maf question

[Chriskaw440]

1990 SE 5 speed....first start of the day....for the first 20 seconds or so, it idles normally, a little fast...then it drops to sputtering...like it struggling to stay idling....once warmed up, it idles normally.

 

Does that sound like a MAF sensor going bad? I did remove it to clean it like described elsewhere here...very carefully....and I think that made it worse. With engine running, I just disconnected the

MAF and the engine died immediately....so it must be either working right or somewhat correctly.

 

Everything else has been replaced sensor and vacuum line-wise over the last year.

 

My other 'guess' is the EGR valve.....

 

ECU says "55" (all good)

 

thanks, Chris

[Precise1]

Can't hurt to check the EGR. I'm thinking it could be something with the cold idle valve. I believe that is what it is called on the TBI systems but we have something else. Sorry, I can't recall right now, to tired. I'll think about it...

 

Mine does run fine fo about 20 seconds, then drop and stumble for another 10-15 seconds and then the idle picks back up and smooths out. I'm not sure of the reason and haven't messes with it as it is not an issue.

 

B

[Chriskaw440]

Can't hurt to check the EGR. I'm thinking it could be something with the cold idle valve. I believe that is what it is called on the TBI systems but we have something else. Sorry, I can't recall right now, to tired. I'll think about it...

 

Mine does run fine fo about 20 seconds, then drop and stumble for another 10-15 seconds and then the idle picks back up and smooths out. I'm not sure of the reason and haven't messes with it as it is not an issue.

 

B

 

yeah your symptoms sound similar to mine. I'm just a bit frustrated because I replaced so much stuff and now its "complaining to me" with it's warm up period LOL.

 

I'm trying to remember if it was doing this stumbling BEFORE I cleaned the MAF or if it started after I cleaned it. Part of me things I should not have even messed with it.

 

thanks for your thoughts! -Chris

[Chriskaw440]

yeah your symptoms sound similar to mine. I'm just a bit frustrated because I replaced so much stuff and now its "complaining to me" with it's warm up period LOL.

 

I'm trying to remember if it was doing this stumbling BEFORE I cleaned the MAF or if it started after I cleaned it. Part of me things I should not have even messed with it.

 

thanks for your thoughts! -Chris

 

FINALLY figured it out. This weekend I finally took care of the coolant temp. sensor connection/harness...it was dryrotted/brittle/broken up for years and would never stay firmly connected

to the sensor and finding a new one is near to impossible so I simply took my dremel tool to the connector end and broke apart the remaining 'plastic' encasing the two wires, cut off the old female ends and attached new female connectors, put heat-shrink wrap around one of them so it would not accidently come in contact with the other one causing a short (since this a fabrication), installed the

new temp sensor, attached the new wire leads and wrapped in electrical tape.

 

Engine temperature reads normally now on the instrument panel gage (always read real cool even if it was over 100 deg outside) AND my random excessive high idle problem is gone. Normal idle is much smoother too.

 

that's all I did and the engine purrs like a kitten now. ....ok aside from some random rattle caused by a heat shield that's driving me nuts now!!!!

[Dowser]

Possible to snap a picture of the area you fixed up to give others an opportunity to look into this themselves if they have similar problems but lack the knowledge of where to look?

[Chriskaw440]

Possible to snap a picture of the area you fixed up to give others an opportunity to look into this themselves if they have similar problems but lack the knowledge of where to look?

 

yeah I thought about that....of course AFTER I did the fix but I can take the tape off and get a shot when I get some time away from my work here soon.

 

there are two coolant sensors on the neck/pipe, I'm referring to the larger one closer to the engine, typically has a YELLOW connector on the sensor and yellow connector on the electrical line(s) running to it.

 

(this is on a 1990 year se by the way so similar years would probably be about the same)

[joejk1]

ya there are two,one is the sensor and the other is the sender if you replaced the one closer to the engine its the sensor and would not affect the temp guage reading but would affect idle.