Ugh.... poor idle is back.

gcomfx.com · May 24, 2006

Wow, just wow. Car runs a new best, and was idling pretty good with the new dizzy. Now it's back to poo.

I've noticed my stock temp guage now gets above halfway, which it has never done with a 180* t-stat. It was RAINING today, cloudy, and not exactly what I would consider hot out. But sitting in traffic, the car got above halfway again in just a few minutes.

Going to put a new t-stat in and replace the coolant sensor.

Anything else I should check. Still thinking about replacing the batter cables, one of the few ideas I didn't do before.

Swarzkopf · May 24, 2006

Poor idle quality? I wouldn't think you'd have that with stock heads and a stock cam...sure you don't have a vacuum leak or something? I think I read that you went through all the normal fixes (cleaning MAF, ect).

I did have an issue with "handing" idle coming to a stop, which I guess is fairly common for the Cobra style intake manifold. I solved it by installing an IAC restrictor plate sent to me by one of our forum members.

Still have the original radiator? Mine was gunked up inside beyond service. Replacing it with a stock style replacement made a world of difference, and my car always runs cool now.

gcomfx.com · May 24, 2006

I think you meant "hanging" idle? If so, yeah that's never been great, but it wouldn't idle in neutral today at the drive-thru window.

What's the restrictor plate? Got a link? Guess that might be one more reason to look at the TF kit with a new intake.

BTW - going to clean the MAF again. I put a new K&N on the car, and it's closer to the M/A sensor, who knows how much oil that new filter was loaded with. So good call! We'll see....

Also, yeah been thinking about just putting a stock replacement radiator on the car. It was doing just fine before now.

Swarzkopf · May 24, 2006

LOL...yeah, I meant hanGing idle...

For the restrictor plate information:
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=605187&highlight=restrictor+plate

Only time my car wouldn't idle was when I had improperly installed a fuel injector and gas was leaking out of the upper O-ring...didn't notice it at first, until it got progressively worse and covered my engine bay in gasoline one night.

Come to think of it, that might explain your fuel pressure issue to?

Good luck.

gcomfx.com · May 24, 2006

Swarzkopf said:
LOL...yeah, I meant hanGing idle...

For the restrictor plate information:
http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=605187&highlight=restrictor+plate

Only time my car wouldn't idle was when I had improperly installed a fuel injector and gas was leaking out of the upper O-ring...didn't notice it at first, until it got progressively worse and covered my engine bay in gasoline one night.

Come to think of it, that might explain your fuel pressure issue to?

Good luck.

I've removed and replaced and changed injectors like a mad man. Also ran my fingers around each connection top and bottom per each injector while cycling the fuel pressure. Didn't find any leaks.

Want me to really confuse things. This past week, my car has started the first crank, every time.... today, had to crank on it a bit.

gcomfx.com · May 24, 2006

Interesting read on that restrictor plate stuff. Thanks! Went ahead an ordered one... what the heck, might as well give it a shot.

99FiveOh · May 24, 2006

Have a fuel gauge? what does it say when it's running. The multiple turns to start it points right to the fuel pump, or some leakdown of the fuel back into the tank.

gcomfx.com · May 24, 2006

The_Mustang said:
Have a fuel gauge? what does it say when it's running. The multiple turns to start it points right to the fuel pump, or some leakdown of the fuel back into the tank.

Welcome to my hell.....

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=609275

99FiveOh · May 24, 2006

sorry. I haven't been around here long so I missed all the fun.

gcomfx.com · May 24, 2006

No problem... if your bored, there's a lot of reading for you.

HISSIN50 · May 24, 2006

Paul, I'm almost afraid to post on your threads anymore - I dont seem to help much.

Did you get any codes? Any chance the water temp gauge reading is related to an electrical issue or the poor idle (a bad reading, in other words, and not the car running hotter than normal)? Confirm that the low speed fan is able to come on at about 208*F, per the stock gauge sender location.

If you decide to swap the stat, try a Mr Gasket brand - they make parts store stuff look like poop.

If you are having idle issues (low idle), the alternator output, water pump flow, etc can drop enough to cause a little heating up. Fix the idle issue and the other issues might be a by-product.

The RPMs should rise a couple hundred RPM in park and Neutral compared to drive - that's worrysome IMHO that you had issues in neutral.

Random thoughts. Good luck bud.

Swarzkopf · May 25, 2006

WTF

I'm going to stop posting in your threads. I think your bad luck rubbed off on me.

Installed my new Tweecer this morning, fired the car up...had BAD idle surging! Let it idle for a bit, took the car for a drive, came home, let it idle, still surging but not as bad.

I'm assuming that the "new" ECU just needs to get comfortable with the mechanical idle settings and that it will settle down...made me laugh though as I said yesterday that I never had surging problems.

gcomfx.com · May 25, 2006

You guys crack me up. I think everyone is afraid to post in any of my threads. Heck, even threads I put movies in, I get two or three responses, then bam... dead in the water. To be honest, I get a TON of advice from others, I just usually don't try any of them until I get one that is CHEAP, OR confirmed on here.

This idle thing is really screwy.... I have the 100mphclub.com Mini-Power Tour coming up. Lots of stop and go driving in Branson, MO. Kinda worried about it this year. Good thing I have a manual fan switch, I forsee that baby running the whole trip.

Let me ask you this... is the fan temp setting seperate from the source for the guage in the car? I didn't notice the fan come on when driving the other day and the guage in the car going beyond half way. I was kinda wondering if it has become inaccurate as well.

Got an email from Dennis, not sure the restrictor plate is going to make it by the Tour date, which means I'll probably make my own after all.

Swarzkopf · May 25, 2006

Let me ask you this... is the fan temp setting seperate from the source for the guage in the car? I didn't notice the fan come on when driving the other day and the guage in the car going beyond half way. I was kinda wondering if it has become inaccurate as well.

Yeah, the fan comes on at specific temperatures stored in the ECU whenever the "engine coolant temperature" (ECT) sensor reads those temperatures.

The stock gauge gets its readings from it's own sensor which has no other function besides reporting the temperature it finds to the coolant temperature gauge.

I still use the stock gauge because mine seems pretty accurate, but others have reported them to be off by as much as 30* up or down, and in your case, maybe a cheap $30 autozone mechanical coolant temperature gauge is needed to show exactly how hot the car is when the fan is actually coming on? Should be able to help isolate the problem, could be a faulty stock gauge/sensor or even a bad ECT.

gcomfx.com · May 25, 2006

LOL - that figures.... guess I won't really know which sensor to change unless I get an aftermarket guage.

gcomfx.com · May 25, 2006

Well, don't think it's the sensor. Got a bit on the warm side again today on lunch. Fan was running on low.

Also, I normally don't do a lot of stop and go. Today I forgot something and turned around and went back to the house. Car died 3 times trying to get it to start back up and get it into gear to go. Finally got it to run by giving it a lot of gas. Another nice feature of the stall converter.

Got out where I could hit WOT, it stumbled, then ran descent after that. Still the surging idle though.

Swarzkopf · May 25, 2006

Sounds like it could definitely be the ECT...a bad one should theoretically cause driveability problems. Anyone else care to comment?

gcomfx.com · May 25, 2006

Think maybe it's having withdrawls? I mean I did give it it's crack hit for the first time in a year. Maybe it just wants more juice?

Swarzkopf · May 25, 2006

LOL!

That's the solution to both of our issues....HIDE THE PROBLEM WITH LOTS OF SPRAY!

Seriously...and I hate even bring this one up...do you think that maybe you blew a headgasket at the track on the juice, and it's just not THAT bad yet? Erratic idle, overheating, stumbling when going WOT....

Dunno, just brainstorming here.

gcomfx.com · May 25, 2006

The running hot thing was happening before the track day... we had a small spell of hot days, and I noticed it then. I drove the car just now for a dr's appointment. On the way there, she ran warmer than I like. On the way back I turned the fan on high, and it ran cool like it should. I'm going to check my anti-freeze mixture to make sure it is right. Perhaps that last time I replaced the intake gaskets (trying to fix the bum idle) I got the 50/50 mixture off.

Ugh.... poor idle is back.

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