F**KIN IDLE problemss

[Adrian_Visser]

I'm about ready to snap here. my car idles like total shit.

first things first lemme explain what happened. first i bought the car hmm i says, seems to be idling a little high i think ill clean the ICV... oops split the intake boot to icv hose wide open now it idles waaay worse than before, idles almost the same as if the icv electrical connector was disconnected... bought a new hose installed (also replaced FI coolant temp sensor too on a whim) it must be fixed now right? Yah right thatd be too easy. same problem as before no change what so ever. next thing im gunna try is a sledgehammer to the hood...


but before i do is there any adaptive logic in the idle control unit of an 84 325e?
i disconnected the fukin battery too just to see and that didnt work i am at my wits end here...

Why are the stupid little things always the biggest goddamn PITA to fix?

[RobertK]

Can you better explain exactly how your car is idling? (ie. surging, bogging down, etc..)

[Adrian_Visser]

It is surging. If u have ever disconected the ICV electrical connector and listened to the way it idles it is almost the same as that but noticeably slower. It will idle fine when cold (750 ish) but as as it warms up it gets faster and faster until it reaches about 1750rpm then the idle control cuts the gas and it falls back down to about 1100rpm, it keeps repeating this cycle about once a second... vroom... vroom... vroom u get me.

I cant see how i couldve damaged the icv when i was cleaing it but that is a possibilty, i used wd40 and exercised the spring loaded vlave back and forth with a flat screwdriver.

Also when I start it up when warm it will rev waay higher than it should (2000+ rpm) an stay there for several seconds before reverting to the shitty idle. I was pretty sure that the gaping splir in the vacuum hose was the source of the problem but now that it is fixed there is no change and i cant find any other obvious vacuum leaks that could be causing this.

ps i tried adjusting the screw on the icv and it made no difference at all to the speed... weird it didnt change it at all

[RobertK]

First, grab some carb cleaner and spray down any locations where a possible vaccum leak could occur while the car is running. If it ever surges while spraying a particular spot then you've found a leak.

Second, it's possible you've damaged it but not likely, try cleaning it with the same carb cleaner and listen to it to make sure it's actually moving.

If all else fails it could be your DME, AFM, or TPS. (or all 3).

I would start with checking the TPS because it's the easy. (Just listen closely to your throttle body and open the throttle, you should hear a click as soon as the throttle opens up. If you don't then it's bad.)

EDIT: Did you ever repair the crack in your rubber boot to begin with?

[delatlanta1281]

Sounds to me like you ICV is stuck. Wheter it is broken or in need of a clean, it sound like it is stuck.

[Adrian_Visser]

thanks for the input guys

i checked the tps before too and it is making i can here the microswitch clicking.

is it possible that when i cleaned it i just loosend up allota crap and it got lodged soemwhere else in the valve and made it stick?

im gunna go buy some carb cleaner tnoght and try checkin for vacuum leaks.

also is there sumthin better than wd40 to clean the icv with?

[Adrian_Visser]

Wow that was easy.

cleaned it again with carb cleaner to no avail. couldnt find vacuum leaks so i said fuck it an cranked the adjusting screw down a whole 4 turns. i guess when i tried this before i shoulda tried to turn it more than two full turns down. cuz fuck right after 3 turns the idle suddenly started to go down. like i said wow im dum for not trying this earlier.