crazy idle FIXED!!

[pdx 528e]

EDIT: The wire inside the harness connector had come unsoldered, so there was no voltage coming to the ICV.. I'm going to solder it and start the car up.. seems too obvious not to be the problem. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction guys!

I've pulled the original valve cover before, and re installed with the existing gasket without any problems. I painted up a valve cover from the junk yard, and installed it yesterday. oops, I should have purchased a new gasket before doing this. Oh well. A few tiny parts of the gasket got stuck to the cover this time. The new cover installed, yielded a car that would start and die. I put the old cover back on, and the idle now hunts and searches until warm, and then once warm, it idles at 3000 RPM, which I can bring down to 1300 RPM by removing the oil cap. Not really driveable!!

Anyway Im getting a new breather hose, VC gasket, ICV and CSV mount gasket, and any other related rubber on Monday. Oh, and those little blind end plugs that sit at the ends of the rocker shafts. While I'm waiting, I thought id ask you guys if you think I disturbed any other engine components that could be causing this, in other words... more than just a vacuum leak going on here?

I only touched the spark plug wires, REF and SPEED sensor wires, ICV and CSV wires, and removed the breather hose, carbon canister hose? (it has a fitting to disconnect right over the valve cover on the M20) I have checked and double checked all of those items, and im not seeing any problems except a really minor valve cover gasket leak.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Chris, driving a diesel benz till its fixed.


[Edit by pdx 528e on [TIME]1108949147[/TIME]]

[the Tanned One]

Chris, re-check the idla control valve Thats part of my problem Did you find another 323 head ?? Randy/Fla.

[Madhungarian]

If you disconnect the idle control valve electrical wire, idle should go high as you describe. If there is no difference that is the problem

[pdx 528e]

[QUOTE="the Tanned One"]Chris, re-check the idla control valve Thats part of my problem Did you find another 323 head ?? Randy/Fla.[/QUOTE]

Yep, hours after that ebay auction ended for some 316 dollars plus shipping, I was contacted by someone in Alaska who happens to have a 731 head in decent shape laying around. He shipped it for 260 dollars total. Needs exhaust and intake studs, and a cam gear... and the basic work.

[QUOTE="Madhungarian"]If you disconnect the idle control valve electrical wire, idle should go high as you describe. If there is no difference that is the problem[/QUOTE]

Disconnecting it had no effect, i was madly trying to bring down the idle as 3000 is noisy for the neighborhod, so i disconnected that, and the O2 sensor with little effect, but introducing a vacuum leak brought it down very rapidly. Is it possible to damage the ICV in handling it?? All I did was remove and install it.

I'll test the ICU and ICV tomorrow, and try to come to some resolution. Thanks for the advice guys, I need to stop overlooking the obvious.

[pdx 528e]

The wire inside the harness connector had come unsoldered, so there was no voltage coming to the ICV.. I'm going to solder it and start the car up.. seems too obvious not to be the problem. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction guys!