Yes, An idle question. SORRY!! But please help. (PayPal gift for answer)

[hendrixvodu]

'88 should have a 173 dme anyways.

My 88 has a 153

[CarsSuck]

Sounds like your ICV is broken perhaps?

take a dime and drill a hole in it. Like a 3/16" inch hole. Place in your ICV (idle control valve) and try to start the car. Make sure the ICV is unplugged and open when you try this.

Also, my car had bad wiring for the coolant temp sensor. All it did was cause a high idle and rich running.. the DME thought the motor was super cold all the time. Everything else was really good condition and it idled like 1100 maybe 1200.

At this point sounds like an intake problem (ICV or vac leaks)

So you've been driving it around with the dime in there? My brother ended up doing something similar to this to his roommate's eta to make it idle. I'm not sure why this would work. I would imagine something is haywire in the ECU's idle control circuitry.

With data from CPS, CTS and O2, the ECU tells the ICV how far to open and such. If you reduce flow through the ICV and it works to good effect, then I would assume the ECU is opening the ICV too much....the question is, why? Either it wants to idle high because something else is out of whack (air leak?) or the ECU is just wrong (haywire).

[cabriodster87]

Maybe swap the idle control valve with a known good unit. gummy deposits may impede operation, and clean the throttle body where the plate makes contact when its closed.

[5Toes]

No, throttle body and throttle position sensor I doubt are the problem.

I would try the ICV cheat move and go from there

[ct3155]

Ok guys, I have nothing but free time and some e30 friends coming over today! We should have this figured by the end of the day. I'll update with what I find! Thanks for all the suggestions!!!! I'm slowly making my way through each.

[pacemkr]

Any luck with this issue?

I have the same problem, this thread gives me a lot to try, but I'm curious if you ever ended up solving your problem.

[IAmGary]

Old thread but for what it's worth this sounds like a vacuum leak. Do or inspect the following:

- use RTV sealant on the 3 pressure fit elbow connectors on the TB
- hose clamps on the ICV to TB hose
- replace ICV (it can leak at the electrical plug)
- replace intake boot, tighten hose clamps
- replace FPR to intake manifold hose
- replace oil cap and dipstick
- replace valve cover breather hose
- replace intake manifold to purge valve
- check that the TB to charcoal canister hose is connected
- replace valve cover gasket
- replace TB to intake manifold gasket