Stalling

[vet111s]

Morning all,
I've accepted that my car doesn't like to be left without use for more than a couple of days in the cold weather which is why I'm on the hunt for a cheap winter car. However this morning, while the engine caught well, it promptly died again. This repeated itself a few times every time I dipped the clutch at a junction. Eventually however it stopped stalling but was idling between 400 and 800 rpm.
Got to work, stopped the engine and then restarted it and idle seems stable at just under 1k rpm now. Anything to worry about you think?

Cheers in advance
Ali.

[Rich H]

Normally it's the opposite when the battery is low the ECU ups the revs a bit at idle.

Clean out the IACV?

[mac]

Most likely that it's forgot it's idle position for the IACV - it can do this and would normally undertake a learning cycle if allowed however this learning cycle sounds the same as fast idle on a cold morning (it goes on to different things) so you would just drive off without it re-learning it's setting.

S1 supposedly have a re-set procedure (ignition on 5 slow full depressions of the throttle, ignition off - then start the engine as normal) - you could try that at lunch time. It should rev high, then low (almost cutting out) then high, then low until it works out the right position.

HTH

Mac

[vet111s]

Well, started the engine on my way home for lunch and nice steady idle! Which is good! Sooner I can get a winter runner the better

Cheers. Ali

[Shug]

Does just sound like a battery issue, TBH, although Rich is right in that I thought it'd try to idle higher to charge it. Beware if you stick it away for the winter, first thing on the list for spring will be a new battery (sounds like it's a fair bet just now)

[vet111s]

Yep, pretty much planned for that. Just a pain it doesn't like to hold charge in the cold weather. Incidentally had the same symptoms after my battery completely died in 08 bit that time it wouldn't even turn over it was so knackered.

Cheers guys

Ali

[meatball]

Another vote for IACV....
I'm told they don't clean out too well, cheap to replace.
Then the car needs to run for a while and relearn the idle point.
IIRC.