Well I'm not sure what's happening... I'm starting to think maybe the gas was the issue all along and it's finally working itself out. I'm able to rev the **** out of it now and it usually calms to idle after. Still some smoking but not as much. Damn it sounds good when the rpms get up!

 

Welll done finally.

Stale fuel, that would be car #100,000 with that issue that has finally been supplied fresh fuel, and OOPS, it runs.

Still well done though.

With all the crap it has been through, that engine will take hours to settle, and being female, will NOT be rushed. So drive it, or if that is a no go, run it a few hours at a time for a few days, and let everything settle in its own way.

Nice fresh fuel as needed will be all it wants. Maybe consider an oil change very soon, as I reckon it will be rather contaminated.

 

Yeah it was strange... usually I could floor it and it just wouldn't get to upper rpms. Couple days ago I started it and gave it gas and it almost "popped" like something was clogged. It revved up and now just seems to want too go. My only fear is the catalytic converter has atf on it from my pan leak... that smokes a good bit even minutes after the car is off. I don't want that to light up! I know it has a high flash point but I'm guessing a cat could reach it?

 

I usually get a couple cans of p/pack degreaser, about $2.50 per can, and give the thing a wash down there, and hose it off.

All mine get that whenever I am under there for oil filter changes etc, and its just easier.

And at the constant blah, blah, blah, I regularly wash the engine and engine bay on all of them, leave it in the sun for an hour or 2, and start it to dry the rest, and move on. OK, when first in the fleet, that would have been the dumbest thing to do, but once my common sense sorting, and upgrades etc, no issues at all.

This has been my way since 1968 with the MK7, and back then I knew no better, just washed the engine etc, why not.

 

last time it was so caked on I took sandpaper to the catalytic. I'll get some degreaser. The engines all clean on the top. I simple greened it when I had everything out of the Vee. Stuff works good.

 

Well hopefully this is the last question on keeping this sucker running! I ohm tested the coolant temp sensor. Across the plug I got proper ohms. Hooked it up and got nothing at the ecu. I jumped the plug and low and behold the car stayed idling and didn't bog down... but it was idling real high like 1500... after a few minutes it started idling up and down which I imagine is the AAV shutting down the injectors and restarting them. So the question is... obviously I need a new coolant sensor but does that also mean the AAV is bad or just needs adjusting? To raise the idle you back the screw out correct?
im finally hopeful the beast is going to stay running!

 

Good find on the CTS.

The AAV only increases cold RPM and the idle adjust has no effect when cold. When warmed up, screw the idle screw in to lower or out to raise RPM.

Idling hunting like that is the ECU closed throttle fuel cut, and once you get RPM down this should go away.

 

nice, thanks. I'm going to try and set the idle lower in a bit and see how it goes. I know the screw was out really pretty far and I had already screwed it in a bit. It's still too far out

 

I've heard this multiple times. The idle screw has no effect when the engine is cold. But clearly that's not true. The idle screw passage isn't blocked by the AAV when it opens. Isn't it more accurate to say that the idle screw has very little effect compared to the AAV when the AAV is open? Or is there something I simply misunderstand?

 

The idle screw has no noticeable effect on my car from almost all the way in to all the way out. I tried this a few years ago as my cold idle is around 2000rpm.

I adjusted the screw so hot idle is 600rpm in gear. But my cold idle is still 2000rpm when I start the car.

 

Interesting.

I can definately adjust idle speed with the screw regardless of AAV status.

I wonder if this indicates an issue with my AAV? Long weekend, maybe it comes out and gets tested.

 

Could be, with the AAV fully open the air path through the AAV is so much larger than the bypass (RPM screw) that the screw does nothing, as the AAV closes the screw will have a greater effect.

Your AAV might not be opening fully. How far out is your idle adjust screw?