[DML] Re: Brass Idle Speed Screws

["therealdmcvegas" <DMCVegas@xxxx>]

--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Louie Golden <louie@xxxx> wrote:
> What's there to lose capping off the idle speed motor? You only seal it o=
ff 
with a vacuum cap, and adjust the idle speed screws to where your car idles=
 
the way you want. It literally takes less than a minute to undo. I've found=
that 
my car runs MUCH stronger, and idles infinitely more smoothly through the 
screw anyways. You could start my car twice in a row and it would always 
settle into a different idle through the ISM. That doesn't happen with the =
via 
the screws. This suggests that yes, my idle speed motor was fried... but wh=
y 
spend $300 for a new one when it will fail again in the future, and my car =

seems to be happier as is? 
<SNIP>

I just was discussing this off-list with another DML'er, but since we're on=
this 
discussion right now, I'll go ahead and share it with the rest of the group=
here.

Since I first got my car, I had the exact same problem with my car. Even wo=
rse 
though, because I would have to tap the gas pedal to knock the RPMs down if=
 
they settled too high. When letting off of the gas, the RPMs would fall way=
too 
fast, and would occastionally bog down the motor to the point where my 
alternator light would come on. And if the all electrical accessories were =
on, 
then the motor would totally stop. Even worse with the A/C. Just turning it=
on 
would create too heavy a load on the motor, and it would stall out. Ended u=
p 
swapping out an alternator, ISM, and the Idle Speed ECU. The problem STILL =

wouldn't go away!

As it turned out, the problem was the Microswitch for the Idle Speed Circui=
t. It 
wasn't making proper contact/ I tried adjusting the stop bolt on the thrott=
le 
armature, and that still didn't do a thing. I ended up bending bracket for =
the 
switch up to meet the stop bolt halfway. Enough so that the switch was 
pushed down almost all the way. VIOLA! The problem was instantly fixed!

Ever since then, my RPMs will quickly fall, but they no longer "drop" like =
the 
used to, and the idle never drops below 750±, and my headlights now stay 
bright at night (although a good amount of credit there must go to my 150am=
p 
alternator!), and now the idle only "hunts" for about 2 quick revs when col=
d.

Now if the manual by-pass on your car works, and you're happy with it, then=
 
by all means, go with what you're most comfortable with. However, for futur=
e 
referance, you might want to spend a few minutes making sure that the 
Microswitch is being fully depressed before ripping out/moddifying the enti=
re 
Idle Speed Ciruit. It's a helluva lot easier, and cheaper!

-Robert
vin 6585 "X"