Engine will not idle

[Humph]

Help please!!!

I have 1992 16V - it has been running fine until today. I went out this morning - started fine, idled fine and went to shops. Went to start car again and it will not idle - it does run okay otherwise (I drove home okay) but as soon as you take your foot off the accelerator, it cuts out. No problem starting again.

I have done a search on this, with several ideas suggested which I shall have a go at, but has anybody got any ideas for this specific example? Simple instructions needed - I am no mechanic!

EDIT - when I think about it, it has cut out on me more than once whilst approaching a junction / roundabout etc recently - started fine straight away, in case this helps.

Thanks

Humph

[daniel-1986]

Check the auto-choke fuse if u have one as i had this problem with mine although its a 1.3 carb but the problem sounds the same

[Humph]

All fuses checked and okay.

Have wacked up the idle speed - it will just hold idle now, but hunts really badly and still wants to die (battery light flickers, revs rise, revs drop, battery light flickers so on and so on...)

[Humph]

Really struggling to drive this now - any ideas anybody, before I commit my wallet to more pain...

Unless accelerating hard, it is very lumpy to drive and will not idle - almost like it is struggling for fuel unless WOT. Any common easy to find and repair sugestions out there?

Cheers

Humph

[Jay]

Do a search 

Other options are check the carb, dizzy, isv, leads, spark plugs and hoses and check the in tank pump is working. There is a post (or many) on how to check if it is priming ok.

This may also sound silly, but how much fuel is there in the car?

[Humph]

Plenty of fuel - 98RON 

I have done a search - I am okay with some of the stuff you have suggested, but other bits I am not mechanically minded enough to play with...

When I start the car, you can here the fuel pump spinning for a couple of seconds, so don't think that is the problem

I will have another go this weekend, then the garage...

[raks.2008]

Hey...

Try your ISV, it is located on the right of your rocker cover, its round and has 2 air pipes going to it and a electrical socket. Remove this and clean it with Carb cleaner, sometimes this gets clogged up and prevents the car from idling.

Other than this your injector can be leaking which meaning over fueling making it run bad, but your first call is to check the Idle Valve.

Hope its any help...

[Conker]

Did you get this sorted?

Its nothing to do with carbs as its a 16v. It might be ISV related though, or...

This has happended to me before when I've been fiddling with the CO2 screw setting, i.e. making the mixture too rich or lean (as I'm adjusting it by ear, not via a gas analyser). If its too rich/lean The engine will start at full throttle but will cut out at idle.

Even if you haven't fiddled with it, it might just need resetting/retiming.

Probably more likely... You've got an air leak in one of the vac hoses.