Poor Idle
 

I have an '86 Carrera that has been idling irratically. When it starts after being cold it is slow to warm up but usually is fine after two minutes.

Yesterday I drove the car a short distance and then after an hour tried to start it again. It would start but the idle was very erratic low 300 RPMs then 1100 RPMs then low with no power. It seemed like it was going to run out of gas but there was several gallons in the tank.

I have run out of gas several times could this hurt the fuel pump?

I have done nothing with the electrical componets. The Ignition wires seem worn (insulation is cracked) could this cause sporadic idel problems?

I was told the idle stabilizer could be bad or the temperature sensor.

I have tried to keep the injectors clean with cleaner every 6 months.

The engine has always been slow to warm up and had poor low range power. Even after warm up there is not much power below 2,000 RPMs. The throttle response is poor below 1,500 RPMs. I have done nothing to the engine except a new air filter and spark plugs (Bosch Platinum), valve adjustment, oil, fuel filter standard tune up type stuff.

Bad ignition wires could be the problem. The only way to tell if they are any good is to spray some water on them while at idle and see if she keeps on running.

Joe

If you haven't updated the head temp sensor, that could be a good place to start.

What type of SP wires work best? I have heard that the Beru wear out and Magnecore don't fit. Should the head temp sensor be changed after 100,000 miles? I probably should do everything at once.

Your 86 should already have the two wire head temp sensor which was the latest update.

Proceed slowly, doing only one change at a time so you know which mod made a difference. No point fixing things that don't need fixing.

Since they don't make any aftermarket ignition cables that are decent, why not try some OEM cables like I have done?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74151&highlight=Intrepi d

Cheers,

Joe

I agree with the cylinder head temp sensor. If not check the Idle position switch and then the Idle Speed control valve (mine was within specs but was slow to react, so I took it apart and cleaned and lubed. Make sure you make orientation marks as resistance levels change when it is turned). Some have had bad results from platinum plugs also.

The Car seems to run better today, maybe it was the rain, but it was raining all summer with no serious problems. I will check the wires with some water to see if there is any electricty leaking. Thanks for the suggestions.

Have you checked for a possible air/vacuum problem?

Hi,

"I have run out of gas several times could this hurt the fuel pump?"

Don't know about your pump, but when you run the car out of fuel, you suck a lot of crud into your fuel lines, filter, and injectors. Fuel injection systems like very clean fuel so the filters are very fine. You could have plugged your fuel filter. Have you replaced it lately?

I checked (at least visible areas) for lose hoses but found none. Iwas going to change the oil and filter so I probably should change the fule filter.

Have you checked your air box? A small crack can cause an air leak. Ours was just replaced and we also found a misaligned fitting that was letting more air leak near a sensor. Now it runs like a top.

Also something simple to check: the oil filler cap. Look at the gasket and see if it's making a good seal.