I need some ideas on how I can fix my idle problem. This started happening about 2 months ago.

My car runs fine. It never stalls when the car is stopped and just idling.

It has been boost leak tested to 25 psi. I checked all the vacuum lines they all look fine. I put in new spark plugs (forgot exactly which ones but they were NGK). I still have the same original spark plug coils/wires. These was all done after it started idling bad.

My evo has not idled this bad even after I had the cams installed. It even idled fine after a major accident and after I got it back from the shop. It just started happening one day about 2 months ago when I got back home.

Here are my mods: HKS 264/264, TBE, Works Aperture, SAFC2, ECU was flashed back to stock a while back, JDM MR BOV, AEM intake but replaced the filter with APEXi dry filter, Dejon MBC, RNR race IC and lower and upper pipes, Odyssey mini battery.

I just cannot figure out why my car started idling like this. It never stalls during idle, it stays between 850-900 rpm. Here's the puzzling part, when I turn on the A/C, it idles better, the rpm goes up to 950 and stays there for about half a minute and then it would started getting lopey again with the rpm now staying between 875-950 rpm.

I would really appreciate any help from the experts out there. I'm planning on getting a full SAFC/dyno tune soon, but I just need to fix this problem before then.

Here is a link to the recording I did this morning. I hope the link works. I think you can hear it better if you download it and play it with Windows Media Player. It starts out lopey and then it gets better because the radiator fan turns on, then you'll hear some birds in the background (LOL- ignore those) and then at the end when the fan turns off it gets lopey again.

Lopey idle

 

Thats how my 272/264 combo sounded before i got dynotuned for them. After that, it went away, my idle is right around 950-1000rpms. Maybe you need a custom flash?

 

I'm trying to stay away from flashes. But my car idled fine with all my old mods and even after the new mods after the accident, until about 2 months ago.

 

bump your idle up. 1000 rpm idle should smooth it a bit

 

What is your vacuum reading at idle?

 

check your egv valve connection my fell off and idle like shi************

 

My car has always idled fine between 850-900 rpm. My zietronix boost gauge shows between -12 to -15 vacuum.

I had the EGR hose come loose last year so it has been zip tied. But when that happened, I got the SES.

Thanks for the replies. I hope someone can come up with something I haven't tried or checked.

 

Dude I have the same exact problem. Same cams and mods. No super afc though lol. Get a custom flash. It will effected the timing of the car where the SAFC just messes with fuel. Getting a custom flash will fix your ride. Or get a real tunning device that will effect not just fuel. AEM. Or if your tight on cash get a emanage ultimate. Costs about 100 more then your SAFC. But I say go with a flash...

 

A flash and AFC are not even in the same league. Why anyone would choose the AFC is beyond me.

 

+1 thats what I said...

 

Thanks for everyone's advice, but the only flash I will ever consider will be the ECUFlash because I can do it myself, but that won't happen until I'm more familiar with it.

I used to have Works P2. I had some problems when I added more mods and I sent my ECU for a reflash. But fortunately, Works has great customer service and they took care of the problem. But since they are 7 hours away from where I live, I decided to get flashed back to stock and go with the SAFC.

Like I said before, my car was idling fine with all the mods and tuning I had up until 2 months ago.

Since the idling problem started, I've replaced my spark plugs, checked for boost leaks, adjusted idle, adjusted AFC @ idle rpms. None of these fixed the lopey idle.

 

Where in CA are you?

 

Check all your electrical connections under the hood and pay specific attention to your grounds. It seems likely that something came loose and the ECU isn't seeing the data it needs to idle properly.

If it idled fine with your existing mods, something changed that needs to be fixed before you try to tune or change more parts.

 

Buy the Tactrix cable and for $50 you can get a much better tune emailed to you from Al. You're going to pay a LOT more for a LOT less by having you car tuned with the VAFC. Put your personal opinion aside for a minute.

 

It idled and ran fine after I got it back from the shop. I'll check all the electical connections again but my accident only involved the IC, radiator and front bumper. The engine was not affected. I had several boost leaks but they were all fixed and pressure tested to 25 psi.