Car idles very rough first thing in the morning (van, MPG, truck)
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After pumping the pedal a few times the car started right up this morning. For the first time (9/09) since i started driving the car after sitting for 6 yrs it didnt idle very rough. It still idled a lil rough but not as nearly bad as it has. Hopefully i get better mpg now but i doubt it with my luck.
Try it cold with a helper and no air cleaner on to see the choke plate. It may be closing too much. With a long screw driver placed just so you could open or close that part slighty and see which improves the idle. Depending on which way, more open, more closed the engine will tell which way to futher adjust the choke plate.
As the engine warms the choke is opening. If that choke is overly closed it is wasting fuel and gagging up the fuel mix the engine can burn. See if there is any black smoke when the engine is running rough.
To save fuel ingeneral avoid starting the car. Decide what you will do about driving with a plan. Each and every start eat fuel and wear engine parts.
If you dare run full syn oils, but i am not sure that idea is wise for this car. You sure can add full syn gear oil to the rear differencial case no problem. That stuff is less viscous and more slippery, meaning less friction. Run the tire up as hard as the tire says you can forgetting comfort.
Remove wasted junk from the car, your stuff and the car itself if you can.
Once I had a Dastun SPL 311 just for racing and I chopped up the interior in that car hard. the passanger seat came out the carpets all came out, I cut big holes in the sheetmetal that wasn't really needed. to lighten the car, and I had around 300 pound of junk when I was done.
This might be a little extreme.
Spend the big bucks and get a holly carb or at least a webber 4 barrel and let the engine breath. That quadra jet junk is wasting your money.
If this engine has never been apart it probably had a beat cam shaft, with very worn out cam lobes. These will waste fuel like fuel itself is going out of style.
Get creative and make the car slippery in air. Add a light air dam under the bumpers and add in front and rear wheel covers, You will be the first one on the block and who knows maybe set a trend.
You might consider changing your name to Hoolieo Naw that won't get you more MPG's.
What do you get now for MPG's? I kinda doubt that car will ever do better than maybe 18, unless you get a economy cam, and then keep rpm low.
You can get better if you change your driving habits to almost never use brakes, and almost never ride right up to a red light. Always coast as far as you can and roll down hills with that lead foot off the pedal.
Get a compression test done first hot and dry and then wet. Basicly it's a pick up with a car body, so it will never be like a more modern car. Oh taller tires will get you more miles per too. Don't get lots taller but say 2 sizes taller would work some and make a visible dent in your favor. You will loose power in low rpms but gain freeway speed at lower rpm.
When i first start the car it idles rough for maybe 15 seconds. After that it starts up nicely the rest of the day. I change the oil every 3,000 miles (since i got car @ 91,000 mile) & i use QS 10-30 wt. If i had the money i would replace the carb & spark plugs. Im suppose to get 15/20 or a combined 18 mpg. Thats still poor mpg. I know i get 15 city but im not sure about highway mpg.
The symptoms you describe are easy to troubleshoot. Rough idle on a cold start = fuel mixture too lean (caused by too little fuel or too much air). When the engine warms the lean mixture is fine. You may not have enough choking (choke not working or only partly working) or you are leaking air into the engine intake (cracked carb, carb loose on manifold, manifold cracked or loose, vacuum hose off or cracked). To test these conditions, start the engine when cold with the air cleaner off, as the engine is running rough hold your hand partly over the carb throat to restrict the air intake. If the engine smooths out you need more gas or less air. Work on that.
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If the hand over the carb throat doesn't smooth out the engine then you may have oil leaking past your valve stem guides. When the engine sets over night the oil is sucked into the cylinders and when you start the engine it is burning oil with gas and runs rough until the cylinders burn off the oil. Two ways to check this -- Check for smoke out the tailpipe when you start the engine. Also check to see if the spark plugs are black from burning oil. It will be a small amount and may not show up on your dipstick. Good luck.
What if i just leave the car be ? It has been cold start/rough idleing for over 2 yrs now. At least now that i replaced one of the vacume hoses the car does start right up but it still idles rough at first.
You can leave it be, but why not investigate? I told you how. A proper choke setting will improve the start and cause less stumbling. All you need is another person to start the car. You will have the air filter removed before the helper gets in the car.
You will locate the linkage to the carb, and push it in all the way one time. When you do the choke plate will close so much as it will. Since it is adjustable i don't know how much or little it will move.
If you can't locate the linkage, have the helper step on the gas pedal slowly and press the pedal to the floor, just one time. As you watch you will see the linkage move and as well the choke plate move.
If the choke plate closes tight, that is too much for sure. But then with out doing anything have the helper just turn the key so the engine attempts a start.
Watch the choke plate. Does it close more and tight? Does it remain about where it was? Does it tend to open a bit more? I can't see, but it will do one of these things.
If you tell me and or others, we can tell you what to do from there.
Also with a stick, screw driver, or other longer tool you can press or lift the plate to be more or less open. Depending on which way improves the stumbling, if you tell us we can tell you more about what to do.
With the info so far no one can say if there is to little fuel or too much at that cold point in time.
If you will just do these simple things, and say so you might settle this problem for good. And at the same time learn something. Or you can live with it, but this is all up to you.
I sure can't fly to cal for a 10 minute fix..
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