unless I am a blind this is not in my haynes manual...I am wondering how I can adjust the idle on my 87SE five speed. I have put on a new AAV and the car is still not idling "right"....but it does not die on cold starts any more. The idle of my car when warm is usally 1100-1300...which I think is too high...its never below 1000. Is this normal and how do you adjust it? I think I remember reading that the idle should be around 800RPM?

 

does anyone know how to do this...bump

 

Sorry, been busy taking care of something, but was planning to post here. Anyway, Idle should be about 750-800 rpm with no load/no accessories on. When accessories on, idle should bump up to about 1000rpms. To adjust I believe what you need to do is disconnect the idle up solenoid harness (its right next to the solenoid) start the car and get it up to normal operating temp. Once that's there, you would rev the engine 2-3 times and then adjust the main idle screw. To the appropriate idle. Then you stop the motor, reconnect the idle up solenoid and start the motor again. It should be at what you set with all accessories off, you may need to tweak the idle up so it hovers around 1000 rpm with accessories (which I believe is the other screw). Hopefully I got that right, I will verify when I get home this evening in my chiltons/FSM.

S

 

ok sounds good...but I still have questions (because the haynes manual sux for the second gen)...where is the idle up selenoid? and where is the main idle screw?

 

If you look down at the passenger side of the intake manifold, you'll see the distributor, the solenoid is on the firewall side, attached to the manifold there. I can't remember which screw is which, but I think the biggest one there is the base idle adjustment screw, and the smaller one is the adjustment of how much the solenoid is suppose to kick up the idle.

S

 

I had the exact same problem, but i was automatic at the time. The solution? A new tps..well actually the tps from my 86 max wagon. Still My idle is at 1.1 without load and at around 700 with load. much better than 1.5, 1.6. Also u can adjust the Fast Idle Control Device. I had to end up disconnecting my F.I.C.D and air regulator.

-hector

 

Hector...your on a revival tour huh?

 

my maxima did the same idle problem over this summer, and after running every possible check and diagnostic in the Haynes and FSM and getting nowhere, I determined it was a vacuum leak causing it to run about 1200-1500 on idle. new lines went in, and bam, it ran the way it was supposed to. vacuum line is relatively cheap, so it may be worth your while to replace them.

the idle control is on the back of the intake manifold. it's a relatively small setscrew which can be adjusted with a slotted screwdriver. make sure that when you're adjusting the idle, that any unnecessary electrical things are turned off, otherwise your alternator will kick the idle up.

 

Hey what do u know...today I foudnd a vacum leak..the hose touched the exhaust and melted.
Still i wish i could lower it to 80 its like at 1 with no load. sometimes it goes crazy an goes to 1.3
-Hector

 

well hey... at least it helped a little bit!

now that I found the Nissan FSM for my 88 Maxima, I'll list their suggestions under the problem "Abnormal idling -- high idle (after warm-up)"...

specifications:
mixture ration (too rich)
ignition timing (too advanced)
intake system:
air duct (leaks)
throttle chamber (air leaks)
throttle valve (stuck control wire)
intake manifold (gasket) (air leaks)
air regulator (stuck open)
idle-up solenoid (remaining ON)
FICD solenoid (remaining on)
control system:
crank angle sensor
air flow meter
cylinder head temp sensor
idle switch (remaining OFF)
load switches (remaining ON)
others:
battery (voltage too low)