Technical Barchetta Hunting on idle

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Technical Barchetta Hunting on idle

Quackdude

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Mar 25, 2007
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Hi,
I've just changed the variator and cam belt on my newly aquired Barchetta and now the engine tends to hunt on idle. Just before the engine slows enough to stall, it'll sudenly pick-up and run at normal idle, before starting to die again. Very similar symtoms to that experienced by Mad Matt in an earlier thread - possible fuel system problem. Engine tends to die/stall when coming upto the traffic lights etc!
This is a low milage engine and as the variator was making the diesel sound when I bought the car, I don't know if the unstable idle is due to me getting the timming a tooth out some how (the car appears to run fine when driven and revs freely) or if the problem has always been there, only masked by the variator problem. Engine now sounds sweet apart from the idle!
So far I've replaced the spark plugs and thoroughly cleaned the throttle body but neither of these has made any differance.
Any thoughts would be much appreciated.
 
Thanks,
I've already had the idle valve off and it all looks OK. However it does not shut completely. You can still blow a small amount of air through the valve with it disconnected (leakage) - lots when you push on the actuation rod (solnoid removed). Should it seal tight?
Doesn't appear to have any other air leaks?
 
The problem is more apparent when the engine is hot, however it starts fine.
 
Dear Quackdude,
Your problem is very similar to what I have been experiencing lately.
I sprayed some carb cleaner in the butterfly and till now all look good.
I am very interested in finding the proper solution to this though, cause what i have done is rather not convincing, at least psychologicaly for me :p
Keep us posted if you come down with anything and best of luck!
 
i had the same come to stop engine goes below idle then recovers
clean the butterfly with a cleaning spray gave good spray down the throttle body the car drives so smooth now and responsive but every now and then does get a bit hesitant and hard work at low revs in town hard to explain but you try to drive the car the normal way and you have to adjust quick or you might stall does this make sense i am trying to describe what i feel sometimes when i drive the car its one of the reasons i like the car it means your car gets attention
 
Hi club,
appologies for not getting back sooner with progress on this problem but I've been on other things for a week or two.
Today I've used a whole can of carb cleaner. It must be good stuff judging by the amount of black that it takes out.
I changed the fuel filter - just in case!
I completely removed the throtle body and have scrupiously cleaned it and the idle regulation valve.
Removed the air metering unit, inspected for any dirt etc. nothing found so reassembled.
Reassembled the whole lot and ------------ It's exactly the same as before.
I've noticed that the the car is more prone to stalling when changing down through the box. Reversing into the drive is a nightmare!

Just a thought but could it be an individual coilpack? The engin is defenetly missing on idle (rough) and extremly low throttle openings but runs absolutly fine beyond that.

Any more ideas greatfuly apreciated.
 
Sorry to hear it didn't work.

Not sure about the coil pack, some of the early V8 BMW's suffered from oil seeping into the spark plug recess & the coil pack would short as a result, but I would imagine that you would have noticed if they were oil filled.
 
I'm having the same problem too! I've tried carb cleaner and I've tried petrol cleaner.

Strange thing is it always works well for e few days after the service. It isn't terrible, it's just not nice , and once in a while ot gets better or worse by itself.

In fact, on Friday it stalled on me turning into a road, but today it was quite a lot better.

Matt.
 
You mean something like "That's amore" ?

Well, I tried:

In Napoli where love is king
When boy meets girl here's what they say

When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella

and now she won't start at all!
 
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Well "italian tuning" is a bit different:D .You accelarate the car by going the first 3 gears (at least) up to the rev limiter.Be carefull to have clear road ahead of you and no police around(cameras also)!!!By doing that the engine cleans all the depposits of the city "stop and go" driving.



Alan.D thats what you mean or i am wrong?
 
You mean something like "That's amore" ?

Well, I tried:

In Napoli where love is king
When boy meets girl here's what they say

When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella

and now she won't start at all!

There's a diver's version of that:

Put your hand in a crack, you don't get it back,
That's a Moray

It's been a long day!!
 
Cool... I'll sing that the next time she won't start!:D

BTW, have you checked that theres no cracks in the flexable air intake going to the throttle body?

Mine split and it was hell to drive after that....

Jim
 
You mean something like "That's amore" ?

Well, I tried:

In Napoli where love is king
When boy meets girl here's what they say

When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie
That's amore
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine
That's amore
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling
And you'll sing "Vita bella"
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay
Like a gay tarantella

and now she won't start at all!

PMSL :D :D :D
 
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