| Author | Message | ||
     Dave Statler (Falconx84) Member Username: Falconx84 Post Number: 47 Registered: 02-2004 |
Lately my 98 D1 has had a very high idle rate. My problems with the idle rate started in Jan when the cold weather killed my battery and I replaced it. Afterwards it had the "hunting idle" going high and low and sometimes even stalling. So I was thinking it was the stepper motor. I never found time to check up on it or clean it. Now my truck has a consistently high idle rate, about 1,000-1500 rpm. From the FAQs, it seems that only a low idle was associated with the stepper motor. At first this was just a nuisance, using more gas/brakes -- but now it's become downright dangerous. I was on a trail with my diff locked in low, my auto trans in 1st. I was trying to engine brake down a hill, and the damn thing was trying to speed up on me. I ended up riding my brakes down a relatively steep muddy hill - not a good thing, I just got lucky. I'm not sure what the problem would be, I haven't adjusted any cables or anything. seems strange that replacing the battery would lead to a hunting idle and later to a high idle with no other adjustments. I believe someone mentioned getting a dealer to reset the idle... I have no idea what this could entail or how much $$ Help! | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Senior Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 253 Registered: 05-2003 |
Stuck open thermostat will cause high idle in winter. | ||
| Dave Statler (Falconx84) Member Username: Falconx84 Post Number: 50 Registered: 02-2004 |
I'm really new to discos and relatively new to doing my own work on my vehicle, but where is the thermostat located? Can it be cleaned or fixed or does it have to be replaced? How much would a new one cost? Looks like we're playing "20 questions"...  | ||
| Shaun Power (Shaunp) Senior Member Username: Shaunp Post Number: 256 Registered: 05-2003 |
Dave the thermostat is in a houseing on the front of the motor at the end of the top radiator hose. The cost about $10 + $5 for a gasket,you also loose some coolant. What happens if they stick open is the engine temp never reaches full operating temp, The ECU thinks it's cold so runs a rich mixture and fast idle like it does from cold start. Faulty temp sensor will have the same effect. Cars normally have quite heavy fuel consumption with a temp related fault. | ||
| Jordan Pettigrew (Klecko) New Member Username: Klecko Post Number: 36 Registered: 05-2003 |
Dave. I recently went through the high idle problem. It took almost a year to fix the problem. I replaced the vss, fooled around with the stepper motor even going so far as to drive with it disconnected(worked great but very hard to start cold. Looked for vaccum leaks(none found). Land rover was absolutely no help trying to get me to have a valve job,replacing numerous seals in the exhaust system with no results. They also tried to get me to change O2 sensors..again It turned out that when I had brought my truck to another place(Zeibart) to have it cleaned they had pressure sprayed the engine bay and this, in turn ,fried the ECU. I solved the problem by purchasing a second hand ECU(600$vs2500$ the dealership wanted to charge). The moment it was installed the idle was and has been fine This may be completely unrelated to your problem but if you try everything else....hopefully it is something minor. If you can believe it a few months later the service guy at Land Rover called me asking where I had found the used ECU and if this solution had worked as he had another customer with exactly the same problem. | ||
| Jordan Pettigrew (Klecko) New Member Username: Klecko Post Number: 37 Registered: 05-2003 |
I also had the dealer reset the idle numerous times but after 5-7 days the high idle would return. It cost about 50-60$ for the dealer to reset the base idle.You can imagine the sleep lost after a few sessions of this. Especially since I live about 2 hours from the dealer. | ||
| Jim Doe (Jimdoe) New Member Username: Jimdoe Post Number: 4 Registered: 12-2003 |
This may be totally unrelated but I was having a high idle problem that was finally treated by lubricating the throttle linkage (at the plenum) with a little light machine oil. It seems it was dry and binding just enough to cause an idle of 1500-2000 RPM. It's one of those routine maintenance things that few people actually do (myself included) but may help. Good luck | ||
| Adrian Strata (Adrians) Member Username: Adrians Post Number: 59 Registered: 02-2003 |
My 98 had the same problem. Some times it would be okay then the rpm's would slowly go to 1000-1200-1500rpm and stay there all day. My gas mpg's had gone down also. I left it as is for about 2 weeks then one day it stalled and when I went to start it again it wouldn't stay running unless I left my foot on the gas. I drove it home and it buckled a few times but I made it home. Let it sit for a while and started it again and it was smoking pretty bad, first white then grey/black smoke. Checked the plugs and they were covered it black soot. Turned out to be the fuel pump. It was shorting out sending bogus info to the ecu so it was flooding itself. My oil had about 1\2qt of gas in it. Funny thing was that the check engine light never came on! (the light has come on before so I know it works). Dealer didn't find any codes either. Good luck. FWIW AdrianS | ||
| Dave Statler (Falconx84) Member Username: Falconx84 Post Number: 75 Registered: 02-2004 |
I just changed the oil, no fuel in it as you mentioned, Adrian. Hopefully thats not the problem, but I didn't check my spark plugs. When I get a day off work, I'm going to try to lube the throttle linkage (what type of oil/grease, does it matter?) and check the thermostat -- although I have no clue how to work on the thermostat (help?) It just seems odd that my idle changed when my batt died... I'm almost positive this has something to do with it. Thanks for the input so far I appreciate it | ||
| Toddrover (Toddrover) Member Username: Toddrover Post Number: 126 Registered: 04-2003 |
ANy light machine oil for the linkage (like "3 in 1") or the equivalent. This is a 20 second task. As for the thermostat you basically follow the top radiator hose to the block and will find a metal housing - the thermostat is inside this housing. You can remove the housing with a socket wrench and small extension. You will lose some coolant. There's ways to check if the thermostat is stuck but I'd just buy a new one - they're only $8 or so. The only cautions are that the stat must be reinstalled the same orientation (there's a little jiggle pin that has to be up) and you have to be sure not to trap air when refilling the coolant. VERY doable do a search on coolant flushing for more details. ALso check Perrone Fords article on coolant change on spanishtrailrovers.com. | ||
| jeb barrett (Layoutd) New Member Username: Layoutd Post Number: 13 Registered: 02-2003 |
won't the voltage regulator cause the engine to rev higher if it is not working properly? at least it did on a staight six ford 300. | ||
| Dave Statler (Falconx84) Member Username: Falconx84 Post Number: 80 Registered: 02-2004 |
So how would I go about checking the voltage regulator? | ||
| jeb barrett (Layoutd) New Member Username: Layoutd Post Number: 14 Registered: 02-2003 |
i'm sure there is a good way to do it with gauges etc. but with the ford, i would just unplug the volt regulator from the alternator and see if the engine revs up,if so, regulator okay, if not, regulator bad. not very scientific, but it was a ford | ||
| Alan Stuart (Alan_stuart) New Member Username: Alan_stuart Post Number: 24 Registered: 12-2003 |
I would go along with lubricating the throttle linkage also. Try the simple things first. While your at it pull off the air intake hose and spray some carburetor cleaner into the butterfly valve while manually moving the linkage. Sometimes the valve sticks open slightly from all the gunk in there that accumulates. Alan | ||
| anthony heflin (Anthony) New Member Username: Anthony Post Number: 7 Registered: 03-2004 |
Dave, I was doing some work on my 96 disco at my buddys garage last week and disconnected the battery. After battery was reconnected the idle began to search. It would idle high sometimes and low (to the point of stalling) other times. Im not sure what he did but he said idle needed to be reconfigured, put it on the t4 (computer)for about 15 mins. and it has been fine ever since! With the discos electrical system...Who knows?! |
