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Idling Issues! Super frustrated.
Topic Started: Sep 16 2013, 10:31 AM (2,198 Views)
bluemister2
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any update on this? the one i bought sounds similar and id like to know what you found to be the problem.
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truckjohn


Curious if you checked the actual idle speed with a tach.... Just to see what it's actually reading....

Thanks
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macuserman
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Quote:
 
Curious if you checked the actual idle speed with a tach.... Just to see what it's actually reading....


I have not I don't have a tach in it yet although the one I purchased is supposed to be shipping on the 17th.. It's coming from Canada so it may be a little bit before I get my hands on it.

Quote:
 
any update on this? the one i bought sounds similar and id like to know what you found to be the problem.


So far I haven't made any progress on it so far:

I have changed the spark plugs again because its cheap and I wanted to make sure they did it right.

I have changed the distributor cap for a nicer one and scrapped the burn spots off of the button.

I also checked every single vacuum line and made sure they were secure. Then I sprayed starter fluid around quite liberally and confirmed that it made no impact on the revs.

I also have tried running 100% gasoline premium fuel from a more reputable station in it just to see if I got a bad batch of fuel a couple times (I always buy from the cheapest place).

It seems to be running a little bit better but it still gets the shakes although it seems to be much worse in the evening so I'm starting to think that the temperature may be involved somehow. I have noticed that my engine temp at idle will climb past the middle causing the fan to come on and then cool it back down repeatedly. In the past I don't recall it ever doing that.

I'm still trying things, but so far no luck. If there is anyone in my area who would like to meet up and take a peek at it and let me know if I'm going crazy I'd be ok with that too. :)

I'm going to do an oil change next just to see if that helps. Although it should have pretty fresh oil in it since the head job was just done recently and it uses some oil anyways.
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Old Man


have you done a compression check since the head job? If not then do one and get back and let us know the readings.

Compression check "How To":
http://geometroforum.com/topic/5015648/1/#new
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macuserman
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Quote:
 
have you done a compression check since the head job? If not then do one and get back and let us know the readings.



The shop I took it too who did the "tune up" said they did and the compression was fine. I will see if I can find a way to rent or buy a tester so I can verify it myself.


I took it down to have the alternator tested because a few people I have talked to said I should check that but apparently my battery is bad so they can't check the alternator till I fix that. I hadn't wanted to buy a new battery because it holds a charge unless you don't drive it for a week and a half or so. So I'm going to bite the bullet and get a new one so I can check the alternator.
Edited by macuserman, Oct 11 2013, 09:39 AM.
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truckjohn


he he....
When I asked about a tach - I was thinking more about the handheld doo-hickeys you hook to the #1 sparkplug wire and the battery....
Put me on the list for "Wish I had a tach installed in my geo" too....

Thanks
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macuserman
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truckjohn
Oct 11 2013, 03:17 PM
he he....
When I asked about a tach - I was thinking more about the handheld doo-hickeys you hook to the #1 sparkplug wire and the battery....
Put me on the list for "Wish I had a tach installed in my geo" too....

Thanks
Ah ok I didn't realize thats what you meant. I didn't even know they made those. I thought you had to do a cluster swap... I have a Turbo 3 cluster coming I'm planning to swap in if my wires line up right. I think they should I just haven't done a cluster swap before.

In other news I got a new battery and installed that and now my issue is much much worse. It was bad enough that the guy next to me at the parts store noticed and was like hey your car is missing.... So its much more pronounced now and I'm pretty positive it's just completely missing at an idle.

Oh well I needed a new battery anyways. Now I don't have to worry about if it will start if I don't drive it everyday. :thumb



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pvr007
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Test you ignition Coil. Thats my guess.
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Vkhelldog
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Did you ever check all your grounds?
Edited by Vkhelldog, Oct 11 2013, 11:43 PM.
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macuserman
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Vkhelldog
Oct 11 2013, 11:43 PM
Did you ever check all your grounds?
I have tried to check the grounds, I'm not sure I found them all though. I only found 3 the one on each side by the lights and the one on the transmission. I'm not sure where the other one's are... I spent some time looking for one behind the throttle body but I couldn't figure out where it was supposed to be.

Quote:
 
Test you ignition Coil. Thats my guess.


Someone else told me to check that recently also. Is there any way to check it without just buying a new one?
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macuserman
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I checked the coil and the connection seemed really corroded and nasty so I went ahead and bought a new one. It seemed to make a decent improvement in how smooth it runs, but it made no improvement on my idling issues/it is still missing best I can tell.

Posted Image

Since I put on a new coil I went ahead and pulled all the spark plugs back out and looked at them they are (1,2,3) in the photo. Looks like the number one plug has more wear than the others, those plugs are only a week old not even quite actually. There was no new build up on the cap or rotor button everything else looks good. I ohm checked all the plugs and they were 4.5 and all my plug wires came out the same around 8. something ohms. I didn't like how the number one plug was looking so I put one of the best plugs I had saved from before back in after I gapped it because it was better looking that that new plug.

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Still no improvement so I'm going to buy a compression tester and see what numbers I get. I'm just going to get the cheapest thing I can find at wally world, hopefully that will be good enough to give a rough idea. I'll report back when I get that done.


Edited by macuserman, Oct 13 2013, 03:49 PM.
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Deleted User
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I think I see a crack in the center electrode ceramic on the #1 plug. Take a closer look. Cracked ceramics will cause a miss at idle every time.
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Woodie
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Looks to me as if your #2 cylinder isn't doing anything at all.

Here's where the most important ground in the entire car is:

Posted Image


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macuserman
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Quote:
 
I think I see a crack in the center electrode ceramic on the #1 plug. Take a closer look. Cracked ceramics will cause a miss at idle every time.


I think it may just be an optical illusion, I checked over them pretty good. I'll double check it though.

Quote:
 
Looks to me as if your #2 cylinder isn't doing anything at all.


I was wondering if that was abnormal for typical wear. I thought they should be more similar. Not sure what to check for at this point though I've replaced most of the ignition system.

I'm not sure how related it is, but I assume that when you said
Quote:
 
Here's where the most important ground in the entire car is:
you were referring to the big red circle in the picture. On my car this is where that bolt is...

Posted Image

However if something is supposed to be connected to it I can't find the other end of it. I've looked for loose wires everywhere. Where should the other end of it be attached at? It doesn't even have a bolt in it, so I need to find out what size bolt it is if I'm going to hook anything to it.
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macuserman
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I finally was able to get a compression tester. I think I may have done the test wrong though because it seems really off.

I got 120 on all cylinders dead on. When I did the "wet" test it was more like 121, I did have a hard time getting the oil down in the holes though so that may have been part of it. That number is quite low, but really consistent which is kind of confusing to me. I actually did the test twice just to make sure. Am I doing something wrong, I removed all the spark plugs and the coil wire, screwed the tester in as tight as I could get it and cranked it for 8 seconds till the needle stopped going up, with the clutch and throttle pushed all the way in.

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