<E28> ICV pulled and seems to work.. car still stalling

["Ron Jordan" <ron@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey All,

Back out this morning at 8:30 trying to get the car running.

Here is what I did.
put a bottle cap (heineken in case anyone wants to know) between the
throttle linkage by the throttle body so that there was some throttle on all
the time.  Started the car.  It started right away and though it hesitated
and the idle hunted slightly, it evened out at about 800-1000 rpm, (seems
the bottle cap was just the right size) within a minute or so.  Then while
the car was running on its own,  carefully looked around and checked for
vacuum leaks.  checked the hoses, main tube, throttle body, vacuum canister,
and didnt seem to find anything.  (plan to do it again with some carb
cleaner), pulled the dipstick for a second, car almost stalled, and I
quickly replaced it, which seems like what would happen if I did have a
massive vacuum leak.  Seal on the oil filler cap is good.

So, then I let the car get warm, removed the bottle cap, and the car stalled
out right away.  Which told me that the ICV was probably good.  So then I
pulled the plug off the ICV, and removed it from the throttle tube, and the
side one, and looked into it.  It looked dirty, but didnt seem to be that
bad,  and the opening inside the valve seemed closed. (the key still in on
position) I kept the ICV in hand and plugged the wires back into it, and it
hummed in my hand and I watched the valve open.  So it seems its working
fine.  I am going to spray some cleaner into it to clean it up, however I
think its not the culprit.

So now I am thinking its got to either be a vacuum leak I cant see and some
carb cleaner sprayed around the area while the car is running might find it
(apparently the car idle will increase when the cleaner gets sucked up into
a leak), or one of the other switches is out.

Process of elimination,..   Again.  if anyone has any pointers or insight,
please advise.  If the carb cleaner thing doesnt work, I may have to break
down and drive it over to a wrench for help

Cheers
Ron Jordan
I have also posted a pic of the ICV out of the car with the valve open.  see
my troubleshooting page :
www.geocities.com/tatsu911/tshoot.html

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