95bluse

iTrader: (1)

Hi guys, recently I noticed that my idle would drop down to around 500rpm as I came to a stop then climb to about 1k rpm and drop back to normal (about 650rpm), then surge to 1krpm and drop back to normal (it's a 5-spd). It was intermittent at first, so I cleaned the TB and tried some Cleens top End cleaner. Didn't work, and the behaviour got worse, I can feel it surging during city driving. I popped the hood and could hear the IACV intermitently clicking with a corresponding variation in idle speed. I tried to check for codes, that is when I noticed that the CEL would not come on while the IACV valve clicked! I noticed that the valve is making a whirring sound too. So I took it out and cleaned it with TB cleaner (dirty, but the car's got 242K miles). Put it back in...same story. When I try to check for codes now, all I hear is the valve clicking...the CEL may flash once briefly, but that's it. I got fed up and yanked the negative battery terminal an hour ago. Oh, BTW when I turn the car on, no matter how many ways I tried reset the screw on the ECU, the stupid valve keeps clicking. Oh...almost forgot that I disconnected the power to IACV and the CEL only flashes once.

Pappa Grande

Your ECU screw is broken. Therefore when you reset the CEL, you have to be very careful how far back you turn the screw. If the screw is not in the proper spot, you will experience the surging you are describing. It happened to me so bad that my car would just shut off. You need to turn the car on, and play with the screw until you get the revs to remain steady at 600-700 rpms.

95bluse

iTrader: (1)

Hey thanks for the input. I'll go and try that right now. Just wondering why the screw would "screw" up so suddenly? I haven't touched it in a long time and it does stop at the right detentes...unless the actual variable resistor is gummed up?

95bluse

iTrader: (1)

Good news and bad news. Pappa Grande,You're right about the screw!...I played around with it and managed to get it to display the 0505 code, then turned the screw until the CEL was solid & the IACV stopped clicking. Took her for a spin and when I got back home, the clicking was back and I couldn't get it to stop I turned on the car and tried adjusting the screw which does absolutey nothing unless I exert moderate pressure counter-clockwise which cause the idle to pick, but this dies down when i remove the screw driver. Sometimes I get so mad at this car, especially recently. I keep wondering if a toyota (had a corolla), Mazda (had a 626 turbo) or an Acura would've aged more gracefully. Looks like I'm stuck with a $%&*^%# .02 cent screw causing me no end of grief..damn..damn..damn

Pappa Grande

Hmmm. You should only get the clicking while turning the screw. Start the reset procedure from the start. Turn clockwise atleast three full rotations and then turn counterclockwise three rotations. Don't worry so much about the clicking. Just make sure that no CEL is blinking and that you have a steady RPM. That should be sufficient. I hope that you just haven't found a "sweet spot" yet.

95bluse

iTrader: (1)

I think it's more like 1 1/2turns each way. The screw still stops at the right marks, so the "screw-limits" aren't broken, but try as I might I can't get the tick-tick-tick to stop! I'm pretty sure the car is stuck in diagnostic mode, because of that stuoid screw. Tomorrow I'm off to buy and offset screwdriver set and removing that ECU. Then I'll open it and see what is causing that screw to not make proper contact. Maybe poke around and remap the ECU...hehe.

95bluse

iTrader: (1)

Wondering if anyone else had an issue with this screw and a workaround?