cpayne

Well it was chilly last night and I keep the car out for an hour, so I figured with the chilly air and it having to cool down condensation may form. This morning the weather was nice not very cold. Car fired up kept it out all day ran it hard and in the city. This afternoon I started getting some idle loping occasionally when stopped that was calmed down with goosing the pedal. Later today on the way home I notice once again if the tranny was engaged no matter what gear and my foot was off the go pedal the car feet like it was missing or jerkying the sound the feel is like rapid down shifts if you will. Even at 50- mph up hill or down same thing. Foot on the Pedal and BWAAAAHAHAHAHAH! runs great.

fraggle

hmmmmm.... my manual dies randomly when I push in the clutch, sometimes it works great for days, sometimes it's at every stop sign. Just a little throttle fixes it. Same performance with or without a working idle switch (which is now fixed!!) Wonder if it is a similar issue. Sometimes it hunts for idle, some times rock solid. Strange part is it only stalls when the idle is good, it never stalls when hunting!!

cpayne

Well mine never dies, justs hunts usually after running for a bit on the highway and then hitting red on multiple stoplights in a row

sendarius

My S4 futzed around like that after I over-tightened the cables on the throttle quadrant, and inadvertently stopped the idle switch from actuating.

Goosing the pedal usually caused the throttle to close that tiny bit more and actuate the switch - no futzing until next time.

cpayne

I guess add throttle R/R to the list.

Jadz928

Charles, we checked your WOT/Idle switch. Idle works, WOT not.

cpayne

When you say we you mean you . It's on my list along with replacing the throttle cable . Thanks for the reminder. I have limited bouts with CRS disease.

cpayne

Went out today. Cold Wet for about a day. Car ran rough for about 6 miles then smoothed out with the exception of the jerking at all speeds in all gears when foot is of the pedal. Idle was loping . Saw a thread where someone had a sticking throttle cable and used a spring as an interim fix. I put one on the throttle. and the loping calmed down some and the jerking subsided when my foot was off the pedal.
I non member Mikko Laanti from Finland emailed me with some advice and I thought I would post it for him as he can't post photos.

From Mikko

Hi,

I had a similar condensation/ignition problem and maybe I am able to help You. I had a missing spark during some months I had to park my 88 S4 outside. Things got worse after rain, washing etc. After cleaning up the passengers side cable connectors from coil to distributor, which were dirty with green gunk, I thought I solved the problem. While things got much better, there was still bad spark especially after heavy rain and while motor was cold. Cleaned up the dirty grounding point of ignition first stage units, which is hidden on passenger side just below ignition coil. Once again spark improved but still I had some misfirings in one or half or cylinders with cold motor and after heavy rain. It had to be a water condensation problem, which caused a missing spark somewhere, but where? The place was not obvious: The distributor caps have a black plastic protection covers. I pried the upper black part off, there are no clips holding it, I just pushed it up from edge with screw
driver. Then I removed the lower black cover and there it was: the outer part of distributor cap was burnt on those places, where it touches the black protecting cover. The distributor cap was fairly new and it looked good inside. I solved the condensation problem by cutting some plastic off from the upper black plastic cover, now it breaths and dries quickly. I also remolded the lower part of cover with a heat gun so that it does not touch the distributor above the middle part of it, it is about 5 millimeters above it now.

Jadz928

I can see it now, "87 5spd OMG! - It's happening again - Update 83 Condensation test"

So, what's the sysnopsis, Charles?

cpayne

Throttle cable, WOT and intake needs R/R . Will pop the distributor covers and check for burn marks as Mikko suggests .

Jadz928

So are you digging into an intake R&R in the near future?

WOT switch is not you immediate problem, nor is your throttle cable.

You might as well get some plugs, wires and caps/rotors on order.
I know your wires are **** because I saw how easy the one broke on the BRP.
If your spark plugs haven't been changed, just do it. Then you can be sure the right ones are in there, and at the right gap.

The temp 2 is an easy diagnosis. You have the WSM, a MM, and a blow-dryer.
I implore you, no I challenge you to test out the Temp 2 sensor.
This is your homework assignment from me.

cpayne

May be easy for you, but this is my level of diagnoses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-tCIRJH9p0

I have all that stuff. Been buying it in drips and drabs as funds come available. Going to try to get the intake finished this summer.

Jadz928

I think you have already diagnosed spark plug wires.
Okay, your revised homework assignment is to change your spark plugs and wires.
Do you accept?