erratic engine idle speed

[mada2607]

Hi guys I'm new to the forum,
I bought a 98 1.9 TD LX 3 days ago and as you may expect for a car that age i found what i would call a minor problem.

After driving the car for around half an hour I stoped at some traffic lights and noticed that the engine was idling at 2000 RPM, i thought it might be a heat thing so because i was near to my destination so i carryed on and thought i would leave it to cool down and it sould be ok.

After around 20 mins i came back to go home and started the car and found that the idle was at 1000 RPM so i thought nothing else of it and pottered on home, when i got home it was idling high again so thinking it may just be a stiff spring or somthing i got out the WD40 and sprayed the throttle butterfly and all the connection bits i.e. springs and gas strut etc.

After doing this it seemed fine again but when i went out this evening it did the same as before, so i had a look on the net to see if i could find the cause but no joy.

the only thing I did find is that the idle should be around 850 - 900 RPM

so has anyone ever heard of the before and do they know how to fix it.

[steve_earwig]

Hi Adam, I'm not quite sure but I know there is a fast idle device on the injection pump on the 1.9, maybe it's worth looking at that. Also, check your throttle cable.

[mada2607]

i gather im looking for kinks and damage on the throttle cable, had a quick look when i WD'd everything and it looked ok but there could be damaged somwhere else i supose.

where is the fast idle device you speek of maybe its covered in crap and needs a good clean.

i have had a quick look on here and i noticed ther are a few threads that talk about a stepper motor/throttle pot, could this be anything to do with the fault and can anyone tell me where it is please.

[steve_earwig]

You don't have any of that on a 1.9, it's more a straight mechanical injection with a little electronic control. Disconnect the throttle cable and check it slides easily. It's very hard to see where anything is in the diagrams in Haynes but it looks like the fast idle is controlled by a diaphragm, with a vacuum hose disappearing off into infinity... Good place to look I reckon. Btw there's a whole mountain of adjustments, you really need a Haynes to sort it all out.

[mada2607]

Hmmmmmm just had a look at the cable it seems to slide ok but it seems a bit long to be the correct one.

It seems to take a totaly stupid course, it comes from the drivers side bulkhead down to the front crossmember across the top of the radiator then back around the front of the airbox and back across to the throttle butterfly.

Does anyone know the correct routing for the standard cable then i mite be able to work out if it is the right cable and or if the stupid routing might be causing an issue.

[steve_earwig]

There's a picture in Haynes (hint hint), if I'm following the right fuzzy line it comes through the bulkhead by the priming bulb, between the power steering reservoir and the engine ecu, over the top of the washer tank, around the front of the ecu, then it's clipped along the top of the radiator and turns left just before the air filter where the bracket for it seems to be. Then you take a right by the Government Minister and Teenage Prostitute public house and it's down there on the left...

[mjb]

Could be the throttle pot - my V6 idled at around 2000rpm when I didn't reconnect it properly after removing the throttle body to clean the idle control valve... Panicked a while before I realised what I'd done

[mada2607]

Right I had a look and I got one of the guys from work to bring his car in and I had a look and a compare.

My cable is completely different to his, mine is just a cable taking the route I mentioned above, and his takes the route steve_earwig mentions plus mine doesn’t have the big plastic thingy (sorry for the carry description I have no idea what it is) that is held by the bracket on the air box.

What is it and is it an integral pat of the idle process?

mjb where is the throttle pot? or that a stupid question

[steve_earwig]

Nowhere, your car doesn't have one

I'm not sure if your car's just different or someone's been monkeying. I'd suggest getting the right cable and the big plastic thingy from the breakers but I'm just not sure if that's going to fix things.

Does the cable go through the big plastic thing?

[mada2607]

i have attached a picture that i found and edited the blue line is where the cable should go and in the red ring is the plastic thingy i am missing

the clip where the plastic thingy goes is there

[steve_earwig]

Peugeot's Service Box refers to that as a "compensator", it's specific to the 1.9td, I presume it's something to do with engine movement. Or something.

So, it does indeed look like someone's bodged the wrong cable on there.

[mada2607]

god damn monkies

i'll see if i can find the right part and get it fitted or if i win the haynes on flebay i'll do it myself

[steve_earwig]

If it'll help you fine one I'd guess the Xantia 1.9td's the same.

[mada2607]

i think ill try and get to some scrappys this weekend i could do with a few bits anyway

[steve_earwig]

Let us know! I could probably talk you through fitting it if you need.

Ah, the joys of second-hand motors Before you can start fixing the stupid faults the last owners couldn't be asked to fix you have to spend a while putting right what they could be bothered to fix I once pulled about a mile of wires (seriously) out of a mate's Skrocko - electric windows, alarm, stereo "enhancements", I was surprised it hadn't caught fire. I also pulled a load of electronic junk out of my mate's Pussat here, I kept the switches and relays (yes, I hoard junk) and they turned out to be the remains of an lpg conversion.