newman513

I just got my '83 911 back from the body shop where it sat for approximately two months waiting for a part. The engine was apparently not started at all during this time and now it runs horribly at idle, especially right after starting up. Cold, it idles at 250-400RPM, coughing and knocking like crazy; hot, the idle oscillates between 550-750RPM or so about twice per second. I've run a hundred and fifty miles with a bottle of STP injector cleaner, but there is little or no improvement. Power and engine sound are both fine above 1500RPM or so. Is there a standard solution to this problem? I'd appreciate any suggestions before I start replacing thermostats, spark plugs, etc.

Thanks,

Matt

Bill Gregory

Matt,

What body work was done? By itself, just sitting for two months shouldn't cause problems, unless you already had a bad tank of gas which just got worst with time.

newman513

Bill,

All the sheet metal on the driver's side was fixed after a sideswipe incident. The left rear quarter panel and the metal between the decklid and the rear windscreen (it's the targa style body) were completely replaced. Immediately following the accident, the car ran fine. It sat for two months on a tank with two gallons of gas. The first eighteen gallons of that tank were fine, so I doubt it was bad to begin with. I'm beginning to suspect that the problem might be a leak in the air inlet path somewhere, and the sitting might just have been coincidence.

Thanks,

Matt