Re: [T3] Erratic Idle Problems

["Keith Park" <topnotch@nycap.rr.com>]

Sounds like an electrical intermittant... perhaps to the temp sensor on the
head.  Ill send you the FI FAQ


Keith

Keith Park

Top Notch Restorations
topnotch@nycap.rr.com
71 Squareback
65 Notchback
65 Squareback
75 Opel
87 Golf
88 Rx7 10th Anniversary

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jacob Schroeder" <schroeder@purdue.edu>
To: <type3@vwtype3.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2004 2:36 PM
Subject: [T3] Erratic Idle Problems


> My Square has been acting up recently, but not all the time.  Occasionally
> when I start my car, it'll idle very erratically.  Sometimes it'll even
die.
> I'm quite concerned as it made it all winter without any such problems, I
> would have thought she would have had more problems running in the winter.
> Anyways, when I start it up, I can hear it oscillate between a normal
> sounding RPM and a very low RPM, if I let it sit long enough, it will
> usually swing low enough that it will die.  Also, I've noticed if I keep
my
> foot on the gas I can keep the idle speed up, but if I just barely press
on
> the gas, there's a point where I can cause it to die.
>
> When the car is idling very slowly, I can hear a sound that either sounds
> like rubbing metal or "swooshing" air.  It sounds like that is coming from
> the distributor generator area.  I'm not sure if this is out of the
> ordinary, or if it's typical noise that normally can't be heard over the
> engine at normal idle speed.  When I thought it was the sound of leaking
> air, I checked all the hoses I could see, and none of them were loose.
When
> I pulled one hose off in particular, the problem seemed to go away.  This
is
> when I pulled the hose off of the top of the Air Intake Distributor.  This
> hose leads from the top of the AID to the driver's side of the engine
> compartment to a metal cylinder type object (I used to know the name of
> this) which also has a connector on it like the ones that go to the
> injectors.  Don't know if this means anything either, just thought I'd add
> it.
>
> I have also started to notice a significant decrease in fuel economy, when
I
> say significant, I mean it has dropped below 20 mpg (not quite accurate,
as
> I'm sure my speedo is a little off, so I'm guessing my odometer is as
well).
>
> I have no clue where to start or what to look at.  I was hoping you guys
can
> give me a starting point, or at least tell me what stuff to measure from
the
> car in order to report back to you.  The oddest thing is, that other
times,
> when I start her up, she'll run fine, just like she's brand new.
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jacob Schroeder
> 1972 FI Squareback
>
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