What’s up guys so I got my new to me 00 ap1 about a month ago as a learner manual and it’s been great so far with just minor things I’ve had to work on mechanically, but starting last week whenever I was leaving the gym (about 3 times last week) the car was starting then immediately dying. After like 2/3 stalls I decided to give gas and the car would rev up then die, I had to hold gas at about 2ish k rpm for like 10/15 seconds for it to go back to normal. I get home and everything is fine and car restarts no problem. Cold starts have been fine and give no issues.



Initially talking to billman(don’t want to keep bothering him over the issue so I’m coming to the forums for some more help), he thought it could be the iac valve so I took it apart and it spins freely, but a oring was very stretched so I replaced it. Since then my idle has been great and after a rev it goes right to 1k and holds. Car drove fine sat-tuesday.



Going back to the gym yesterday the car started no problem getting to work and leaving work(both cold starts), then after about a 30 min drive to gym and about 35 min in the gym the car gave me issues starting again, after 2 stalls I held gas at 2k for 10ish seconds and it was fine. Right from there I go vote, car starts not problem, I go get food, car starts no problem…. I even get home and waited 35/40 min to replicate the time I’m normally at the gym and it starts no problem… no idea what it could be



2 initial thoughts

1. stop going to the gym as the gym is the problem(don’t have a good track record with cars and the gym)
2. I have disconnected the battery(doing work on car and also to clear code for evap leak) so maybe the ecu is trying to re learn the idle especially in ny when temps at night drop to 40/50s and during day it’s 70s but it’s only happening at the gym(so far), and because other starts are smooth I don’t think it’s the battery

Currently car has a evap leak p1457 which I have the evap simulator I need to install, no other codes. Also have a not ready cat monitor which is weird bc I know I’ve had it ready before so maybe that is also leading to it or I just haven’t driven the right way enough to get it ready since last clearing codes

thanks for any help in advance. Glad to finally be part of the s2k family

 

To clarify, when issue happens, car actually starts ok, it just dies trying to idle. So to keep it running you start again and hold revs up with gas pedal. Correct? That is the symptom?

After iacv, next suspect is a vacuum leak. Like a cracked vac hose, leaking tb or im gasket, etc.

Does the car have an im insulation plate? This is an aftermarket part that is a small, plastic spacer, meant to insulate im from head. Keep intake temps cool.

It does that ok, but bc it uses two im gaskets, one each side of plate, it often leaks. Requires constant retorquing im fasteners, which are pita to reach.

Try and peer down in there, between im and head, see if it looks like white spacer there. Maybe PO fitted it.

 

here’s a link to what the car is doing(took this last week before iac but same thing happened yesterday), like I said 99% of the time it starts up and idles like a charm and drives no problem, even after I have this issue on start up it drives perfectly fine. Issue started happening and so far has only happened leaving the gym and starting last week(the week after getting my car checked out by billman… of course lol) also attached is how much the iac o ring stretched and the new fitted one. Will upload video of how the revs sound now after the valve refresh



When I took iac

 

 

UPDATE:

it happened again and the car drove rough, first time I noticed when going to shift gears and having the clutch pressed the rpm’s were dropping low like it wanted to stall(it didn’t), there was also a point i felt like car wasn’t building rpm’s like it normally does then a second later it’s fine

 

There is no chance of bad gasoline?

 

Ive filled up once since then(Tuesday morning) but it wasn’t for a full tank maybe 7 gallons so I mean maybe there is a chance I’m still burning off some of the bad gas… but only use 93 and last two fill ups were Mobil 93. Always a chance but I’ve never had a issue ever with this gas station in about 8 years I’ve been going to them


seems to only be a hot start thing because I waited about a hour today after the car did it again and even drove alittle off, and my revs were perfect on start and I let it idle for about 5 min and each time the revs came right back down to 900/1000 rpm never below.

now in the past three ish weeks I have gotten a no front plate ticket so in the meantime I’ve zip tied the plate to front grill to avoid another one, my coolant temps are getting up to like 205 bc I’m blocking the radiator(didn’t get this high before hand)… maybe I never noticed this hot start issue before because with full air flow the car wasn’t getting this high in coolant temp? Now that it’s getting hot I’ve started seeing the problem idk

only thing I have installed leading right up to this misshap is a radar hardwired into the aux female slot in fuse box like everyone else has done, I’ve changed fuel sender when I got the car but have been driving car around no issues for 2 weeks after that install and even had car brought to and inspected and tuned up(valve adjust,tct, oil change, etc. with billman in person and car was good) so I don’t think it’s anything with that

 

Did you follow this video to properly clean the IACV?

205F is high, not concerning.
215F shut off car when safe to do so.
225F shut off car, open your heater, and pray to your diety of choice.
245F shut off car, open your wallet, and run to the mechanic.

 

yes that’s the video I watched when taking apart, also was in contact with billman about making sure I put it back together the right way and not to use spray, just whip the shaft… maybe I can try doing it again… also gonna try taking plate off next time I drive to see if that does anything and brings my temps back to like 175 which is where they were prior to me having to put front plate on the grill(temp fix, plan to put it in to hook, damn cops got the car while it was street parked for no plate)

 

Here is what i have found out works well for me:

clean your iacv
disconnect your battery or do an ecu reset
start your car and do not press the gas pedal, if it idles down, let it. if it dies, let it
you have a learning ecu and it will pick up like it should, but when you press the gas pedal it will interfere with it learning idle.

this has worked well for me over the years with several different cars, i've had better luck with this method over the iacv relearn procedure from the service manual. give it a try.