Need 325 cold start help...Please!!!

[bob norman <b.norman@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

My 1987 325 standard is in the shop today.  I am sending out a plea for
help as no one seems to know exactly what is wrong with it!  So I call
upon the collective wisdom of the lists.

When starting on cold mornings the car does some funky things.  The car
will start and idle fine. but until it is warmed up, (5 minutes) it will
cut back to idle when revved to 2000-2300 RPMs. That is to say you're
sitting in the car, foot on the gas, slowly pressing the pedal, the rpms
move up the dial until they reach 2000, immediately the car goes back to
idle.  If you leave your foot where it is the car will then rev back up
to 2000, then drop back to idle, and so on.  If you try to drive the car
like this it is totally unpleasant.  You're in first slowly
accelerating, then when you hit 2000, BAMM! you are tossed forward in
your seat, as the car drops back to 750 or so. Same for second gear,
und so wieder...

If you really jam the pedal hard it will zoom past the magic wasteland
of 2000-2300 RPM.  However revving super hard is not healthy on the car
and is still no solution for driveability.

I should add that my cold troubles started about a month ago, but in the
beginning they were different. Car would start and idle fine, but when
you pressed on the gas, it would run really rough, bucking and coughing
and smoking and shaking, with very little power (like running on 4
cylinders) until warmed up.  Is my current problem a manifestation of
this "old" problem?

So I implore you.  WHAT IS GOING ON??? The mechanic seems to think that
the flywheel sensor could be at fault.  Any one agree? What does the
Flywheel sensor do anyway?

Also I've now got a weird gear noise in reverse (started yesterday)
...but that's a whole other story.

Any responses/ suggestions are MOST welcome.

Thanks in advance,

Cheers,
Bob Norman
St. John's, Newfoundland
Canada

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