Idle speed causing rough running

Idle speed causing rough running

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Discussion

Cockey

Original Poster:

1,384 posts

235 months

Monday 16th June 2014
quotequote all
I've been learning to balance the throttle pots recently, and after a fair bit of patience, I'm really happy with how they are now set. The software shows the throttle bodies are now as closely matched as they ever have been.

After setting the idle speed to around 950rpm, I fitted the air box and realised that the idle speed had dropped with the reduced air flow.

Not being able to remove the bonnet by myself, my next opportunity was a 5 minute window a couple of days later just before a long journey. After quickly adjusting the idle to around 800rpm (whilst cold), resetting the adaptives and throttle, chucking the bonnet back on and setting off in bit of a hurry, I realised the engine had quite a vibration at the idle speed I set. Almost like I'd managed to set the perfect revs to cause the engine to resonate. Also, an AFR fault on the first 3 cylinders lights up immediately and adaptives are really high, again, just on the first 3 cylinders. The other 3 are fine.

Can adjusting the idle really cause such a change in fuelling? Especially such a difference between the two banks of cylinders. From everything I've read I thought you could set the idle to anything you like, as long as the adaptives and throttle are reset.

Whilst I'll have another another go with the syncrometer to make sure all is still balanced, the ecu readings for the throttle pots read really close. And with the air box off when I balanced the throttles, the idle was really good and no AFR faults lit up at all.


twinreal

300 posts

162 months

Tuesday 17th June 2014
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Maybe you adjusted the 4th body instead of the idle screw ?

Cockey

Original Poster:

1,384 posts

235 months

Tuesday 17th June 2014
quotequote all
Ha, that did cross my mind. Although I'm pretty sure I didn't because the idle screw is a bit more fiddly to reach and as usual had a bit of trouble fitting the spanner round the nut. Also, wouldn't it throw out the 2 throttle body %?

twinreal

300 posts

162 months

Tuesday 17th June 2014
quotequote all
Normally it should affect nr 5 and 6 also, but who knows exactly what's going on in there :-)

It could also be a faulty connector or wire of an injector (defective connection or corrosion) and you touched it when adjusting the idle.

Cockey

Original Poster:

1,384 posts

235 months

Tuesday 17th June 2014
quotequote all
All sorted. For some reason the two banks were massively out from one another (123 on 4 and 456 on 6), but balanced then up and the car's running great. No hint of any AFR faults which is the first time I can remember.