General Idle Control Valve

[steesh]

My 1998 1.6sx 16v has been playing up ever since i bought it, when it gets to the correct running temp the revs nearly drop right off when putting my foot on the clutch when coming to roundabouts etc.

I have tried numerous things to fix it and am at my wits end, im even thinking about selling the damn thing. I tried disconnecting the idle sensor at the weekend and it seemed to run better when hot, ie revs only dropped a little below 800 rpm once or twice but mainly the revs dropped to around 800 rpm and stayed there where it should be.

When the engine was cold it was a different story, before disconnecting the sensor the revs would either hit about 1100 and drop slowly as the engine warmed (which i believe is normal) or hit 2000 rpm and drop slowly as the engine warmed (which i believe isnt normal). With the sensor disconnected it hit about 300 rpm and then would cut out all the time until the engine warmed properly when it would then behave itself.

I have tried to get the whole sensor off but the screws are too tight. Is it worth continuing to solve this problem or should i cut my losses and buy another car :bang:

The list of things i need to change is mounting, lambda, idle sensor, etc etc, im getting a tad sick

 

[jug]

if you're that pist about it, get a diagnsotic done.

try cleaning the throttle body out with petrol first, and dont use the wrong size torx bits on the 2 bolts holding the ISCV actuator on, once they're rounded off you're buggered unless you grind the heads off.

 

[steesh]

I thought about a diag but i have read on here that sometimes they arent much cop, and im sure i read that from your good self

Ive heard of loads of things it could be and just when i thought ive solved it, up it pops again, on top of that some b'stards slashed both my rear tyres last week, £65 for two new ones, and now me handbrake cable has snapped a couple of days after i had the rear shoes replaced

I just cant go on...............

 

[jug]

if you use the fiat examiner smart, and you have a fully functioning brain, a diagnostic is great. but yes there are many things that will not produce a fault code, and while it is often possible to get a good idea of what is going on using real time data on the examiner, few dealers have staff with the skills and/or time to do this.

i agree that a fault like this is difficult to diagnose without looking at the real time data while the problem is happening.

your handbrake cable may have simply popped off either in one of the drums or under the exhaust headshield (likely considering recent work)

 

[steesh]

Just taken my idle control valve off and cleaned it, was a tad dirty, fitted it back on and the car seems ok now.

I shall wait a while before i say its fixed as this has happened before with other fixes and then its gone back to its old ways.

Also managed to pick up a lambda sensor off ebay for £11, looks new, said it had never been used, came in original box with price of £77 on it, just need a trolley jack so i can fit it now.

 

[steesh]

Oh and the handbrake thing still isnt fixed, i found an adjuster under the actual handbrake and tightened it, it now only clicks about 3-4 times but the brakes still dont bind enough to hold the car on hills

 

[jug]

your handbrake cable may have simply popped off either in one of the drums or under the exhaust headshield (likely considering recent work)

whip the drums off and have a look

 

[steesh]

Have done, and so has someone else who knows a bit more about cars, couldnt see much wrong, he wound them out so they were out as far as they could go and still be able to put drums on, but still wont bind enough, back to the garage that fitted the shoes me thinks....................

 

[jug]

remove the exhaust heat shield above the cat (well just behind it to be picky)
then you will probably see one of the cables has slipped out when the shoes were getting changed.

 

[steesh]

I've had enough, im going to sell it, ive put an ad on here in the classifieds section, i thought i had the idle problem sorted but it came back last night

So its farewell to the Brava and welcome to the car i should have bought in the first place, a BMW 520

 

[jug]

a 5 series beemer?! thats quite a change to a brava.

check the airbag light and transmission light both work as expected.

check elec windows work, they are the only real elec niggle you'd expect on the 5 series.

also make sure the engine is cold when you arrive, as the 520 often has power loss when cold. do your test drive before the engine has warmed up. if the owner has warmed it up before you get there, i would be suspicious.

check that the cooling fan does not come on quicker than expected. this would usually indicate the common radiator/thermostat fault which al the 5 series models suffer from. alternatively it could show the even more common water pump fault, which happens even on low milage examples due to a design fault on the pump.

 

[steesh]

Yeah, looking for full service history etc, only reason i bought the brava was because they cut my hours at work, so after buying it they then said i could have them back again!! Never mind, just like to say thanks for all your help over the past couple of months, this site has been really helpful