Had a valve adjustment done on my GS-R (If you've seen me do any precision machining you'd know why I don't do it myself ) Now, the car is idling very strangely. When I start the car and the engine is cold, it seems to idle normally. Once it starts warming up, it will not idle, period. It just stalls. After I've been driving for 10 minutes or so and the engine is at operating temp, it idles, but at under 500 rpm.

Someone on the board had a similar problem and solved it by resetting the ECU. Apparently his valves were so out of tolerance that the ECU was having a fit. I tried giving the ECU time to adapt, no change. I reset the ECU last night, no change. I know I can bring it back to the dealer and bitch to them but frankly I don't want to leave the car in their hands unless I have to. I don't need to pay those clowns $175 to botch this job when I can screw it up myself for free

I had the master cylinder replaced at the same time, could this involve a vacum leak? Any ideas would be appreciated

 

First I would re-check the adjustment you made just as a precaution and then I would reset the idle. This may help.


[Modified by 2point6, 4:22 PM 7/31/2002]

 

To correct any misunderstanding, I didn't perform the valve adjustment myself, the dealer did.

I will adjust the idle if necessary but I don't want to do it to compensate for a botched job or cover up a more serious problem.


[Modified by Angry Joe, 4:35 PM 7/31/2002]

 

Explain this to the dealer. They should have checked everything as well. It is common if the valves have been out of adjustment for some time for the ECU to try and compensate. Most likely this is what has happend and the dealer just overlooked it.

 

Update: Took it back, they said the valve lash was "a little tight" and now the car idles great. They also told me the tech sometimes adjusts the valves when the car is warm, "but he compensates." Next time I'm grabbing a feeler guage and doing it myself.

to dealerships


[Modified by Angry Joe, 8:52 AM 8/6/2002]

 

when the engine is cold the valve lash is ok. when it warms up the valve stems, rockers, and cams expand which reduces your lash. bottom line the valves arent closing enough when it warms up so the valve lash is too tight.

 

man, dont they know (dealerships) that the first thing to remember when adjusting valves is to do it on a cold engine? he should be fried (yeah, fried) that's why honda dealerships dont have any records of my car for 4 years now...i've been doing everything myself... screw them!

 

Don't blame the dealerships because of an individual tech. He's just one dumbass trying to cut corners and screwed up. Some independent techs do the same thing.

 

yeah, and dealerships are responsible of making sure their techs are doing their job right...screw them!

 

So now your backstabbing all dealerships because of one tech at one dealer?

 

dont think were all incompentent some of do know what were doing. just because one dumbass dont know how to adjust valves you cant blame every dealership.

 

no, im not backstabbing anybody so dont accuse me of that! it's called laying out the truth. i'll buy parts from them but i wont let them service my car. and yes, not all techs at dealerships suck but the dealerships are the ones to be blamed if one of their mechanics messes up... i've heard a lot of screw up stories from people (including myself) bringing their cars to dealerships and #@#@ing up the job because of some goofy mechanic working on the car w/ a big question mark on his forehead. i guess you've never heard of these stories before that's why you have a lot of faith in them...but based on my own experience, screw them!

 

and that's why you dont just let anybody at the dealership service your car... gotta do some background check first

 

were not perfect and there are some stupid techs out there but dont think were all stupid is all i was saying.

 

Ive heard the stories. There are a very small percentage of screw ups. They happen. Most dealerships take responsibility when they do happen. It happens at independent shops also, probably more so. BTW, you're still bad-mouthing all dealerships. I bet you've never dealt with more than a few.

 

nah i never thought/said all techs at dealerships are stupid...some of them are very good but the dealership is still responsible for the bad ones....if one bad tech screws up your car, you dont beat up that tech, you complain to the manager coz they are the ones responsible for any action (good or bad) of their techs.

 

most dealerships not all but most dont have bad techs they are a libality to the dealership which cost them money. if i didnt know what i was doing and doing a good job at it i wouldnt have a job at my dealership very long. like i said were not perfect but were not all ignorant either. by the way when a dealership screws up they will almost always do whatever it takes to fix at no additional cost to you.when you screw something up who pays for that?