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[subliminal]

righto then - Mazda atf replaced (much smoother gear changes and significant performance/mpg increase!). Working on the breathers on the Omega now - Cant get the large or small pipe to come loose from the vent housing! Its properly stuck, and I really dont want to rip it! Any suggestions?

[markey mark]

very small screw driver round the sides and work it off fella  

[subliminal]

I'll have another go then! Not much room to manouver though.. (even with the winscreen/washer assembly off.

Is the idea to clean the actual aluminium plenum body btw? or just leave that crud there as is?

[subliminal]

Yesterday was long, but interesting. I've cleaned the breather system, including the large pipe from the breather to the vent housing - the small pipe just would not budge! Overall the large pipe was not THAT blocked, but of course it could use a good clean, as could the rest of the breather system and throttle control.

Started it up and all was well - the coughy idle was gone and of course the engine bay looks pretty again now :p Drove it for 1.5 hours and its all gone to pot idles higher (normally 600 revs, now 800 revs) and fluctuates quite badly.

Consumption probably still the same, accelerating normally consumes about 10mpg, accelerating up a hill 7-8-9mpg, 28mpg-ish feather-footing on the motorway (usually getting 35mpg on the same stretch) - I have the feeling this is the same problem as experienced before, but that it has worsened. I think there's a very small hole in one of the vac lines (wasnt sure if it was just superficial damage) - will try some soapy water to confirm and electrical tape to further confirm.

The component on the passenger side of the plenum - is that the ICV? It seemed to site fairly loosely onto the plenum - e.g. you can wiggle it..

[subliminal]

A bit of spit said vac leak - new piece of vac pipe and thats plugged - hasn't made much difference though.

The ICV on the right-hand side of the plenum (which was pretty damn warm btw!) has a rubber seal at the point where it connects to the plenum body - that seal doesnt seem THAT tight. Popped into the Vx parts counter, who kindly told me that part is no longer kept in and has to be ordered from Opel in Germany - I've asked them to order it in... we'll see if it turns up

The higher idle speed has me a little baffled though..

Having now then eliminated (to the best of my ability) the vac lines and breathers, I'm back at the torque converter for the performance / mpg problems. The engine revs responsively, etc. it just doesnt surge forwards like it used to... revs drop to 2200-2300 as I pass 50mph, as opposed to 1800-1900 it used to. I dont seem to use the first 1500ish revs much at all, no matter what speed.


I'm tempted to change the ATF, filter and gasket, but thats about £50 of bits and fluid (which I have, but dont really want to put in, only to replace the torque converter and replace the ATF again!)

Can anyone think of any other tests or things I can check to narrow this down (and fix the idle!)

There's no fellow OOF chaps in the Sheffield area are there?

[subliminal]

Cleaned the ICV and forgot to plug the ECU lead in (doh!) code 57 showing now - is this something that is set and must be cleared or should be considered current? (EML light is not on).

The engine is still idling high (around 900 revs), so I guess I missed an air leak somewhere or the ICV is buggered - will take it out again and just add a little 3-in-1. Incidentally, without the ICV lead plugged in, the engine ran, but spluttered like crazy - anyone know if this is expected, or should it not run at all?

[subliminal]

Slightly different angle on things, but anyone know how to test the multi-ram system? just keeping my eye out for consumption/performance problems whilst trying to find the idle problem now... blip-reving the engine shows the rear multiram blipping accordingly - it doesnt stay 'engaged' with a steady rev though (of, say 4k rpm). The front multiram doesnt seem to do squat

and pooh! oil in the plug wells again - I'm seriously starting to doubt the garage's ability to change a rocker gasket.. (second fit!)

there's also a not loud, but distincly audible metal slapping sound when revving the engine - is this simply valves opening/closing? or should they not really be audible...

[subliminal]

sucking the actuator says the front mulriram diaphram is fine - i guess i just wasnt revving the engine enough - difficult to check what you're revving up to on your own.

i'm going to guess that the problem with the high idle is the o-rings at the plenum base to air inlet. vac system also seems to hold vacuum well and i can't identify any leaks, etc. so i guess that eliminates that..

I'll not take the plenum apart again until I have some new ones (#9118135 i think?) - they seemed fine when they went back on though! (I had intended to replace them, but clean forgot to buy them along with the other bits and bobs!)

[subliminal]

removed plenum again today to check it sealed correctly against the air inlets - seems fine. Cleaned throttle body again - idle still high, although if I manually push the throttle further 'closed' the revs drop - note this is just flexing against a screw which I presume you can adjust the idle with? Manually pushing the throttle closed further than its natural resting point doesnt close the throttle butterflies any further shut (they are already completely shut), but does (I presume) affect the throttle position sensor.

Is the throttle position sensor somehting that is calibrated? (e.g. how does it know which position at which no throttle is applied at?)

Also noticed the ICV doesnt completely close - is this normal? The valve does move freely and without resistance.

[Kevin Wood]

The idle should not be adjusted with the throttle screw. The ECU adjusts it with the ICV. I wonder if the garage have wound the screw in? IIRC, the throttles should be almost completely closed at idle. Adjust them with the screw so they don't bind in the bores but close fully. Then make sure they are free to return to that position on the return spring.

Kevin

[subliminal]

Finally got the car back from the body shop two days ago - they did a pretty good job on the front bumper but its just not the same as when it was newly sprayed (annoying).

Attempted to change the ATF and filter yesterday and found that the sump/level plug was on incredibly tight and couldnt get it off in a way I was sure I wouldnt ruin the plug. My local garage has agreed to do the job for me one morning next week - looking forward to that! It does mean that the gearbox specialist who told me that 'they had checked the level and that it as well as the fluid condition was fine' didn't do squat (and charged me £30 for the 'diagnosis'!). On the assumption that the fluid hasnt been changed for some considerable time, I'm hoping the atf change solves the the performance/mpg problems!

The car has been into vx today as well to clear the ICV code and diagnose the high idle - it turns out that the throttle body is worn and that by cleaning it it now sucks in air even though in its 'closed' position! They also advised me against adjusting the 'closed' position with the adjustment screw.

Spare (not worn :p) throttle body around, anyone?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Finally got the car back from the body shop two days ago - they did a pretty good job on the front bumper but its just not the same as when it was newly sprayed (annoying).

Attempted to change the ATF and filter yesterday and found that the sump/level plug was on incredibly tight and couldnt get it off in a way I was sure I wouldnt ruin the plug. My local garage has agreed to do the job for me one morning next week - looking forward to that! It does mean that the gearbox specialist who told me that 'they had checked the level and that it as well as the fluid condition was fine' didn't do squat (and charged me £30 for the 'diagnosis'!). On the assumption that the fluid hasnt been changed for some considerable time, I'm hoping the atf change solves the the performance/mpg problems!

The car has been into vx today as well to clear the ICV code and diagnose the high idle - it turns out that the throttle body is worn and that by cleaning it it now sucks in air even though in its 'closed' position! They also advised me against adjusting the 'closed' position with the adjustment screw.

Spare (not worn :p) throttle body around, anyone?

What a load of old crap.......adjust the throttle body screw so the throttles are fully shut but dont bind (by binding you will know what I mean when you wind the screw out to far!).

If the throttle body was to wear then it would be the spindle resulting in slop....not the butterfly.

Ignore the dealer!

[subliminal]

Thanks Mark! Dealer duly ignored, stop position adjusted and idle back to normal!  

[subliminal]

Changed ATF and filter - wow, what a difference! MPG is back up to 36mpg average on a round trip from Sheffield to London and overall the car is much more responsive.

The oil was in pretty poor shape and burnt - the chap who was helping me wasn't convinced it had ever been changed before. Incidentally that does mean that the so called "autobox specialist" screwed me and did squat to actually check/diagnose the autobox and fluid.

Occasionaly the lock-up / interlock / overdrive / what ever the heck its called in 4th gear still does not engage - so irritating! I'm tempted to change the ATF again, but may have a look at the valves at the same time. Does anyone know of any technical documentation regarding the valve body?

[davlad22]

Does it remain stationary at idle now and not roll back!?!

Did you follow the correct procedure from here then regards changing the fluid? It's theoretically possible to only change the fluid to about 87.5%