Hi all,
So, blackboxster and I appear to have different problems, so I decided to start a new thread concerning my car. My 98 2.5 non egas 5 speed under 10k miles Boxster seems to be having a idle problem on every warm start and frequently cold starts IF the outside temperature is below 60-65 F. What's weird (and good) I suppose, is that the engine kinda returns to normal after I've driven it for a few minutes. There also is no Check Engine Light. This isn't a chronic engine shuddering at idle problem, but pretty short term. And when the engine shudders, it is for like a second before the DME I think recovers it. It is however, really disconcerting because the engine shudder causes the whole car to vibrate.
There are 3 distinct categories that this engine shuddering can happen on my car. And each time before I start, I always wait for the 5 second countdown and before going anywhere, let the engine hunt for a stable idle.
1) Engine Cold, Outside Temperature also Cool <60-65 F. In starting, the tach shoots up to like 2000-3000, but then drops real low, causing the associated shuddering/vibration that is VERY noticeable. Then it overshoots the normal 900 or so idle by just a little before settling into normal idle.
2) Engine Warm can be off for like 2 minutes or 2 hours (but still kinda warm). Return to car to start it, starts fine unlike ex #1 and wait for it to idle stabley. Shuddering occurs later though. Shift into first gear, and start pulling into Houston's traffic. At stop-and-go (this is terrible stop and go, can't even get off the clutch completely in the few feet you can move forward), the engine shudders EACH time the engine is back into neutral to idle with the car stopped. However, this goes away once we finally get on our way with a green light and I can stay in 1st or 2nd gear for some duration. Then there's no more shuddering for the rest of the trip (the coolant doesn't even have to be completely up to temp yet either).
3) Same engine warm scenario BUT with no traffic and no upcoming stops, if I can allow the engine to run for a short while in 1st or 2nd gear at any speed, no shuddering.
Loren recommended looking for carbon build up on the throttle body and cleaning the Idle Air Control Valve attached to it. And while I was looking at PCA's tech Q&A section, Scott Slausen suggests in other posts concerning idle issues to look also for any intake leaks or a bad MAF.
Questions:
Idle Air Control Valve/ Throttle Body and Butterfly
What kind of carb (carbon/carburator?) cleaner do you guys recommend?
Is the Idle Air Control Valve also cleaned with the lint free towel and carb cleaner or is it a flap of sorts that I just push to ensure it's moving well?
Is it reasonable for carbon to have built up on such a low mileage but older car?
Intake Leaks
Can anyone tell me what components are part of the intake tubes, so I can also check them for leaks?
I am also really baffled at the theory of this. I'm trying to understand why this idle issue is occuring but not all the time?!? How is it that a warm idle problem can resolve itself after driving for just a while? Am I helping calibrate my engine or some sensors by being able to run the warm engine for a little bit? Please assist me with this. I'm worried everytime the engine shudders the whole car.
James