GREEN SCOOBY

This problem has been going on for some time now. The car does not idle properly anymore and a lot of people on the bbs say its a maf problem so i get another maf and the problem is still the same. The idle control valve sensor has been cleaned and re set and been adjusted etc and still the same.Maybe this is the problem as I noticed when it was off last time that the top of the part that moves about was slightly ground off as if it had been caught on something. The only other thing apart from that is the lamda causing bad idle. Has anyone had these problems? the car is a standard 97 turbo.

Cheers.

Richard Curtis

Changing the lambda over improved the idle on my MY97 (it used to dip and almost stall, it still does it a little but I have a light flywheel thats not helping ).

Changed to a universal one for around £50 delivered, car feels smoother (it was hesistating badly) and Fuel consumption has improved.

According to the bosch website they only last around 60K, mine suddenly started playing up after the car was left standing for 2-weeks (holiday).

Rich

MadGrip

same prob with my MY01 WRX, only got 30k on the clock, left it for a week and drove really badly. The idleing was crap, the economy was worse than ever, I changed the front lambda for a universal one but still had the same problem. I eventually fitted an OEM lambda and the difference is really noticeable, I now get better economy, idle is perfect but I still have a CEL that needs sorting out

Phil

MY01 WRX full decat (inc U/P), 19 Psi boost , 290ish Bhp

GREEN SCOOBY

cheers for that lads. My car has just done 61k, so maybe it is that. That is what will get changed next. I have heard some good and bad things about these universal lamda sensors but can not afford a oe one at £100+ at the moment so were is the best place to get a good none oe lamda?

stockcar

usual place will no doubt help....................................

LOL

GREEN SCOOBY

Ha Ha nice one Alyn. Do you have these in stock? and at what price? and do you think it might make a difference to my idle problem? So many questions to be answered, we will get to the bottom of this idle thing some day. Expect a ring tomorrow, you know my usual thursday ring.

LOL

GREEN SCOOBY

bttt

Dark Blue Mark

The MAF on the MY97 is pretty strong compared to the 99/00, but the 02 sensor is your best bet.

If you've cleaned the ISCV then that should be ok. The only other thing to check is the throttle position sensor. The ECu is pretty good at logging these as an error code if its faulty, so do an ECU check. They cant be cleaned but can be adjusted (although it shouldnt need adjusting) If its shot a new one is the only way...

MB

GREEN SCOOBY

Cheers for that Dark Blue Mark, I was hopeing you would answer this! Can you tell me were the throttle sensor is? maybe a picture? and what to do with it?

cheers

roy.

Dark Blue Mark

Ill reply later Roy, got a day of meetings

In the meantime - do s search for how to check your ECU fault codes and see what that brings up.

MB

Dark Blue Mark

Right - the ISVC is a potentionmeter which basically works out the position of the throttle valve, and gives a signal to the ECU. It uses a 0-5 volt scale. Shut it should read 0.5v plus or minus 0.3v and open should be 4.3v plus or minus 0.3v.

If you look at the throttle body on the inlet manifold, the sensor will be on the other side of the throttle pin. Black sensor with 3 wires coming out.

Before I go into detail of how to check it, I would strongly suggest that the o2 sensor is the root of the problem. How old is it and is the exhaust tailpipe quite sooty? Its good practice to change these every couple of years IMHO, so I would change it if its old, do a reset and see what happens.

MB

GREEN SCOOBY

cheers for that again Darkblue. I will definately get the lamda done. My car is a 97 and its the original lamda. I took off the lamda plug and drove to work today and got to admit there was not much if any difference at all, but maybe the lamda is totally fcuked anyway! What kind of lamda would you recomend? I can get a cheap lucas one for £45 which will need soldering or the genuine bosch for £65 with the plug,I think. the tail pipe has a little bit soot on the end as well. I did adjust the throttle cable so there was less play on the pedal around the time the idle problem started (roughly around that time) would this have anything to do with my problem?

cheers for the help mate

Roy

Dark Blue Mark

A loose cable would be more of a prob I would have thought, as that would promote a lower than normal idle / throttle closed voltage. Unless you over tightened it and the ECU is trying to fight a higher than normal voltage?

Go for the sensor first, and a Bosch one would be better if you can get it for that price - should last a touch longer. Fit it, reset the ECU and restart the car. Should be an immidiate improvement. If not - post back and we'll go from there.

MB

GREEN SCOOBY

cheers again Mark. Lamda it is then.

Sc0oby

any updates??

Dark Blue Mark

You have the same symptons?