JustAnotherJodieFE

I just finished rebuilding my 22RE and it runs.....pretty good! However, one thing bothers me. After the engine warms up to normal operating temperature, the idle is very low and it sounds as if it misses consistently. At 182K, this engine had never been opened up and it was dealer maintained.
At speed I can't feel any missing at all, it runs smoothly on the road. When I stop at an intersection, the RPM will drop very low (sometimes stalling) and then recovers to a still low RPM. I've read some earlier posts about idling problems, but they have to do with the brakes being depresed and the A/C. This happens with or without the brakes being applied and the A/C off, so I don't think that is my problem. RPM raises to around 1000 when A/C kicks on and is steady.
I'm suspecting an EGR valve problem, or possibly a vacuum leak. Anyone have any ideas?:confused:

Krash

Yeah I kinda noticed a little bit of idleing low in my truck after we replaced the timing chain guides. Its the same as your describing just not as bad but noticable. I figured it was just that we set the timing by ear. Might want to check that? I'm not a mechanic or a gear head by any means but that would be where I would start.

JustAnotherJodieFE

I used a timing light on it with the jumper wire in place. It's set at 5 degrees.

Shane

Have you tried adjusting the idle speed up a bit? I'm assuming that since you just rebuilt it the throttle body is clean...

Churnd

does cleaning the throttle body affect the idle? since i cleaned mine on my 3.0, it's been idling at 1700 until it warms up, then goes back down to 1000. occasionally it'll see 750 (norm). i figured that when i cleaned the TB, it messed up the TPS a little.

Shane

Yes, it definitely can.

Churnd

well hells bells, that's news to me. that still doesnt explain why my idle goes back down to normal when the engine warms up. or does it?

Shane

Well I was answering in terms of JustAnotherJodieFE's situation of having a low idle. You may have something else going on. Any vacuum hoses loose or cracked? Vacuum leaks around the throttle body? Throttle linkage moving freely? Anything specific happening when it gets down to 750 (A/C kicking on, turning wheel when stationary, auto tranny in gear)? You could just have the idle set a bit high...

JustAnotherJodieFE

I'll try cleaning the throttle body tomorrow...have a day off. I did Ohm out the terminals on the airflow meter and all the readings were too low according to the Haynes manual. If the resistance has broken down that much there, can that cause the problem?

david in germany

my problem turned out to be my alternator....
when the idle drops like it does get a voltage meter and put it on the battery, less that 14 volts and it is the alternator... turned out that my stator (thing that turns in the alternator was past it's time (brushes were actualy ground into the shaft)
David

JustAnotherJodieFE

So I cleaned the throttle body up lastnight.....worked wonders just like a few others in different posts say. My RPM raised from around 400 up to 1100-1300. Now I see a symptom that was probably hidden by the lower RPM. When I have the brake pedal applied, the RPMs surge......actually they drop a few hundred and repeat this cycle as long as the brake is applied. I seem to recall some prior posts referring to this problem....I'll be searchin for this.

I'm still confused about my airflow meter readings with the Ohmmeter. They're all low.........don't really want to go buy one of these.

When I was re-assembling this engine, the alternator spun freely before I put it back on. Is this misleading??

Shane

If the idle is set too high the ECU can get confused and cause what you're seeing. Was that RPM with the engine fully warmed up? Sounds like you need to turn the idle speed down some now :confused: Let us know if you need help finding the idle screw, it's not the one on the throttle linkage.

No, it should spin freely with no load on it.

david in germany

to visualy inspect the alternator you need to have a 8 mm socket a GOOD philips head screw driver and a 10 mm socket maby a small hammer.

take the 3 8mm nuts off of the rear cover and then the 10mm nut off of the cable connection (the little black stud cover should slide right off) then pull the rear cover off gently. take the philips screwdriver and remove the 2 screws holding the brushes inplace
(the rubber thing next to the shaft (stator)) you may need the set the screw driver in the screws and hit it lightly (to prevent the screws from stripping. if the brushes don't spring out (they won't go flying don't worry) there bad(they can be relplaced), if the place on the shaft where the brushes make contact is too worn or has burnt marks or anything that doesnt look like it should be the whole thing is bad...
david

the alternators from the old and new 22r engines are the same just a different regulator built in (you can tell by the connection) and rear cover, parts can be mixed and matched