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Continuing idle issues with '95 EJ22 engine


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I'm still chasing around the idle idle issues on the '95 EJ22 that is sitting in my '97 LGT.

 

Ran fine previously, installed a '95 air tube (for improved airflow over the '97 resonator) and noticed the weird noise coming from the air tube along with slightly erratic idle. I figured I messed up a vacuum line connection somewhere, so I double checked the connections on my '98 wagon (where I also installed a '95 air tube) and everything was connected tight and correctly. I also replaced the original air tube and it still had the same symptoms).

 

I then pulled a P0505 code and the engine ran rough, like the ECU put it in limp mode. Cleared it and didn't come back for a while.

 

I also installed new spark plugs (gapped around .43), new NGK wires and did the MSD coil mod, but no change. I also replaced the PCV valve.

 

Now it's getting P0505 most anytime the car is started. The idle actually doesn't get any rough but a lot more erratic. I'll clear the code and it will smooth out somewhat, but idle still fluctuates, especially when in park.

 

Does this sound like I just need to remove and clean the IACV? Maybe an electrical problem? I've also checked for any loose or broken vacuum lines and replaced a couple of dried out lines.

 

I hate to take it to the mechanic, but can't really drive it when it's acting like this, so I'd love to fix it myself.

 

I did another video of the noise it's making plus the erratic idle for your listening pleasure :

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I've two ideas after hearing that video.

 

Sounds like you've been through the intake system pretty thoroughly, but is there an obstruction in it somewhere that is flopping around? You can remove the airbox where it joins the MAF. Does it still do it with that part of the system removed?

 

Do you have an obstruction flopping around in your front cat? It would be loud and it wouldn't run right at all, but you could take out the front O2 sensor and see if there is a lot of pressure blowing out the hole. A better test would be to manage to connect your rear O2 to the front O2 wiring harness so the car can at least run, and then fit a pressure gauge into the front O2 hole and see if you have something more than about 1/2 psi.

 

You could also try just holding on to different parts of the intake plumbing to see if you can feel it, or if it stops when you hold a certain place.

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Did you inspect the accordion portion really well? They tend to crack and leak in the lower valleys. Also do you have an EGR and can you see it open and close when you rev up the motor? Also, did you degrease or clean the motor after replacing the spark plugs? Because it also kind of sounds like you have water in the spark plug tubes
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Makes no difference which air tube I use and neither the original one or the '95 air tube have any leaks or damage.

 

There was oil in the spark lug tubes (haven't degreased the motor or cleaned it). The old plugs just had some normal deposits, but decided to replace them anyway. It does have an EGR- I'll have to see if I can see it open and close.

 

Also, I did remove the airbox, but the noise and uneven idle continued (the noise was a lot louder as the airbox was muffling it before. Not sure if there would be any issues with either of the cats- if there was, wouldn't I be getting a different code (like P0420)?

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You don't have to completely remove the IACV to see if it's stuck. Take off the PCV valve hose and unscrew the top of the IACV. Pop it off and twist the shaft to see if it is sticky. If it's hard to twist it needs to be cleaned.

 

There is another vacuum hose that connects to the IACV. Pop that off and then you can spray some carb cleaner in the port and twist the IACV back and forth to clean it up.

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The latest on this saga is- I disconnected the alternator belt as I was hearing a little whine and I wanted to isolate it, started the car and it idles fine. I put the belt back on and the crappy idle and load noise in the intake all came back...

 

So maybe a grounding issue, or maybe the alternator is overcharging (voltage too high) ?

 

I know the alternator is doing its job because 3 starts without it hooked up killed the battery pretty quickly.

 

Here's a video clip- first with it running well with the belt off, then running poorly with the belt back on:

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Measure the voltage on the alternator when the car is idling and when you increase the rpm. Should never exceed 14.4 volts (give or take a few tenths).

 

And when checking the alternator and pump, also check for any play. Sometimes it's the tail end bearing that's going in the alternator, and that can lead to strange problems, among them bad contact with the rings feeding the rotor in the alternator.

 

Also check the crankshaft pulley since the harmonic damper may be getting bad.

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Problem solved. I purchased a couple of used IACV's from someone and they arrived today. I went ahead and installed one of them (I already had a new gasket) and the idle is now fine. The idle did spike up for a second a couple of times when first starting the car, but didn't repeat when I ran it again (maybe the ECU and the new IACV had to get acquainted).

 

At first I was a little intimidated by the job as the IACV had a lot of stuff in the way. Once I removed the PCV hose (which split due to age, but I got a new piece of hose for it) removed the two coolant lines, and was able to get a socket on the 3 mounting bolts, the rest was easy

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  • 2 months later...

Update- all has been well with the idle and the way the car has been running the past couple of months.

 

Checked the car over before taking it on a 50 mile to visit our middle son (and the '98 GT) in college. I was showing my youngest son (who is getting this car when he gets his license) how to check transmission fluid. I had him start the car and heard a bit of fluctuation in the cold idle but didn't think much of it.

 

Now we are 20 miles into the trip with the kid at the wheel. While stopped at a little we notice the car is no longer running. Starts it and we go on our way with no other issues on the way to our destination.

 

We got to leave that evening, and the car stalled at every stop sign, until my wife took over (the poor kid was getting flustered). She gave it a little gas at each stop on the way home so it wouldn't stall but it was fine by the time we got home.

 

The next day I started it up and cold idle was fast and fluctuating some. Hit the accelerator and engine died instead of lowering the idle to normal speed. Then the idle was about normal and no stall when I drove it.

 

My wife and son both drove it today (was fine for her and stalled twice for him).

 

I've had no CEL's or codes. I checked over for any loose vacuum lines since we'd just been under the hood before it started doing this.

 

Should I pull the IACV and try to clean it in case a piece of crud broke loose and is sticking in there? Definitely different than last time (as no stalls last time, just weird idle and popping noise in the intake tube). I doubt the used IACV would all of a sudden fail on its own after working great for 2 months after I installed it.

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My friend was having trouble with his OBD I Monterro stalling at lights like this. He seems to have fixed it by cleaning the connector pins at the MAF. I don't know if that will help you, but it does sound like an intermitant electrical problem.
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Should I pull the IACV and try to clean it in case a piece of crud broke loose and is sticking in there? Definitely different than last time (as no stalls last time, just weird idle and popping noise in the intake tube). I doubt the used IACV would all of a sudden fail on its own after working great for 2 months after I installed it.

 

if it is more prone while cold to have the issues i would clean it for sure, gummed up mechanism is much more likely to be slow reacting when cold. used or not, could be an issue.

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if it is more prone while cold to have the issues i would clean it for sure, gummed up mechanism is much more likely to be slow reacting when cold. used or not, could be an issue.

 

Actually happens either cold or warm, but rather sporadically. I'm wondering if some gunk in the intake manifold got loosened up when I replaced the IACV and is making it stick. I'm thinking of trying my other replacement IACV on it this weekend and spraying cleaner inside the manifold while it's out.

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So today I pulled it into the garage. I sprayed electrical contact cleaner on MAF connector (no difference).

 

I then removed the air intake and sprayer some carb cleaner in the throttle body and wiped it out the best I could without removing it. Definitively was some gunk in there. I also prayed some MAF cleaner on the MAF since the air tube was off. Put it all back together and no start. It sputters a little but doesn't catch.

 

I went ahead and removed the IACV and installed my spare. In dong so, I cleaned out inside the manifold and found a quite a bit of my carb cleaner in there, so I soaked that up, put the other IACV on and no difference. I also, threw my spare MAF on, and still no change.

 

All vacuum hoses are hooked back up (although I'm not sure how tight the IACV hose connects and it's not in the best shape, which could be part of the issues I've been having- need a new hose to be sure). I sprayed quite a bit of carb cleaner in there, but i got a lot out and I'm thinking after a while ity would work its way though and it would start.

 

Stumped by this one...

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You can try to clear flood by holding the gas all the way down and then cranking, but a flood would self clear overnight.

 

Should be vacuum or electrical connection. Maybe something pulled loose that you didn't specifically remove?

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I went back at it today. Still no start. One other thing I wanted to do was replace the fuel filter (new one arrived from Rock Auto yesterday). I was also wondering if it were a fuel issue since after all that cranking I wasn't really smelling any gasoline smells.

 

I loosened the the fuel lines form the filter and a little gas squirted out. Removed the filter and realized "I don't think there's supposed to be anything rattling around inside the filter". Put new filter in. I cranked for a while and it finally kicked over. I took it for a ride and the idle was pretty good. I'll have to try again from a cold start but hoipefully the issue is fixed this time.

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  • 3 weeks later...

And so it returns. Shortly after the fuel filter replacement and installation of IACV # 3, I noticed the 2500 idle at cold startup returned as did the flucuating idle. My wife went to drive it one morning and it threw the P0505 (IACV) code after she started it and sputtered a lot (she drove something else that day).

 

I cleared the code again and this time I decided to replace the hoses from the IACV to the intake tube. I found 7/8" I.D. heater hose was a perfect fit. After this, the sputtering noise from the intake tube returned as well as the fluctuating idle.

 

Next my mechanic gave it a through throttel body cleaning but no change. My son wnt to drive it today, and as soon as we got it on the street it threw the code again and ran horribly.

 

After clearing the code again, I decided to pull the wiring off the IACV to see if the engine would die. Instead the idle sped up and was steady while the idle became very rough. Interestingly the sputtering noise disappeared as well, so it does seem IACV related. Not really sure where to go next. My mechanic suspects maybe a fuel pressure or flow issue could be causing other issues so he may check the fuel pressure.

 

I had another thought- could there be any potential issues if an OBD1 engine were installed in a '97 with OBD2? Since I don't know what '95 model this engine came from, it could have been an Impreza which was still OBD1 in '95- just a thought. Since I bought it after the swap, I don't know if any engine parts had been swapped, but I believe the complete '95 engine was swapped in.

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