Now onto the next problem with the Galant

Alpine TSi · 10-07-2005

After fixing the knock issue and doing some minor other things I have now developed an idle issue. When the car starts for the first time it barely wants to idle. It will travel between 400-600 really roughly. Sometimes it will stall out. It take forever to heat up like this, but when it does it stays solid at 900rpm for idle with no movement. This lead me to think it was just engine temp related. Well it isn't, although it is bad at cold startup it still has a rough idle if I start it up after being warmed up. It only has a hard time until I get on it a little, but before it goes somewhere it seems really boggy. All the time it is having these idle issues, I can smell unburnt fuel.

The only thing I can logically link this to(only because it started happening right after this)was when I used some MCCC to clean out the head. Is it possible I fouled a sensor or something? Possibly have a chunk of carbon stuck somewhere? I just don't get it. It seems as though it wants to do the higher idle like it should when cold, but it just doesn't. The only three mods to this vehicle is a LightningGSX burnt chip(I might swap back to stock but doubt it would help), 5 knob AFC, and EGR removal(I did remove all the solednoids that use vac lines attached to the TB and the fuel pressure one). I know the fuel pressure solenoid is a probable cause, but I did that months ago and didn't have that problem.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

TheBlizzard · 10-07-2005

Coolant temp sensor could be your problem as well. If the sensor goes back the ECU will think the car is at some crazy temperature like 600F or something and it will not provide sufficient fuel to the car when its cold. Usually when the coolant temp sensor goes bad you will really notice it getting harder to start the colder outside it gets.

If thats not it I would just check the basic shit and work your way up. Spark plugs, wires, all the way up to your ECU.

Does the car feel under powered once its warmed up?

Alpine TSi · 10-07-2005

Spark plugs are fresh and the wires are in good condition although I didn't install them(they were on when I got it).

Good idea on the CTS, I didn't think about that. And yes the car has gotten increasingly harder to start as it has been getting colder. Once the car warms up it runs fine and pulls hard( as hard as stock boost can

)

Thanks for the idea I'll have to do that ASAP.

carltalon · 10-07-2005

Fiav ? Iac?

Alpine TSi · 10-07-2005

I do have a spare lower TB section laying around I could try(FIAV and ISC). Might have to give that a try if the CTS doesn't fix anything.

GVR-4579 · 10-08-2005

My car ramdomly does that i decided it was something to do with my bov leaking and the car getting unmetered air, but it could also be that i had my screw turned out on my maf, basically i was venting, got the problem, and then went back to the recirculation set up and the problem went away, now i have a better BOV and am venting again without problems, but your problem could be different than mine

Erik

Alpine TSi · 10-08-2005

Yeah probably not the same. My intake setup is all stock with nothing out of the ordinary.

MATCHBX · 10-08-2005

We were having these issues with Terina's car before. When you are driving around, check the STOCK boost guage. I realize that it is not accurate, but when her ECU started acting up (leaky caps) it read 14psi when you would barely get in on the throttle.

Disclaimer: I am not saying there is an issue with the programming Eric did, just something that might be wrong with the ECU itself.

Alpine TSi · 10-08-2005

Well, the boost gauge now acts as a knock count readout, and that functions fine. Eric had done the caps and such when he made the chip, so I am confident that is not an issue. Although I will be pulling it out just to inspect and put the stock chip back in.

MATCHBX · 10-09-2005

Another thing to check would be as many of your grounds as possible.

We replaced the CTS (like was mentioned before) in Terina's car and it made things better. The wiring clip going onto the sensor was toast on hers as well. I had to replace it the best I could when I replaced the sensor.

I kinda figured he had done the caps in there as well, but I thought I'd ask anyways.

Alpine TSi · 10-09-2005

Well I replaced the CTS this morning and it didn't do anything. The terminals on the plug were a bit black, so maybe I will re attach them in a different way.

One thing I noticed is that there is a sensor/switch on top of the thermostat housing, I don'lt know what this is. On a GVR-4 the housing is different than a 1G, the radiator cap is on the radiator and the thermostat housing is completely closed with this before mentioned sensor/switch mounted on top going up and down. Any idea on what this is?

Thanks.

Alpine TSi · 10-14-2005

Bump!! Any suggestions are welcome, I would love to get this figured out before the 22nd.

Thanks!

GVR-4579 · 10-15-2005

I was also suspect of a leaking injector, but i kindof changed my mind on that for the moment, but what would you think about that? Like it leaks and floods out a cylinder and then once it burns that fuel out its alright again?

Alpine TSi · 10-15-2005

It takes a while, and I mean a long while. But is completely possible. I do hear some excessive(at least to me) zapping from the are the injectors are in. I have some 500's I could toss in to see if they make a difference.