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Topic: Idle Speed Control questions (Read 3418 times) previous topic - next topic

Idle Speed Control questions

Reply #15 –
Tried it again.  KOER with the STI run to a body ground gives the same results as my last test.

My ground cable has what looks like an in-line fuse holder about a foot down from the negative battery terminal.  It's black plastic, just over 2" in length, and about 3/8" in diameter.  When separating the halves, there's an o-ring around the male side of the plug.  Inside are a male and a female plug - the male portion looks to be about the same size as a pin in the ISC connector.  There appears to have been some sort of retention clips holding the 2 halves together, but they're long gone.  Downstream from this connector, the negative runs into a small diameter plastic conduit, which then appears to go into a larger conduit.  I don't see a bare spot/clip bolted to the body anywhere.

Idle Speed Control questions

Reply #16 –
Quote from: kevbey;357762
Tried it again.  KOER with the STI run to a body ground gives the same results as my last test.
Are you saying the self test works?

Quote
My ground cable has what looks like an in-line fuse holder about a foot down from the negative battery terminal.  It's black plastic, just over 2" in length, and about 3/8" in diameter.  When separating the halves, there's an o-ring around the male side of the plug.  Inside are a male and a female plug - the male portion looks to be about the same size as a pin in the ISC connector.  There appears to have been some sort of retention clips holding the 2 halves together, but they're long gone.  Downstream from this connector, the negative runs into a small diameter plastic conduit, which then appears to go into a larger conduit.  I don't see a bare spot/clip bolted to the body anywhere.
You are describing the small "pigtail" wire and it doesn't go the car body.
The big cable that goes to the engine block should have the car body ground clip. If you can't find the correct cable for the car you may have to fab it up.

Idle Speed Control questions

Reply #17 –
Man, I really tanked the reading comprehension portion of your last post. 

When I grounded STI to the body, the KOER did the same thing I described in post #14:

Quote
I ran the plunger all the way out and started the engine. It started with a fast idle, then gradually came down when the plunger retracted with the car running . The plunger fully retracted when I shut off the key, and didn't move again when I turned the key back on.

When I ran KOER after applying 12v to fully extend the plunger, I received codes 12 and 16, and the idle gradually slowed down when the plunger retracted. Again, the plunger fully retracted when I shut off the key, and wouldn't move when I turned the key back on. Running KOER again with the plunger retracted gave me 12, 58, 16, and 13 codes.

Both times I ran the car after running the plunger all the way out, the plunger retracted and appeared to remain in contact with the throttle pad until I shut off the key.

If I can't find the correct ground cable, would stripping some insulation from the existing cable and somehow strapping it to the inner fender (or something similar) be sufficient?  In fact, I just looked at it again and I think I see the bolt from the body ground on the old cable hanging out of the inner fender about 2" below the air intake tube.

Idle Speed Control questions

Reply #18 –
Quote from: kevbey;357790
If I can't find the correct ground cable, would stripping some insulation from the existing cable and somehow strapping it to the inner fender (or something similar) be sufficient?
Yes.
Clean off any rust and use a star washer against the body metal to insure a good electrical contact. These clips wrap around the wire and both ends stick out with a hole through them for the bolt. When you bolt it down it tightens around the wire. You want the proper size so it has a tight grip on the wire.

If the ISC still won't work it looks like the EEC needs to be replaced.
 

Idle Speed Control questions

Reply #19 –
Looks like it's the EEC.  I put together a cable that goes from battery negative to a body ground, then onto the EEC ground - basically recreated the 'pigtail' on one of the cables I saw on the AutoZone website.  Still no change, so I'll need to start looking for an EEC one of these days.  But I think I pooched a head gasket this afternoon, so I'll probably take care of that first.

Thanks again for all the help!