gaskets soon (I had tightened them earlier with no effect).

Also richened to mixture as I found it was .38(!) rather than .8 at a smog inspection.

Look for intake leaks, and if you still have trouble, then you may have to work on the air flapper or CO mixture (3mm hex nut - have to drill to get at it).

thanks for all replies and threads....my printer is going mad printing all the stuff:D

i will be back in my garage playing later....i wonder what the wife and kid looks like:D :D

off topic: years ago i had my first porsche a 1974 911 2.7...my wife and dogs use to run away when they saw me backing the car into the garage as they knew i would call for help to pull the motor....the good old days....

One nifty trick I tried when I did my Carrera intake gaskets this winter was to coat the gaskets on each side with some of that copper spray gasket stuff. Once it gets tacky it helps hold the gaskets in place and fill any little voids when you place the intakes back into position. If you can use a little torque wrench too this helps keep you from torquing things down out of whack (I'm probably stating the obvious again...)

Sounds like the ISV is working so i'm gonna jump on the intake leak bandwagon too.

These inhex nuts seem to come loose rather easily. I'd recommend anyone doing this job to replace the plain washers that are underneath the nuts with lockwashers. Good insurance in my opinion.

Problem is, the inhex nuts are hard to get at with the motor in place. You just can't get a hex key socket, ball end hex key, or any other combination of universal joints, extensions and whatnot to get at all the nuts. When I R&R'd my intake (thankfully with the motor out of the car) I used a long 8mm ball-end hex key with the bend cut off of it to get at some of the nuts. I didn't know of any other way. This allowed me to somewhat evenly torque all of the nuts.

I recall others mentioning in previous topics that even with new gaskets the intake still leaked a bit. The recommendation of using the copper gasket sealant is a good one. I remember another person recommended some type of GM non-hardnening sealant in past topics. I also think those plastic spacers that are sandwiched between the two gaskets tend to shrink and/or crack with age and add to the leakage problem?

Sounds like you're narrowing the problem down. Good luck!

I think your idle is the cold start enrichment...

Your mixture at smog time was most likely .38 AFTER the CATalytic converter. While the .8 setting is supposed to be measure BEFORE the CAT. Look before the CAT there is a little bolt there. That gets removed and a CO adapter plugs in it.

There's a Snap-On ball hex head for a ratchet that works well for the manifolds. With a little work you can use a regular torque wrench with it.

About the CO - I thought 3.2's were supposed to get the .8 measurement at the tailpipe after the cat?? Is this not so?

The CO before the CAT S/B about 1.5% and less than 1% after.
The CO setting is not the problem unless way out.

Too many darts are being thrown at the problem.

Good luck
Lorenfb@systemsc.com
'88 3.2

ok this is what i have done...

checked all vacuum lines..
tightened all intake srews..sprayed carb cleaner and no difference.

put all together...DISCONNECTED CO SENSOR 1 plug with 2 wires and push on plug with 1 wire.
disconnected idle stabilizer.

idled car and set mixture ....when it got close to closed position
( rich) the car idled ultra smooth. connected idle and set idle...no problem ...still smooth.

connected co sensor AND BACK TO BAD LUMPY IDLE.....:mad:

what gives...:D

what does the co sensor do to affect it...
anyway to check the wires going to sensor?

am i digging in the right place..?

thanks

Completely unscientific anecdotal advice here. I recently posted about a stalling problem with a/c on, accompanied by an idle that dropped when throttle was closed then returned to normal, a/c on or off. Solved the problem by opening the air bypass screw with idle stabilizer disconnected until idle was nice and stable at around 900 rpm or so-at idle, the bypass seems to work like an old fashioned mixture control-turn it cc until rpm is maxxed, then as you go beyond that idle deteriorates - it was easy to find a sweet spot. Now, I'm sure someone will point out the error in my ways, but it fixed the problem. Could just be a band aid, dunno.

I did take my ISV apart, and while it works, its clearly on its way to failure. The commutator has a large divot where the brushes ride, probably as a result of its limited range of motion?

Greglepore's approach works fine, which is how I set the idle at
many shops I work with and on my car. Simple methods are usually
the best.

Good luck
Lorenfb@systemsc.com
'88 3.2

thanks greg.

i have done the adjustment on idle screw and the enrichment screw.

---- did the enrichment first....with o2 sensor and idle stabilizer disconnected.

1) adjusted enrichment and close to fully closed (about 4) full turns from closed position the car was smooth.

2) i then adlusted idle to about 900 rpm.

3) connected the idle stabilizer and the idle dropped slightly and idle not as smooth.

4) connected o2 sensor......idle starts stumbling at about 700rpm and rough.

have i isulated it to o2 sensor...??.
how can i test it?
how can i test the wires going to the sensor?

thanks:)

Oxygen sensor info here: http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=112120&highlight=oxygen +sensor

One of two things is happening, I suspect. Either your O2 sensor is bad, or your mixture is off far enough that the hunt is caused by the DME trying to correct it. I'd never mess with a mixture screw on a DME car without either a voltmeter on the O2 sensor (gets you ballpark) or an analyzer in the proper bung-not a tailpipe sniffer.

No offense, but I'm wondering what screw you're adjusting. You say "enrichment" screw-are you talking about the mixture screw that you have to drill to get to and use an allen wrench on? Or are you talking about the air bypass screw that takes a 7mm socket?

thanks greg

the enrichment is the allen key i am adjusting.
i also adjusted the idle (7mm) screw.
i was naughty as when i got the car it felt too lean and i felt that if i enrichen it a bit via allen key i would get the idling smooth:o

any neg. affects if i undo the o2 sensor? we don't have emmision controls in florida.

btw. thanks for the link. will look at that now.