Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
VanagonEuroVan
Subject:strange idling
From:craig cowan
Date:Sat, 1 Sep 2007 14:01:40 -0400

Hello all. I've been trying to find the root of my idle issues, but im still
unsure. Heres the problem..... It will start right up....then run rough or
die right off. Then, it will start right back up again. It runs fine though
(except for the idle issue), plenty of power and all that good stuff. So
i've played with the timing and found that certain spots will allow it to
idle (though really poorly) but will not allow it to run right. These are
clearly the wrong spots for timing. I marked the distributor before playing
with timing, so i know its back where it was....but the idle still runs very
strangely. I've played with setting the idle through the screw on the
throttle body and have had it everywhere from 1 turn out (from close) to 6
turns out. It does have an effect, but not much. All this is being done with
the idle control plugs unplugged and plugged into eachother. SO, i somehow
found a combination of timing and idle speed setting that actually runs
pretty well. So, i plugged the idle control unit back in expecting that to
take over the rest and make it run right.....No change. But its idling along
pretty well...till it randomly runs like crap again. Totally random. Then,
idles along fine. Any thoughts?
It runs a little better when warmed up.

-Craig
'85GL

Have something to add on this topic today? Revive this thread in the forum »