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Idle Surging Up & Down; Spark Plug popped out and thereafter came this problem
Topic Started: Jan 18 2014, 02:56 PM (3,729 Views)
djflip81
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So i drove over a speed bump to fast and my car started driving horribly! I am not a mechanic so I had to drive 30-45 mins to my mechanic's garage to get the problem fixed. He then told me my spark plug came out and after he fixed the problem my geo started a new issue. Now at idle it surges up & down and it also takes a while to come down in rpms coming to a stop. What did driving with my spark plug out for that long do to my car? I don't have a check engine light on but i'm wondering could it be the TPS or something else that got damaged while driving with that spark plug out for sooooo long? PLEASE HELP!!!??? :(
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m4ick
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Sounds like maybe a vacuum line got knocked loose somewhere, do you hear any hissing under the hood?
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djflip81
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ok anything else it might be...matter of fact could you give me all of the possibilities?
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m4ick
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I can tell you the high idle was probably not caused by driving without the plug. Most likely something happened at the mechanic's shop, if that's the case it's most likely a vacuum line left disconnected, an old vacuum line finally tore, or a sensor's electrical plug got disconnected.

To give you every possible thing that could cause a high idle I don't think would be very helpful, for example the water lines going to the throttle body can become clogged and the throttle body won't warm up to temp, but that most likely wouldn't happen overnight.
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Highwayman
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On the back side of the throttle body pointing down amongst where the heater hoses connect to the intake manifold is a electric solenoid with two vacuum hoses attached and an electrical connector it is called a Vacuum switching valve. It controls operation of the EGR valve when the engine is not warmed up. If you have a EGR valve, the symptoms of surging and high idle will happen if this valve comes unplugged or gets plugged up or burns out. If the thermostat is bad or not high enough temperature the computer will send confused instructions to both the throttle body cold idle system and EGR VSV. Check for unplugged temp sender on passenger side of intake manifold, unplugged VSV or vacuum hose off from either end, or a big vacuum leak (hose off)
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Since1990
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Highwayman
Jan 18 2014, 08:53 PM
On the back side of the throttle body pointing down amongst where the heater hoses connect to the intake manifold is a electric solenoid with two vacuum hoses attached and an electrical connector it is called a Vacuum switching valve. It controls operation of the EGR valve when the engine is not warmed up. If you have a EGR valve, the symptoms of surging and high idle will happen if this valve comes unplugged or gets plugged up or burns out. If the thermostat is bad or not high enough temperature the computer will send confused instructions to both the throttle body cold idle system and EGR VSV. Check for unplugged temp sender on passenger side of intake manifold, unplugged VSV or vacuum hose off from either end, or a big vacuum leak (hose off)
What a coincidence: my '98 has been doing the same thing! For over a year, in fact.

I would think a vacuum leak would cause a consistently high idle, rather than one that hunts up and down.

I've never checked the EGR on mine in 16 years and 87000 miles (bought it new). Never even removed the air cleaner assembly. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe not. I know I'm burning more gas at idle, but my fuel economy is about where I expect it to be in mid-winter all the same. Don't really drive it enough miles to worry about fuel economy.

From reading around this site the EGR appears to be a fairly common fault. I'm a little surprised it hasn't called notice to itself before, but this would seem the most likely culprit in my case.
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m4ick
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Since1990
Jan 22 2014, 12:52 AM
Highwayman
Jan 18 2014, 08:53 PM
On the back side of the throttle body pointing down amongst where the heater hoses connect to the intake manifold is a electric solenoid with two vacuum hoses attached and an electrical connector it is called a Vacuum switching valve. It controls operation of the EGR valve when the engine is not warmed up. If you have a EGR valve, the symptoms of surging and high idle will happen if this valve comes unplugged or gets plugged up or burns out. If the thermostat is bad or not high enough temperature the computer will send confused instructions to both the throttle body cold idle system and EGR VSV. Check for unplugged temp sender on passenger side of intake manifold, unplugged VSV or vacuum hose off from either end, or a big vacuum leak (hose off)
What a coincidence: my '98 has been doing the same thing! For over a year, in fact.

I would think a vacuum leak would cause a consistently high idle, rather than one that hunts up and down.

I've never checked the EGR on mine in 16 years and 87000 miles (bought it new). Never even removed the air cleaner assembly. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe not. I know I'm burning more gas at idle, but my fuel economy is about where I expect it to be in mid-winter all the same. Don't really drive it enough miles to worry about fuel economy.

From reading around this site the EGR appears to be a fairly common fault. I'm a little surprised it hasn't called notice to itself before, but this would seem the most likely culprit in my case.
The vacuum leak does cause a high idle, when I was having issues with my Geo when I first got it I had left a vacuum line disconnected and it did that exact same thing. The idle is high, for some reason the computer decides to open the IAC (probably based on previous keep alive memory), it goes way too high, then the computer closes the IAC again and it goes back down to just high. Then again, I can't remember if that was before or after I had cleaned my EGR (it was completely clogged in every orifice.

Same thing happened on my friends Honda after I changed out the alternator, one vacuum line was left loose and up and down, up and down, up and down went the idle.
Edited by m4ick, Jan 22 2014, 11:48 AM.
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LesCrapp
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Legend

There are some threads on here about surging idle in my case the grounds on the back of the throttle body both sets had to clean and re-seat them then disconnect the battery for 3 minutes to reset the ECU then check that the TPS has 1 volt or slightly less closed not running if it has more the ECU will think that the throttle is being pressed hence no good idle. Just my two cents worth....
p.s. look for the other threads on here also and good luck took me a couple of times to get it right also make sure battery voltage is not low below 10volts the ECU will try to reset and search for idle.
and....... DONT have any thing on fans, lights, radio and do not touch the pedals except clutch after ECU reset. :oshit It will take about two or three minutes for it to learn defaults.
Edited by LesCrapp, Jan 22 2014, 06:15 PM.
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mwebb
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FOG

the word is "surge"
it is caused by decel fuel cutoff

when the ECM sees engine rpm hi and throttle closed , the ECM assumes you are coasting down hill with foot off of the air pedal
so
the ECM shuts of fuel until it sees rpm drop below about 1200 rpm when it does
the ECM enables fuel ... until the ECM sees rpm hi and then

repeat repeat ....

low coolant can cause this or clogged little coolant lines to the throttle body or a vacuum leak or choice C
anything else EXCEPT stuck open throttle as the ECM does see closed throttle as it is 1 needed parameter to enable
decel fuel cutoff

the IAC itself could be stuck open as it is a throttle bypass ... see related threads in the archives in this very forum
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calrenman
Just another wrench.

Also You may wish to check the PCV valve. My "O" ring was fossilized to the point of breaking like hard plastic. Change that puppy if you have not done so yet. Doing so helped with a morning surge problem that I had.
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truckjohn


Add to that list a bad Engine coolant temperature sensor....
It will cause the engine to think it's too cold... and so it runs up the idle to fast idle...

You could also have a thermostat sticking open... Causing the engine to cool down too much - and run up the idle...
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yummybacon


I have looked hight and low for a new IAC with no luck.Does anyone have a line new ones?
As of now mine is plugged off and my surging has stopped so I will need a new one.One question do I need one at all? My car is running great with out one.
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t3ragtop
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Turbo3 and Twincam Tweaker

http://www.ebay.com/itm/89-94-SUZUKI-SWIFT-93-94-GEO-METRO-1-3L-IACV-IDLE-AIR-CONTROL-IAC-18117-60B10-/221428523884?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item338e2b236c&vxp=mtr#ht_174wt_902
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yummybacon


t3ragtop
May 2 2014, 01:58 PM
I did see that as well,my hope was to replace the broken one with a new one not a used one.
Thanks
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