Thread: running rich and dying...

I see a few problems in that pic. Your PCV on the valve cover is open. The idle control hose on the intake looks routed completely wrong. Is it like that for a reason?

Lol that's my pic not his. I am using the PCV inlet to control idle airflow via a hand valve so it's always solid idle. I like the setup a lot. There's actually a breather on the PCV but it wasn't on in that pic. I have the regular idle airway plugged up BTW.

UPDATE: Having Idle issues again. Replaced the coolant temp sensor, timing was at 18-19* last week (can't tell now since it won't idle for me), TPS is dead on .4V-4.0v. Plugs are not fouled this time around.. so i'm thinking new problem or I only fixed part of it last time (new o2 sensor, plugs, cleaned IACV etc..). Car runs smooth and strong in the mountains, no sputtering anywhere, plenty of power at WOT, just stopping or throwing the car into neutral while cruising causes a stall.

I am thinking IACV, FPR, Knock sensor or vacuum problem now... I am leaning away from vacuum problem since the car runs so smooth once its moving. IACV is suspect because the car seems to be fighting me when i adjust the idle... when i can coax it into idling for me (not easy) it will hang out around 1200rpm. If I attempt to lower the idle is slowly starts raisng itself back to 1200ish or stalls. If I try to raise the idle, it holds steady for a few seconds then seems to lower itself.

I also noticed that when i unplug the TPS the idle drops or dies instead of going up?

Anything stand out to you guys???? I still need a fuel pressure guage...

do you have a fuel pressure regulator gauge? if not pull your fpr vacuum line and see if it smells of fuel any...

Car must be warmed up before attempting to enter timing mode.

Rev motor 3 times past 3K, letting motor drop to idle, or below 1000rpm. Then get under the hood and disconnect your TPS. The car may try and die off at first, so if it does, just pull on the throttle cable a tad bit, and it should come up to around 1500rpm. By now you SHOULD be in timing mode, so pull the timing light out and check.

No guage yet but that reminds me, I pinched that vacuum line and nothing happened. Shouldn't that have affected the idle somehow?

Tried exactly that... problem is when i can keep the car running it won't idle below 1100 rpm so i dont think my timing readong is accurate.

I dont get whats going on here. This car is hooked up so wrong.

lol maybe i should go take a picture of my engine bay...

New developments: I pulled the vacuum line off the FPR, didn't really smell of fuel (not anymore than anything else). I grabbed a can of intake cleaner and spreayed all over the vacuum lines, around the intake manifold and trottle body and found no leaks (i even shot a little into the FPR vacuum just to make sure this method would work).

Being suspect of the IACV, I disconected the two harnesses on there and the car now seems to be behaving normally. It started on its own without stalling, when I pulled the TPS harness the rpms went up instead of down like normal, i was able to maintain an idle under 1000 and confirm that the timing is right around 18*. Took the car for a ride and it was smooth, had power and didnt stall at stops or if I threw it into neutral.

I am letting the car cool down now to see if it will start cold with those unplugged. I am guessing all this leads to a bad IACV, but maybe its just a whole new can of worms.

Ideas?

Must have been a fluke... after just 20 minutes of cooling the car wouldn't stay running on its own with those disconected... also wont stay started on its own with them connected...

Pulling the TPS harness with them disconected still raises idle and with them connected pulling the TPS makes it die.