Re: E30 erratic idle

["Russ Maki" <rinard@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Al,
Are you sure your car wasn't dying when you put your foot on the brake?
Employing the vacuum brake booster certainly could stall an engine if you
had a significant intake vacuum leak somewhere (at least it has on my '87
Audi 4000 quattro and its snake pit of formerly leaky vacuum lines).

Hunting idle also points to a leaky vacuum hose or boot....

Russ Maki
Ixonia, Wis.


> From: Al Waschka <awaschka@domain.elided>
> Subject: E-30 Erratic Idle
>
> More problems with my 1985 325e.  I was having trouble with the engine
> dying when I pushed in the clutch at a stop light or sign.  I guessed
> that it was the idle control valve and took it out and cleaned it.  It
> was pretty gunked up.  I used fuel intake spray cleaner and kept
> spraying it until the fluid came out clean.  That fixed my idle, or at
> least the problem I was trying to fix.  Now, with the AC on, the idle is
> rock solid at about 850-900 RPM.
>
> The new problem is when I turn the AC off, now the idle drifts up to
> about 1100-1200, hangs there a few seconds, suddenly drops to 850-900,
> then drifts up again.  It may have been doing this before, I don't
> know.  Again, the idle is the best its been in years with the AC on, but
> unstable with the AC off.
>
> Anybody got any ideas?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Al Waschka

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