

| Subject: | Re: Idle at start problem |
| From: | William Dummitt |
| Date: | Mon, 3 Aug 1998 12:11:46 -0400 |
....snip..... >My 86 runs great, no complaints, except . . . when first started, unless >it's fed a little gas (for about 15 seconds) it'll die. Once it's warm >and running, no problem. More of a nuisance than a problem, but I would >like to correct. Any ideas? ...snip I'm betting on a bad throttle position switch. This is a little switch underneath the throttle body that tells the ecu when the engine is at idle or full throttle. The way it works is a cam that pushes a switch in at the idle and full throttle positions and leaves the switch open otherwise. The ecu then slightly enriches the mixture when the switch is closed. I first discovered how important this switch was when I got Darrell Boehler's digifant tool (discussed frequently on the list in recent weeks). Four of the first five vans I checked had bad throttle position switches, and all idled much better when the problem was corrected. Even without Darrell's tool, the switch is easily checked with a continuity tester-it should show a closed circuit at idle and full throttle, no continuity otherwise. The plug to test is on top of the engine near the throttle, with a wire running underneath the throttle. Bill
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