e30 stalling instead of idling -> now won't start

[jcerecke 2]

Ok. Crap.

Monday morning, I went to drive to school, everything's good then once the car has warmed up and idle drops to normal speed, instead of idling when I put my foot on the clutch or put her into neutral, it just stalls. I can start it up straight away again, and hold it just above idle with my foot on the accelerator and then away I go. But next set of lights, it stalls again.

On my way home from school that day, again the same thing, worked fine until the engine warmed up and idling revs dropped and it starts stalling. As I was moving along, I put it in second gear and took my foot off the accelerator, and it slows down like it normally would, but when the revs dropped to where it would normally idle and continue to move forward, the revs kept dropping until it stalled again.

So in my infinite wisdom, I decided to open the AFM cover up and move the little circuit board over so that the contacts would be on a fresh bit of graphite, put it back together with some new screws and now it won't start at all. All the contacts on that board look to be contacting, but I don't have a multimeter on me to test anything.

I did notice that a hose sort of looks cracked. Not sure if it's a vacuum one or not. This is a picture (not of my car) of the thing the hose attaches to. Looking at it from the picture's point of view, it is the hose on the far side.

I have also opened up the cover underneath the backseat and jiggled the connector and everything feels nice and tight fitting there. Taken the fuel pump relay out and listened to the noise things make, and I can hear the fuel pump wizzing when I turn the key to ON.

[dubman 39]

thats a fuel pressure regulator, and thats a vacuum hose attached to it. I replaced my one on the m40 and it helped out alot.

[Lucan 196]

New AFM before anything, taking the cover off and playing with the contacts probably wasn't a good idea.

Sounds like a vacuum leak though, What else have you tinkered with?

[jcerecke 2]

New AFM before anything, taking the cover off and playing with the contacts probably wasn't a good idea.

Sounds like a vacuum leak though, What else have you tinkered with?

I jiggled heaps of hoses, but wasn't rough. I've had the air intake boot replaced about 2 years ago.

One thing I thought that might've done it was I had to push really hard on the screws of the circuit board to get them to twist, and the whole AFM bowed under the pressure. I mean it didn't move lots, but it did move. Can't really think of anything else.

[Lucan 196]

Find somone with a good AFM and swap to see if it makes a difference.

[jcerecke 2]

Any cool people out there in chch have a spare AFM? haha. Or do you think Eurorec would let me return one if it didn't fix it?

[Sam93 0]

Mate i had the exact same problem, started on sat night and fixed it today. all i had to do was take the air idle valve out and clean it (with brake cleaner, carb cleaner etc) and also the throttle body, pretty much the whole air intake system just got a good clean. put it back togeather and after maybe 10 mins of running it was back to normal. easy thing to try even if it doesnt work for you, worked for me and its free. so glad i didnt have to replace anything haha :lollies:

[jcerecke 2]

Mate i had the exact same problem, started on sat night and fixed it today. all i had to do was take the air idle valve out and clean it (with brake cleaner, carb cleaner etc) and also the throttle body, pretty much the whole air intake system just got a good clean. put it back togeather and after maybe 10 mins of running it was back to normal. easy thing to try even if it doesnt work for you, worked for me and its free. so glad i didnt have to replace anything haha :lollies:

This is going to sound really blond, but is it possible I don't have a ICV? I've seen lots of pics of newer e30's with them, but can't seem to find one (in the same spots) on mine. And I think somewhere I read you can get rid of them out of your car and they're only for use with A/C? None the less, I think I'll stop off at an autoshop this afternoon and pick me up some carb cleaner and give the air intake a clean.

[tire 10]

Since yours is an earlier E30 it might have the older style ICV that is under the intake manifold and has a water in/out let. Could be filled up with crap or the little thermostat inside could have failed.

[jcerecke 2]

Since yours is an earlier E30 it might have the older style ICV that is under the intake manifold and has a water in/out let. Could be filled up with crap or the little thermostat inside could have failed.

Hmmm, my heater stopped working a couple of weeks before hand... could that have something to do with it? It was after I changed the temp (which I hardly ever do, just leave it on hot) to full cold, and then it never got hot again after that so I assumed it was just the twisty knob thing.

[jcerecke 2]

OK so is this my ICV?

[BM WORLD 1261]

OK so is this my ICV?

yes early type has screw in the end to adjust idle speed

[jcerecke 2]

Ok I've taken that thing out and sprayed the inside with carb cleaner. Haven't got any cotton buds to get inside it but will do that too.

There was no screw in that piece, but looking at the following piece which it is attached to that does have a screw, I figured that I should take a look at this too and on the inside it's got quite a bit of crud. Is this the screw that controls my idle speed? Or just cold start speed? What can I clean this with? Don't have heaps of carb cleaner left...

[williams 0]

if u have the idle control valve still out of the car put it in boiling hott water to see if opens/closes,check water flow from the thin water hoses that attatch to it(back of block/thermostat housing), the last picture is the idle speed screw,if the idle valve is stuck closed many people adjust idle to idle when cold but has the negative effect of idling high when hot.this will not cause car not to start,check fuel pressure - u can bridge big red with green/purple on fuel relay to run fuel pump, remove oilcap check if cam is still turning then cranking,check if coil is sparking,

ps while idle valve is out check the earth wires under intake manifold, also check if all thin wires are tight on battery positive

[jcerecke 2]

Got the AFM out. Is it normal for an old one to look like this? Looks pretty gross.

Just making sure it's not a sign of something worse that's gone wrong.

[BM WORLD 1261]

Got the AFM out. Is it normal for an old one to look like this? Looks pretty gross.

Just making sure it's not a sign of something worse that's gone wrong.

yup normal