Low Idle Problem

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bj97301

New Member
I would like to start off by saying I am a nub when it comes to anything to do with cars and yes I did spend a long time searching to see if anyone has the same problem I am having. I am also sorry if I have posted in the wrong forum but this is where a lot of my search results came from. I would like to also say thanks ahead of time to anyone who is kind enough to help a nub like me. So now to the problem, I have a LS VTEC and there seems to be nothing at all wrong with it besides the fact that when the car is cold or is warming up it idles very low. On a typical cold day (about 40f) I have to start my car about 3 times before I can actually get it to stay on. After I start it up I have to keep my foot on the gas for about 15 mins or the rpms will drop really low and even shut the motor off. After about 15 mins pass of me putting my foot on the gas to rev it at about 1200 it will usually drop down to about 700 rpms if I press the gas in fast to rev it up to about 3k then let off it will drop to 300 or so and sometimes even go so low as to shut off even after 15 mins of idling. I should also let you know I have a random hose unplugged and I am not sure where it should go. I can take a picture of that hose if that would help at all. I was thinking about cleaning my fast idle thingy by the TB and have found a good tutorial on how to do that. Pleas keep in mind I have very little knowledge of my car, the parts that are in it and where they may be located so pictures and detailed descriptions are much appreciated. I will be more then happy to provide any information or pictures or even a sound file of what my car sounds like, if that helps. I should also let you know I am a very poor college student so any quick low budget fixes will be very helpful. Thanks again for any help.
 
Sounds like a normal cold start problem with the exception of having to hold the pedal down for 15 minuts, take a pic of the engine so we can see what hose you are talking about.
 
Sounds like a normal cold start problem with the exception of having to hold the pedal down for 15 minuts, take a pic of the engine so we can see what hose you are talking about.

Circled in white is the hose I was talking about. I am thinking it is from when I had an a/c in my car. ImageShack - Hosting :: imag0066vx6.jpg

I was looking around and I found some capped off hoses on the TB that I also took a picture of. The other hose isn’t so much visible but it is on the top right of the TB, also circled in white.
ImageShack - Hosting :: imag0067yj1.jpg
ImageShack - Hosting :: imag0068an2.jpg
I hope those pictures are helpful. If not I am more then happy to supply more information.
 


Circled in white is the hose I was talking about. I am thinking it is from when I had an a/c in my car. ImageShack - Hosting :: imag0066vx6.jpg

I was looking around and I found some capped off hoses on the TB that I also took a picture of. The other hose isn’t so much visible but it is on the top right of the TB, also circled in white.
ImageShack - Hosting :: imag0067yj1.jpg
ImageShack - Hosting :: imag0068an2.jpg
I hope those pictures are helpful. If not I am more then happy to supply more information.
No wonder you're idiling funny that top hose on you IM(Intake Manifold) should go to your PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) look under your fuel fail I think between the first and second runners of you IM right where the manifold bolts up to your engine and see if there is a hold there as well or a valve that's capped off or open. I don't know what that hose is in the 1st pic off the top of my head I would have to look in my engine bay to figure it out, but I'm bout to hop in the shower and go get my hair done (braided) so I might not reply until tomorrow
 
like thatguy4life said, you have to get that pcv hooked up so you will idle better, the hose you have circled in white is just an evap hose, it doesn't do anything, and the other thing you have circled (drivers side I/M toward firewall) is where your evap purge solenoid should be, some engines didn't use the purge sol. so that is why yours is capped, since there is no purge sol, and there is not even a hole drilled in that little outshoot directly above the capped hole, Iwouldn't even worry about it.
 
As far as your idle problem I would try cleaning the throttle body with some foaming throttle plate cleaner and a soft toothbrush, just spray the cleaner in the throttle body with the throttle closed (ENGINE OFF) and then let it sit for a few mins, then go in with the toothbrush and clean the carbon out, make sure you clean with the throttle plate open so you get as much as you can.
Its generally a big problem with newer chrysler/dodge vehicles, but it happens to all makes and models.
once you are done cleaning out the throttle body (dont forget to clean the back of the throttle plate too) just start the engine and let it clear out the rest of the loose carbon and any remaining cleaner.
 
No wonder you're idiling funny that top hose on you IM(Intake Manifold) should go to your PCV (
Positive Crankcase Ventilation) look under your fuel fail I think between the first and second runners of you IM right where the manifold bolts up to your engine and see if there is a hold there as well or a valve that's capped off or open. I don't know what that hose is in the 1st pic off the top of my head I would have to look in my engine bay to figure it out, but I'm bout to hop in the shower and go get my hair done (braided) so I might not reply until tomorrow

Well I did some looking round and I found another hose running from the yellow circled place, in the first picture, in between what I think is the first and second runner to the IM circled in yello in the second picture.
ImageShack - Hosting :: imag0075lv1.jpg
ImageShack - Hosting :: imag0069xl0.jpg
I should also let you know that the IM is not a standard/stock one for that motor so some of the hoses might not match up. Please correct me if I am wrong .
 
As far as your idle problem I would try cleaning the throttle body with some foaming throttle plate cleaner and a soft toothbrush, just spray the cleaner in the throttle body with the throttle closed (ENGINE OFF) and then let it sit for a few mins, then go in with the toothbrush and clean the carbon out, make sure you clean with the throttle plate open so you get as much as you can.
Its generally a big problem with newer chrysler/dodge vehicles, but it happens to all makes and models.
once you are done cleaning out the throttle body (dont forget to clean the back of the throttle plate too) just start the engine and let it clear out the rest of the loose carbon and any remaining cleaner.

Sounds good I will do that either tonight or tomorrow. I hope the extra carbon and cleaner wont do anything bad to my motor :). I was also thinking about cleaning my FITV if this does not work. I found this good tutorial on honda-tech.com, Honda-Tech.com: Acura Integra: *** How-To*** Clean Your FITV aka Fast Idle Thermo Valve . Thanks for the help, welfare and thatguy4life.
 
Hhmm it looks like your pcv is hooked up. The only thing I see is what welfare was talking about that red braided hose you have circled should be going to that top line on the Im that's capped off. On my car the line comes off of the top of the IM, goes into a what seems to be some kind of sensor, (I don't know what) that bolts onto my fuel rail, and then that hose that you have circled in the 1st pic connects to the other end of that same sensor, i'll take a pic tomorrow for you
 
Here you go, I just got off work and i'm tired so no time to edit the pictures and point out stuff, but you should be able to follow my previous post and see what's different on your car to mine.

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