my svx WAS broken ...i swear!!
 

On friday I hopped into the svx, started driving, it's in it's high idle cold start mode (sure fine). But then as I come to a stop the idle DROPS to 1,000 (which is actually high), car is shaking a little, check engine light pops on.

Then 10 seconds later the engine revs back up into high idle (guessing open-loop system from the ecu). Then after a few moments it tries to ease the idle down (closed loop system) and it fails. Same thing, idle SLAMS to 1,000 shake and CEL. 10 seconds later ...high idle is back. [and the car is fully warmed up at this point]

What normally happens is I'll start it up, it's cold, idles high. Then I drive it warms up and the idle will lower gradually to a steady 600-700 rpms nice and smooth. Not on Friday.

So I drove back to my house in open-loop mode and was pissed off ...called my friend told him he had to pick me up and I just went out as I planned.

Saturday I investigate and guess what - SHE'S RUNNING FINE!!!! It's now sunday and it's still driving good.

So what gives? I can't pull codes because now there's no more CEL. I need my SVX to be reliable and this can't happen on my way to work.

Christine :/

Try to pull codes anyway.

The TCU stores old as well as current codes, I think the ECU does also?

Good luck - As others have said on this site, intermittent electrical problems can be a 'female dog' to track down!

Dan

Codes:

24: Idle Speed Control Solenoid Valve
38: Engine Torque Control

I understand code-24 because sometimes I'll get a CEL when I'm rolling with the clutch let out by just using the car's idle ...usually it'll drop to where the engine is barely running....just making the idle move the car (I'm in bumper to bumper traffice everyday so I cant really ride the clutch). But then once the idle goes back to normal the CEL will come off.

but code-38 - what the heck? I don't have the torque control hooked up to anything. the TCU has been removed and I didn't hook up the nuetral safety to the clutch switch. And when I did I had the "infamous 5mt stall problem" more frequently from the rpms dropping abruptly when going into N

with that said- I cleared the codes and I'm going to do driving around. I was told a flaky MAF could cause this problem - makes sense to me. I just don't want to get stuck because the engine is bogging down.

Although this may have absolutly nothing to do with it....I know that john had a really high idle in cold weather, and it would run crappily. He has to let the car warm up to operating temperature, turn the car off, and restart it. I forget exactly what caused this, but it was a 5 speed swap related issue. Mabey he will chime in with some mroe info

But then again, im probly completely wrong.I want P.F.Chang's

Sounds to me like a gunked up IAC. Pop it off and clean it out with some carb cleaner.

Do you have the torque control jumped to ground like instructs in his 5mt guide picture? This would cause the 38, but I agree with bunny about cleaning the IAC.

My cold weather issues were due to the car thinking it's in drive with the 5mt, I made a switch that fixes the problem, so I can retain cruise control but switch to neutral when it's cold. It's better to let the car warm up though, anyway.

You're stall problem is because of the lightweight flywheel. At least in my opinion.

I had the torque signal jumped in the beginning of the swap (months ago) ...not anymore.

You can use the NSS inside the manual transmission to make the car think it's in Nuetral either with a relay or a more reliable solid state relay/transistor. This is much better so that whenever the shifter is in the N position, so is the ECU. Pretty cool seeing the N light appear on the dash when the gearbox is really in nuetral.

After a bit you figure out how to get the SVX 5MT to stall. Usually it's from engine braking for an extended period of time, zero throttle, and then pushing the clutch in [which most people do around a corner]....just don't do that and it won't stall.

Oh, and it's now Wednesday and i've put on about 150 miles since the problem ....still drives normal. Interesting hicup.

:confused: :confused: I thought you wrecked it??:confused: :confused:

Tom

It's all body damage, the car pulls, and the brakes pulsate. Just not my dream car anymore ...well at least this particular SVX.

oh, I didn't think it was drivable anymore. Glad to hear it still moves:)

Tom