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please help. idle issues


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Ea82 stock carb

 

It's not the wires or the plugs or the cap or anything ignition related.

 

I'm going to attach a video of the problem. The first 4 minutes are kinda pointless, I was trying to get it to exhibit the problems but it wasn't cooperating completely. From 4 minutes onward is pretty to the point.

I thank any and all of you in advance for watching and offering any help and apologize for the length of the video.

 

To best explain, the car will start and idle fine. When I go for a drive, by the end of the first block my idle is gone. If I let the car sit a bit, it starts back up as if there is no issue. It's only when the throttle gets to a certain point that it triggers the idle to disappear. Shutting her down and waiting 10 or 20 seconds and it starts up and idles smooth. Rinse. Repeat. Frustration.

 

Any questions I will be glad to answer. There is a Subaru meet at the pine barrens this week end I'm really hoping to make it to but this problem persisting will make that pretty impossible.

 

Oh also there is some cursing of frustration in the video. Just saying.

 

Idle problems:

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Ferox took the words out of my mouth.  What sort of fuel pump?  Sounds like the fuel bowl is emptying then it's ok after a short time as its being filled again. Needle and seat could be suspect...sticking?

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Start with cheap stuff then work to the major, when was the last time the fuel filter was changed ?  Or, did this problem start recently, like with a recent purchase of gas ?

Edited by Dee2
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Just off-hand I would say maybe check to make sure the fuel bowl is venting properly.

Ferox took the words out of my mouth.  What sort of fuel pump?  Sounds like the fuel bowl is emptying then it's ok after a short time as its being filled again. Needle and seat could be suspect...sticking?

How can I check that it is venting properly and to check the needle and seat, those are internal parts requiring disassembly, correct?

And the fuel pump is a stock pump. I have no reason to think it's ever been replaced so I'm pretty sure it's the original.

 

Start with cheap stuff then work to the major, when was the last time the fuel filter was changed ?  Or, did this problem start recently, like with a recent purchase of gas ?

I changed the fuel filter 3 to 4 years ago. About 25k miles on it.

I almost always use premium (93) gas. The tank was empty, I put 10 bucks regular (87) in. I drove 1 mile to my father's house with no problem. Parked the car. About an hour or two later I got in, set the choke (half throttle press) before starting, started with no problem and went to normal cold idle. While letting it warm up it bogged and then died. About 1 minute after starting. Ever since then I've had this problem.

 

Since then I've put 20 bucks off brand name premium gas in, ran the sh.. Out of it on the highway up to 90mph, and I've pushed it well past red line hoping to blow something clogged out. No effect. Occasionally while driving city idle would return but only momentarily.

 

What's really getting me is how it "resets" after shutting the car off for a moment, only to return one the throttle hits the trigger point.

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If the tank was empty you could have stirred up some rubbish in it when your put gas in it. This could have blocked the filter or passed through the filter to the carbie.  Dee2 had a good suggestion. Change the filter see how that goes. Then go from there.  Sound like fuel to me.

 

Just had another look at your video.  Because it idles well sometimes I dont think its the needle and seat as I suggested.  Try everything prior to the carbie.  Filter then test, pump next. Air leaks in manifold? Check vacuum hoses. If there is a perished hose with a small hole it will run fine at higher revs. When going down to idle when cold the hole might be closed and when the engine is hot it could open up causing the stall.

 

Like trying to guess if a babe digs you!

Edited by tweety
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I should have been clearer, wasn't literally out of gas, but low. Though I should mention I did run it out if gas this past winter. About two months ago.

 

I will try and get myself a new filter tomorrow. I've sprayed carb cleaner around and revs change when I spray around back of carb. I can't see why though other than maybe my afterburn valve has a cracked hose. It's been that way for awhile now though. I can't find any other vacuum problems. And that still wouldn't explain the symptoms going away after turning the engine off for 15 seconds..

 

Thanks for the ideas fellas. I'm really hoping to get this sorted by Saturday and I'm clueless lol

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How can I check that it is venting properly 

 

I changed the fuel filter 3 to 4 years ago. About 25k miles on it.

 

What's really getting me is how it "resets" after shutting the car off for a moment, only to return one the throttle hits the trigger point.

The vent has a pretty large bore so it's actually unlikely that it is clogged, but it's easy access.  I am not entirely familiar with the ea82 layout but you could have some kind of obstruction between the carb vent and charcoal canister.  Assuming you have a canister.  So you just start from the carb vent and pull hoses checking until you get to the canister.  It could also be canister valve failure for that matter that isn't purging the canister, or none of that at all.

 

I would definitely change the filter.

 

The resetting effect is what makes me question the vent.  I had a van years and years ago that did the same thing, and if I remember correctly it was from the carb not venting and building up pressure in the fuel bowl.  That's my $0.02 but it could be other things.

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How's it look when eyeballing down the top of the carb running? She gushing fuel or is it barely visible?

Looking straight down the carb I only see fuel when I punch the throttle, and it's just a good, strong squirt. When warmed up the choke is WIDE open, I can not move it by hand, though I'm assuming that's normal.

 

The charcoal can, that's the big black thing bracketed in on the far left of the engine bay, right? Three or four vac lines coming out the top, one venting to atmosphere at bottom?

I'll try taking off those lines one by one after work today.

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You're talking when I peek down the carb? That's either time. When it is exhibiting the problem though, but still barely idling, I hear the carb sucking in a lot of air.

 

Got 2 fuel filters waiting for me at advanced auto when I get out of work. I've replaced the filter that's just after the fuel pump before, where is this other filter they're giving me? I know the spfi cars have one at the fire wall but pretty sure my carbie doesn't. Is there one on a fuel line by the carb?

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shouldn't have the second one for an EA82 carb.  just the one by the rear tire.  no harm in a second one though, I put an inline filter in the bay when i did my weber swap so I would have a place for the return line.

 

why is your idle so high?  your idling at 1100, when it should be around 800.  just wondering if the fuel mix is off and you have your idle increased to compensate.

 

is your carb fully stock or have you removed things in the engine bay (noticed the tape over the EGR light). 

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I've set the idle high. Right now in the video when the car idles at about 1100, that's it idling at its set idle speed.

 

Carb is fully stock. Tape on EGR (good eye) is just from when the light came on as scheduled at 50k miles. Just haven't gotten around to getting under the dash to reset it.

 

Fuel filter(s) are waiting for me at advanced. It's pouring out right now though...

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Last time I checked the timing it was spot on. That was about a year ago. The high draw noise you're talking about is the air sucking noise I described earlier right?

I only really hear that noise when the car is struggling to idle. You're suggesting that I adjust the high idle choke screw while the car is struggling to idle?

Just trying to keep a clear picture in my head and make sure I'm on the same page as anybody making suggestions. I'll be trying all this out tomorrow, including the filter replacements. I got two filters, one has only two ports on it, both at the top. Another has three. Two up top and one on the bottom. Ring a bell anybody? I don't remember what I put on the car, I'll see tomorrow.

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It's hard to say. It's not taking much throttle to make it happen. At what point would the secondary be beginning to open? In neutral just free revving?

 

I free Rev the motor steadily with light throttle to about 2700 to 3k. It's smooth and then it'll bog for a moment and then go right back to running smooth. The very brief bog is important because it's only after that one brief bog that the idle is then gone. You can see and hear that happen the last two or three times I show the car having the problem towards the end of the video.

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Also attached are the two fuel filters I got. Notice one has three ports, two up top, one in the bottom. I'm pretty sure the one on my car right now only has two ports like the other pictured filter.

post-29263-0-47660000-1398914110_thumb.jpg

post-29263-0-55887000-1398914182_thumb.jpg

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High idle out

 

Idle screw in

 

When warm choke open

 

It just seems like it's getting stuck on the high idle lobe... Revs raise past the point in the lobe releases drops to nothing... Tap gas lands back on the lobe fires back up

 

This was the fix for mine 6 months after I got it, drove me insane

 

Doesn't seem like fueling issue if your able to be speed racer, if it wasn't getting enough you'd flatten the bowl n she'd buck like mad till it caught back up

Edited by TallonX
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^Agreed, the secondary will try to open when you load the motor, like stepping in a bit around 25mph would get it bucking and sucking, and flatten the bowl. Very easy to do consistently.

+1 on getting stuck on the lobe, or something with that stupid double vacuum Hitachi system. Try to disable the choke vac, spray some cleaner in that. Also, inspect the hose connecting the back of the carb to the front (-it's on the pass. side) it will suck air at a certain stage if it's not airtight.

Edited by rrgrr
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