Date: Mon, 6 May 2002 22:19:46 +0200
Reply-To: Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Subject: Re: weird idle...
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Hi,
I went through this last year, and it was truly a PITA. Many of us, myself
included, enjoy locating odd and obscure replacement parts for our Vanagons,
and spending hundreds of dollars on them... it is how we show our Vanagons
that we truly love them.
I was tracking this problem down, as it finally became a real nusiance,
idling at 2500 quite often... and in city traffic in the summer, this means
heat!!!
I found that I could pull the idle back down by disconnecting the Idle
Stabilizor Unit on top of the air intake manifold, in front of the throttle
linkage... this seemed like a good place to start. I found one on eBay,
and replaced... no dice. I researched it a bit more and learned that the
Idle Stabilizer Control Unit (hidden behind the passenger side tail light
housing) is also to be looked at as well as the infamous Air Flow Meter
(AFM) which is that huge monster that your air filter sits in. (I later
determined that I could also get the idle down by disconnecting the AFM...
hmmm)
Long story short... I replaced them all... got great used parts (from
NotaJeep) ... was really happy... while I was at it, I decided to remove my
factory A/C as it had not worked in years, and I never use it. I removed
the compressor pump, and right beneath it, sandwiched between the compressor
and the engine I saw a nasty green powdery looking braided cable... the main
ground strap which connects the engine block to the chassis. Mine was
dust... literally, it disappeared in my fingers like dust.
I cleaned all the contact areas up, and got myself a nice hunk of 1/2 inch
Monster speaker cable, and created my own ground cable.
Ever since, the strange intermittent high idle has been gone completely, and
she runs like a champ.
The problem is, that I replaced many parts all together, so I still have no
idea what it REALLY was... could have been the AFM too... but the ECU needs
to send signals to all of these idle control parts, and if the ground is not
good, then the ECU goes a bit crazy and either runs in closed-loop, or
screwy signals end up getting sent back and forth, screwing things up...
like your idle speed. There are also grounds to check between the tranny
and the frame, and of course at the battery.
I hope that this long winded post helps you... please pmail me when you find
out the true cause of your weird idle.
See ya on the list,
RSF
<º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{
Robert S. Fish
Salzburg, Austria
1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 GL Weekender
1987 Golf Cabriolet
1991 Golf
----- Original Message -----
From: "MDC Vanagon" <vanagon@SPEAKEASY.ORG>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 8:59 PM
Subject: weird idle...
> Okay-
>
> so, I'm assuming that this is related to a vacuum hose being old or
> something in the likes, but I would like a little more input before I go
out
> and replace everything related to the vacuum system in the Vanagon.
>
> engine idle sometimes shoots up to 2200+ RPMs when sitting at idle after
the
> engine is completely warmed up. sometimes, like after long road trips, the
> idle will remain at the normal 900-1100 rpm spot that I'm so fond of it
> staying at.
>
> before I start replacing the whole vacuum system, are there any other
things
> that I might want to look at while I'm taking the time "under the hood?"
>
> thanks
>
> Myles
> '86 weekender
>
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