Weird Idle problem
Posted: Tue Dec 24, 2013 7:37 am
This issue has occurred twice within a week or so.
The engine wasn't stone cold, but had been left parked for about an hour and a half. So was cold but not stone cold as if left over night. When I started the engine, the revs went up to about 2000 RPM, higher than usual and stayed there for about two or three seconds. This is out of character. Then the revs dropped to about 1200, then up to about 1800, down to 1200, up to 1800, down to 1200, up to 1800 before settling at a constant idle of about 800-900. It paused at each level (1800 / 1200) for about a second each time. The up and down revs seemed very controlled, so not sure if I would describe it as erratic.
Currently my car is suffering from a very small coolant leak. I think leak might be too strong a term to describe the seepage from the coolant pipe directly below the distributor. It started about a month or two ago and has only lost less than 1 inch worth of coolant from the reservoir bottle (which I've obviously topped up). I'm getting this sorted next month at PAW when they are gonna fully poly bush my car
I point this out because when I carried out a coolant change about a year and a half ago, the coolant level dropped at one point, maybe when the thermostat opened or something? And when that happened, the revs acted peculiarly. From memory, it was like what has happened recently. To those of you who have ran the engine without the PCV tube connected, it's a bit like that, but with seemingly controlled pauses at the max and min RPM. So, I'm wondering if the cause could be air in the coolant system due to the leak / seepage?
@honda-hardy, you've fiddled with the FITV. Do my described symptoms match what you've experienced?
The engine wasn't stone cold, but had been left parked for about an hour and a half. So was cold but not stone cold as if left over night. When I started the engine, the revs went up to about 2000 RPM, higher than usual and stayed there for about two or three seconds. This is out of character. Then the revs dropped to about 1200, then up to about 1800, down to 1200, up to 1800, down to 1200, up to 1800 before settling at a constant idle of about 800-900. It paused at each level (1800 / 1200) for about a second each time. The up and down revs seemed very controlled, so not sure if I would describe it as erratic.
Currently my car is suffering from a very small coolant leak. I think leak might be too strong a term to describe the seepage from the coolant pipe directly below the distributor. It started about a month or two ago and has only lost less than 1 inch worth of coolant from the reservoir bottle (which I've obviously topped up). I'm getting this sorted next month at PAW when they are gonna fully poly bush my car
I point this out because when I carried out a coolant change about a year and a half ago, the coolant level dropped at one point, maybe when the thermostat opened or something? And when that happened, the revs acted peculiarly. From memory, it was like what has happened recently. To those of you who have ran the engine without the PCV tube connected, it's a bit like that, but with seemingly controlled pauses at the max and min RPM. So, I'm wondering if the cause could be air in the coolant system due to the leak / seepage?@honda-hardy, you've fiddled with the FITV. Do my described symptoms match what you've experienced?