What's a Good Idle?

[Kaliv]

Ok, new month, new problem.

My car normally idles around 800 rpms. Just took it to the shop to get new brakes, and came away with new chain tensioners...well, I knew it was going to happen sooner or later.

Anyway, I noticed when I left the shop that it was idling around 550 rpms, which I thought was a bit odd. Drove it for a couple of days and it was back to it's normal 800 rpms. However, today I was at a stop light thinking someone's car sounds loud...alas, it was mine. Idling at a steady 1050 rpms. That seems a bit odd to me.

Two questions:

1) Should my car be idling that high? Granted, first summer in a hot state, Nevada from Ohio.

2) What do I have to do to lower my idle? Last time I did it...someone said I did it wrong and was screwing with the cruise control. Oops.

Note sure if this is of note, but after a good rev, it drops to 800 and then sticks right at 1k. If you do a search for my name, you'll notice that I had a hunting issue a while back due to a bad Autothority MAF unit. Have since swapped in the original OEM box and have not had hunting issues since.

The car is 1987, so fuel injected and pretty much stock all around except for some cosmetic stuff. Brand new chain tensioners.

Thanks!

[bklyn]

Mine has always been between 800-850!

[GH85Carrera]

I think the manual says 880 for the 1987 model. I prefer 950 or so. 880 seems to be just a bit low for my taste.

[Kaliv]

Went looking through my old hunting idle threads and found an excerpt from Steve Wong, http://www.911chips.com/C1INSTR.pdf

To reduce the base idle speed if necessary to 880 rpm, adjust the idle speed screw on the throttle body...properly adjusted, there should be no difference in idle speed with the jumper or without.

This is what I did to fix my hunting issue, but I don't remember it changing the idle speed. Hmm...so would you say if there is no difference with the jumper in or out...just leave it alone? Even if it idles higher than 880 rpm?