new 1989 coupe owner - couple of questions

Hi all,
I'm the proud 9th owner of a 1989 coupe 2.0e (UK), & I like the car,
though predictably it's got a couple of issues:

1. Once the engine has warmed up, the revs pulse at idle, between 900
& 1100 rpm, about once a second. Funnily enough, my last bmw did a
similar thing, & belive they both have Bosch management systems.
Googling this group suggests that this could be a vacuum leak, or a
bad / dirty ISV. Could there be another cause? Occasionally the car
will stall while changing gears, which is probably related to the bad
idle.

2. The accellerator pedal's resistance increases in a step, towards
the end of it's travel - what's this? It certainly seems to make the
car go faster!

3. The spare wheel bay is collecting water, is there a diy solution to
this?

Many thanks for any advice,
Jamie

>From: (Jamie Fisher)
>
>Hi all,
>I'm the proud 9th owner of a 1989 coupe 2.0e (UK), & I like the car,
>though predictably it's got a couple of issues:
>
>1. Once the engine has warmed up, the revs pulse at idle, between 900
>& 1100 rpm, about once a second. Funnily enough, my last bmw did a
>similar thing, & belive they both have Bosch management systems.
>Googling this group suggests that this could be a vacuum leak, or a
>bad / dirty ISV. Could there be another cause? Occasionally the car
>will stall while changing gears, which is probably related to the bad
>idle.

Could be a defective Oxygen Sensor AFAIK too.
A lot of possibilities with this problem. What did you check?
Maybe a test of the system components done at the ECU wiring which should be
outlined in the Bentley repair manual is needed. I am not sure if the Bentley
manual covers the UK cars though. :-(


>2. The accellerator pedal's resistance increases in a step, towards
>the end of it's travel - what's this? It certainly seems to make the
>car go faster!

I was going to suggest this for both #1 and #2, maybe the throttle body plates
are sticking and not freely moving and/or not returning to their stop/resting
position.

>3. The spare wheel bay is collecting water, is there a diy solution to
>this?

Check the taillights to make sure they are still sealed to the body. Also
check that the rear hatch does not collect water and that it drains, if it has
any drains.

Good luck with it!

later,
dave
(One out of many Daves)

Jamie,
Congrats on the car.
1. It could also be the oxygen sensor. Try unplugging the ISV (clean it
anyway - with "Throttle Body Cleaner" _NOT_ "Carburettor Cleaner" - TB
Cleaner is more mild and won't damage the ISV's seals) and the Oxygen sensor
individually and see if the removal of one or the other from the engine mgmt
has any effect. Replacing the OXS isn't too bad nor expensive, once you've
got it unscrewed (that's the hard part), you can splice in a 3-wire Bosch
for, say, a Ford.
2. The added resistance is probably from a second butterfly opening in the
throttle body.
3. Drill a hole in the bottom of the spare wheel bay.....just
kidding.....you've probably got a leak in the weatherstripping, although it
could be from any one of a number of places. Find the leak - use a hose, or
a carwash - I've even heard of one person who stripped the trunk, and then
had his SO close him in the trunk with a flashlight and then spray the car
down to find the leak - I guess going that route depends on how much you
trust your SO.......or know how to open the trunk from the inside......
Cheers!
Steve Sears
1987 Audi 5kTQ
1980 Audi 5k
1962 and '64 Auto Union DKW Junior deLuxes
(SPAM Blocker NOTE: Remove SHOES to reply)

"Jamie Fisher" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi all,
> I'm the proud 9th owner of a 1989 coupe 2.0e (UK), & I like the car,
> though predictably it's got a couple of issues:
>
> 1. Once the engine has warmed up, the revs pulse at idle, between 900
> & 1100 rpm, about once a second. Funnily enough, my last bmw did a
> similar thing, & belive they both have Bosch management systems.
> Googling this group suggests that this could be a vacuum leak, or a
> bad / dirty ISV. Could there be another cause? Occasionally the car
> will stall while changing gears, which is probably related to the bad
> idle.
>
> 2. The accellerator pedal's resistance increases in a step, towards
> the end of it's travel - what's this? It certainly seems to make the
> car go faster!
>
> 3. The spare wheel bay is collecting water, is there a diy solution to
> this?
>
> Many thanks for any advice,
> Jamie

"Steve Sears" > wrote in message
...
<snip>

> 3. Drill a hole in the bottom of the spare wheel bay.....just
> kidding.....you've probably got a leak in the weatherstripping, although
> it
> could be from any one of a number of places. Find the leak - use a hose,
> or
> a carwash - I've even heard of one person who stripped the trunk, and then
> had his SO close him in the trunk with a flashlight and then spray the car
> down to find the leak - I guess going that route depends on how much you
> trust your SO.......or know how to open the trunk from the inside......

Come on, guys! Just fill up the trunk with water, and see where it leaks!
;o)


--
Gio