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Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: Overseer on 07 March 2005, 13:03

Title: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 07 March 2005, 13:03
older members may remember my MOT hassles late last year!

right now its still dropping back to idle around 900 ok.. but the revs are a bit unstable.. and its being slow/poor at falling back to idle.. sometimes it falls, sometimes not..? it definitely feels like something is sticking and/or clogged up again

oh and if i accelerate harshly (as if! :P) the throttle revs sometimes seems to stick..



somehow these problems got fixed by doing some of the below (in a short space of time..) so here's my checklist.. i'll report back.. after each attempt at trying to do something about it!

since the last problems it's also had a nice service.. new plugs, filters etc etc.. and been running fine for around about 4 months now.


- Lube throttle related springs etc etc? (didnt do this last time afaik)

- Check for vacuum leaks (this was the cause of 2 faults last time, both due to bodges by previous owner)

- Check/Clean the ISV (did this last time.. didn't help but its an easy job) ncie pictorial guide for those interested >> http://www.clubgti.co.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3114&PN=1

- Clean the Throttle Body? (pretty simple too..)

- Give electrical contacts a squirt of WD40

Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 07 March 2005, 13:58
'course if anyone has any other ideas or questions.. i'm open to suggestions!
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 07 March 2005, 21:51
even though i did more reading around and most things seem to point to the ISV i still cleaned out the throttle body tonight and lubed the throttle (it was ok though really)

did check for leaks too.. but thats pretty hard to do.

while being sat the car, door open, bonnet up.. at points where the car wasnt settled back to idle i can hear a faint pulsed "click click click" kind of in time with the variations in the engine note.

so i'm pretty sure its the ISV now..

tomorrow i'm gonna get the ISV out and give it a good clean/soak in carb cleaner.. see how it goes.. last time it was given a quick flush.. this time i'll let it soak for a couple hours before refitting it.
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: 888v on 07 March 2005, 22:01
cleaned my isv about 3 times and it stopped for a while each time, then started again so i decided to get one from a breakers for a measly 25 quid. all that hassle sorted 4 very little cash :wink:
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 07 March 2005, 22:03
hmm ;)? so u think i'm on ball with this one now? last time there were really 2 problems.. fixing the ISV last time may have only been part of it..since there were 2 vacuum leaks..



well if this cures it i might call around for one..

buying new would be nice.. but 175 quid odd from VW?? :lipsrsealed:
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: 888v on 07 March 2005, 22:12
you'd be a fool to buy a new one, yeah new looks better but the chances are you will only ever replace the ISV once in the cars lifetime so the majority of second hand ones are just as good.
just clean it up???!! :wink: definitely worth a try though i reckon matey :cool:
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 07 March 2005, 22:20

shame its a sealed unit.. bit of a pain to clean up..

def worth a go from a breakers if they're going that cheap!
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 08 March 2005, 09:25
before work this morning i spent 10 mins taking the ISV off.. and doing the best i could filling it with carb cleaner and shaking it.. after putting it back on the car is behaving better again.. its still not perfect..

time to call some scrappies i think
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 08 March 2005, 10:10
called VW first to try get the part number.. they wouldnt let me have it..

VW prices.. 233.52 and 2.20 for the grommet that goes into the manifold..

breaker i tried tells me the ISV part number is 037 986 457D


noticed this morning i'm pretty low on oil and since vw are next door i'm gonna get the grommet too since the one that was there isnt in very good condition and could be causing a vacuum leak..

tonight i'm gonna soak the ISV for a few hours and give it a better cleaning up



Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 08 March 2005, 18:36

driving home tonight it didn't seem quite so good.. but maybe i'm watching it too cloesly.. i topped up the oil and have given the ISV another clean up tonight. so we'll see...

btw.. i find it odd this seems to have coincided with the change in weather here to being more temperate...
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: 888v on 08 March 2005, 19:40
weather affects my car aswell, think it does to most cars as they get older!!
i got my ISV from ''audi 4 u" in bridgewater, they've moved just down the road since but sure the numbers still the same..... try 'em. they are audi and vw breakers!
(01278) 434141 :wink:
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 09 March 2005, 10:06
thx for the number.. just tried calling them.. got no answer.. will try later

site. http://www.audi-4-u.co.uk very poor...


btw.. bridgwater doesnt have an E in it ;)
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 09 March 2005, 11:51
ok things are getting confusing......

i posted tryign to clarify here >> http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=18437.msg147900#msg147900

but here's the outcome...


037 906 457 D? - what ETKA says should be on my car
037 906 457 C? ?- MK2 Golf
037 133 443 A? - whats on my car!? (the 443 should be ?43 coz i'm not sure its a 4/


guy at breakers seems to think the one on my car is from an Audi 80 16v.
he also said the difference between mk2 and 3 is because of the swap from k-jet (mech inject) to motronic..
 

he's gonna get back to me
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 09 March 2005, 13:56
they havent got back to me... but i've sourced one via another breakers.. for 25 notes.. bit cheaper than 233 eh!!

(along with a new rear ashtray (broken), new ciggie lighter (socket works lighter doesnt), new aerial (feat to buck).. and if i'm *really* lucky a black leather armrest)
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 09 March 2005, 14:59
woo..

ISV here by weekend, along with ciggie lighter and (maybe a seperate order due to time..) leather arm resty thing :)

maybe's are still.. aerial and rear ashtray..


* fingaz crossed *
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: 888v on 09 March 2005, 19:20
fair play mate, hope it sorts it!!!
did look at bridgwater when i was typin it and couldnt decide if it had an 'E.
then i started thinking!!!!..............big mistake!!!
bridge + water = bridgewater. :laugh:
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: davero on 09 March 2005, 19:22
overseer is your car not digifant. sure it is
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 09 March 2005, 22:53
^ i'm sure it is too...

is that one stuffed on my car a k-jet style one?

its a 97 16v 2..0? ABF..

hmm. well haynes says its Digifant 3.0?


i always thought it was motronic.. but.. to make things more confusing i've seen pages out there saying motronic is vw speak for digifant..


i;ve seen one page saying <94 is digi 3 and >94 is digi 3.2...

here on ClubABF >> http://membres.lycos.fr/philippe840/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=57&forum=1&4

Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: davero on 10 March 2005, 20:56
i am as confused as you, but i do know the u.s. did not get the abf engine
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 10 March 2005, 21:53
oh well LOL!

cars still behaving ok tonight too... my new ISV (and rear ashtray and ciggie lighter) should be here tomorrow..

i'm hoping the new one is an improvement for several reasons..

the old one obviously has problems if i gotta keep cleaning it.. plus its obviously the wrong bloody one... LOL!
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 11 March 2005, 09:31
woot.. new idle valve was here at my work 9.20am :)

will fit it tomorrow  :cool:
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 11 March 2005, 12:14
hmm have the feeling i'm gonna fit all this after i get home from the gym tonight.

just been to VW next door and picked up a new rubber ring thing the ISV sits in.. since one on car is a bit dodgy and could be leaking.

oddly one came on new ISV.. and its a totally different style.

I'll take pics of all this tonight! .. and add part #'s etc..
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: davero on 12 March 2005, 23:53
probably vw's usual, they rectify problems in replacement parts but dont openly admit problem ever existed
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again.. and more...
Post by: Overseer on 14 March 2005, 11:08
maybe...


well i fitted the new ISV on saturday morning.. drove around for a bit and it seemed to be "all good"..

however!

we changed the anti-freeze saturday afternoon and have created (or noticed?) a leak where the coolant comes out of the block...
there are 3 bolts there and 2 were loose.. 1 is hard to get at.. once they were tightened there was still a problem
it isnt leaking much and i';ve been driving it around sat night/yesterday and keeping an eye on the temp/coolant level.

BUT i also noticed a HUGE hole/split in the vacuum tube just below it (which u cant see usually because of this other tube) it appears to have hardened and split over time due to heat..

this should also help a great deal with the idling

its in Performance Driven (http://www.performancedriven.co.uk) being fixed now, i get it back tomorrow night... the coolant pipe and o-ring is a cheap part (7 pounds 50) .and the other pipe isnt complicated so is probably about a tenner... so i'd expect at most an hours labour.. since they probably have to redo all the antifreeze too (which i've provided)



* touch wood * everything will be running sweet tomorrow night!



Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: davero on 14 March 2005, 20:59
had the same breather pipe split, fixed today, big improvement on running and cured petrol smell in car
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 15 March 2005, 22:54
called lunchtime today.. parts still hadn't arrived from VW..

dropped in on my way home and they had the parts but hadn't fittted
very likely to be sorted tomorrow now..

gonna call see if can get lunchtime.. if not will hopefully be on way home :)
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 16 March 2005, 14:19
called at lunchtime to see if it was sorted.. they've done the work.. but the guy was keen to keep it a few more hours.. he wanted to keep running the engine to pump coolant through and verify there are no leaks.. so i'll be getting it on the way home :)

i _love_ actually being able to talk directly to the guy that's done the work.



Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 16 March 2005, 18:23

ok have it back... bit weird as i havent driven for 3 days.. the idle seems perfect right now..
better than i can ever remember..

it idles real low.. and when there is an occasional blip like the car is gonna stall it smoothes it out again repeatedly...


however.. i do have to keep an eye on the coolant level and temp just in case there are problems with that..
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: 888v on 17 March 2005, 07:07

ok have it back... bit weird as i havent driven for 3 days.. the idle seems perfect right now..
better than i can ever remember..

it idles real low.. and when there is an occasional blip like the car is gonna stall it smoothes it out again repeatedly...


however.. i do have to keep an eye on the coolant level and temp just in case there are problems with that..
glad it seems alright now mate :wink:
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 17 March 2005, 07:48
cheers..

i'm just wondering which made more difference.. the new ISV or the hose.. or both? lol..
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :( -- sorted!
Post by: Overseer on 18 March 2005, 09:58
yesterday morning i did my first coolant check.. and it did need a bit of topping up.. i'd guess about 1/2 a litre.. but apart from being run at idle where it was sorted out at the garage i had run it up the motorway about 10 miles and back on A-Roads..

checked again this morning as i'd only done my usual work commute yesterday and the level was pretty good and settled this morning a few lil bubbles.. hopefully just signs of any air that was trapped from it being draiend/refilled twice and the leak introducing air sorting itself out..
today it was only ever so slighty under the maximum marker today..? and no signs of contamination.. i forgot to check the oil for signs of water contamination. will probably remember that tomorrow.
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 19 March 2005, 09:48
right.. off now to check level again, and look at oil :)

drove around a bit more than usual last night but only short journeys about town

results...

coolant = level was down a teeny bit
oil = fine


might be goin up to bristol n back today (120 odd mile round trip..) so that might show something up
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 21 March 2005, 11:08
did end up going to bristol and back (plus a detour to check out a dry snowboarding place on the way.. )

no problems whatsoever..

check the levels and oil for contamination sunday morn before went to the gym and it was down a little bit.. with the oil being fine... level was down a bit like it had been a day or so before.. the longer journey hadnt made a big dent or difference... which is good...

drove around town quite a lot yesterday.. more than my usual commute and when i checked it this morning the level was really good.. and had no bubbles.

all in all over the 4 days sicne i've had the car back i've probably put under 2 pints back in the car.

i think most of this has been down to how diffiicult/tricky it is to properly refill the coolant system.
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 22 March 2005, 09:40
checked coolant again this morning.. level had barely changed... i topped it up to the max marker again.. literally a few caps worth of water..

feeling more confident about it now..

car is also still running and idling better than i can ever remember.. so am pretty happy about it right now!
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: kr1s77 on 22 March 2005, 12:02
how much was the ISV and where did you get it from??
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 22 March 2005, 12:33
25 quid from a scrappy? :grin:

i'm pretty sure the huuuuge vacuum leak was more of a factor in the dodgy idle..
but i'm amazed it wasn't noticed by me before.. (or when it was looked at by performance driven back last year)
perhaps it was less obvious then...

to be sure i'd have to swap the ISVs back over again..
Title: Re: My car has started to idle funny again :(
Post by: Overseer on 04 April 2005, 22:23
 
coolant level was still going down here and there... only but small amounts..


so last friday i got some radweld in halfords and put that in..

the level seemed good a day later.. and today i checked it and it was even higher? LOL!

plus today the expansion tank made a vacuumy 'pop' while i removed its lid.. whereas before it hadnt.
so i assume its maintaining pressure properly now.

i'll again check in the morning but i'm confident the little bottle of radweld has sorted it (the small size is about 3 quid from halfrauds..)


along with this and my exhaust falling off its been an expensive month!