well i have a problem with my idle...i just spent about an hour and a half, (plus an hour watching smallville) reading through 3+ pages of archived topics about idle issues, but still cant find what i'm looking for...my idle seems to never want to leave the 500 line when at stop lights or when i'm still...sometimes it dips under 500 then goes back to around 600, then back to 500...when the car is still warm, and i start the car, it stays below 500 for about 10 seconds then goes up...ONLY when its warm...i dont even know where to start because of the numerous possibilites it could be...any suggestions? also, my cooling fan doesnt seem to turn on at all...can that cause any problems? i mean my temp gauge hasnt passed the half way mark at all *knock on wood*...TIA

 

try adjusting your throttle cable?

 

idle screw or electronic air control valve. i'll try and pick up my friends' helms sometime this week, if the problem persists.. any lightweight flywheel? or all stock? what motor?

 

try resetting your ECU by disconecting the fuse on it for a couple of minutes then place it back in and let your car idle for about 5 mins to readjust itself. If that doesn't do it, it could be a number of things such as vaccum (I can't spell) or maybe a sensor? Just throwing out some ideas.

 

its basically a stock d16a6...it didnt do this until recently, and i havent done anything to the car...ive been reading my helms and i'm just not understanding it...i guess i'll tinker with it some more...would the non working fan have anything to do with it? how about broken gaskets? intake or head? thanks for the fast replies

i'll keep trying to reset the ecu and mess with the throtle cable...


[Modified by Infinity_Racer, 4:53 AM 1/15/2003]

 

well i messed around with the idle control tonight...followed all the steps that the helms said about taking the 2pin connector off the EACV...at first, my car would die, then i adjusted the control thing and it runs when i detach the connectors... did all the idle check with the highbeams/defroster/heater fan with ac...when all those are off, the idle stays at around 750-850...when i turn ANY of these on, (driving lights, heater, defroster, etc.) my idle drops to about 550-600...it doest dip below 500 now, but i did notice that more smoke comes out when i'm idleing... anyone else got any suggestions? the helms says that the idle should go up when any of these things are on, but it only goes up, then slowly dips down...also, can the cooling fan not working affect any of this? like my engine not reaching its temp. or something? any help TIA!

 

what color smoke? white? if it's white, and smells sweet, you just may have a busted head gasket! lucky you!

 

aww fawk! would that cause idle problems? is it only suppose to smoke when idleing? or when i'm running too? cus like sometimes it doesnt smoke at all, but then sometimes when it idles for a while, it smokes...how hard is it to replace a gasket anyways? what major thing is there to take off other than the IM? TIA

 

bump bump bump...

 

head gasket....
drain coolant.. better off doing it tru the block bolt...
unbolt and move aside the intake manifold...
take valve cover off
make sure engine is on #1 TDC
remove the T belt and dont loose tention on belt.. and make sure u make a mark on belt and cam gear so u put it back in same place..
remove valve cover..
disconect the dizzy..
unscrew 10 head bolts...
take gasket off...
make sure u clean both head and block surfaces.... and that no coolant its on cylinders..\
while u at it inspect head for any problems and take pics..
after that put new gasket,
torque all bolts by hand
then following the sequence tq the bolts to spec #1 (22 tq)
once u dont , then tq to spec #2 (57 tq)
after that the instalation its reversal of removal...

 

it could cause an idling problem...

thanks for the head gasket instructions, i think my b16a just blew his.. i'll be ordering a mugen replacement.. hehehe

 

thanks JDM...is there a way to check if the head gasket is blown? i mean i aint tryin to take my entire motor apart (not literally) and find out its perfectly fine... if it is my gasket, i'll be orderin a pepboys one soon...cant afford the big bucks like rexman TIA!

 

Have you considered the electric load sensor. This is a current measuring device that when the current draw goes up (turning on the lights) it compensates by raising the idle. If that circuit is damaged or disconnected it would present symptoms similar to what you have described.


If it checks out, Pressure test the radiator if it does not hold pressure and does not have an obvious external leak it may be a blown head gasket. Take to to a shop that does emission testing and have them sniff the open radiator. If the head gasket is leaking cumbustion gases into the water jacket (radiator), it will detect hydrocarbons at the radiator cap. It usually bubbles when the cap is off and the engine is idling.


[Modified by tpr, 8:04 PM 1/17/2003]

 

can you give more detail about this electronic load sensor? where its located and stuff...i never heard about that before...as for the radiator, if the head gasket is cracked or what not, and you have the radiator cap off at idle, it will bubble correct? someone told me that you have to rev the car up or something... i'll check that out either tonight or tomorrow...what about the cooling fan...any suggestions on that? where exactly is the thermostat? TIA guys!

 

The electric load sensor in on the passenger side fender well under the hood. If it has a blown head gasket of cracked head it should bubble at idle unless it is a very small crack/blown spot. It might neeed to be at fast idle to bubble if its a small crack/blown spot.

Cooling fan switch. If it is a d series motor it should be on the back of the block just above the oil filter or on the thermostat housing just under the throttle body next to the block. The two wire sensor is the one for activating the fan. The one wire one is oil pressure. If you short those two wires it should start the fan. If it does not, apply 12 volts to the fan motor directly, if the fan turns then it may be the cooling fan relay located to the passenger side of the radiator.


[Modified by tpr, 1:59 PM 1/17/2003]

 

electric load detector is not found on si cars. If your idle goes down when you turn on an electric load like your headlights then one would think to look for an electrical problem like a weak alternator or bad battery cables

 

hmm...never even thought about that...would that be a positive cable or ground cable problem? cus the previous owner relocated the battery to the rear, and i'll be the first to tell you that he did an *** job... ...like the fuse cable and the cable connected to the tranny block (ground?) is connected to a plate that connects to the + cable going to the rear of the car to the battery...its like this...
==/-----...i'll take pics of the poor excuse of a set up tomorrow...

 

well...still happening...i checked my battery wiring and it is right...how do i check if the alternator is bad or not? could a bad ground cause this? there's the battery ground, the chassis ground and what else? I cant think of the other ones...tranny? anyone else have ideas? TIA!

 

help....palease....

 

iac vavle thing? the thing on the thorttle body
thats a very shallow screw to turn. i am having trouble turning it. my idle is too low. i will disconnect ecu, reset see if that helps. oh well. if anyone has any tips to turning that st upid screw please tell. thanks.

 

i just used a medium sized flat head and pushed real hard till it griped, then turned...HTH

 

I have the EXACT same problems with my b16 hatch and my battery is located in the back also... I checked my oil through the oil cap and I have a milky liquid substance in it, I believe it is coolant, and a bad headgasket, anyone know for sure?