Date:         Fri, 3 Dec 1999 09:51:55 -0500
Reply-To:     Lawrence Johnson <larry_avery.johnson@SYMPATICO.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Lawrence Johnson <larry_avery.johnson@SYMPATICO.CA>
Subject:      Re: idle problems
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Wilson Sweitzer wrote:

> My engine is idling rough and i'm having some trouble with stalling. The
> symptoms are:
> - in park or nuetral and idling, the RPMs surge and fall every couple of
> seconds between about 1000 and 1200.
> - in gear and idling, the RPMs surge and fall the same way but between 800
> and 1000. it also shudders a bit during every fall.
> - when the engine is cold, it frequently stalls when idling. as it warms up,
> the stalling problem goes away, but otherwise the surging problems
> remain.<snip>I would appreciate any advice or suggestions. Thanks in advance.

Sounds like what I faced for two years and only just recently fixed. We too
checked/replaced/measured just about everything except the cause: the Idle
Stabilizer Relay. The ISR is located behind the right rear tail light and is a
black box about 3"x3"x1".
-Larry
'86 Syncro Westfalia