Re: E36 Idle Problem

[ebaines@xxxxxxx]

Steve:

I had a very similar experience with my old e28, and it 
turned out to be the idle control valve.  In my case the 
fault was caused by a broken wire at the electrical 
connector at the rear of the ICV.   Another common cause 
of failure is that the valve can get gummed up over 
time - it's suggested that you clean it with WD40 every 
so often to make sure the internal plunger can move like 
iit should.  I suggest you check out what the Bentley 
manual has to say on the subject - it's pretty easy to 
check the operation of the ICV with an ohmeter.   Good 
luck.  -Chip
> Symptoms:
> Idle jumps from a 600-700 rpm normal idle to 1000-1100 rpm idle.  It holds
> the higher idle for a little more than a full second then drops to the lower
> (normal) idle.  The jump up/down cycle typically happens anywhere from 1-7
> times, and only when the car is out of gear.

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