Hi,
I just bought a used 98 pathfinder and have noticed that the engine idles at around 500rpm. I would think it should idle at around 1000rpm at a minimum...Should I be concerned? Is there anything I can check on the vehicle?
Mike
First, are you going by the dash tach? They're not that accurate. It should be around 650.
Hi,
I was going by the dash tach. The reason I am concerned that it is so low is that it stalls on me in the morning if I do not let it warm up for at least 1 - 2 minutes. If I try to go before that time it will either stall right away or stall when I go to stop the car.
Mike
A very common problem on FI cars is a dirty throttle housing..
I am not very mechanically inclined but is this something that I can do myself?
On most cars it's not difficult. The problem is carbon buildup around the throttle plate area. The hard part is removing the boot going to the throttle housing (where the throttle cables hook up). After this is done (with the engine off) spray some carb cleaner on a rag and wipe out the inside part of the housing where the throttle blade seats, holding it open with your hand..
Might try to wipe off the edge of the throttle blade itself some too. Doesn't have to be perfectly clean, just get the worst of it off. I don't recomend spraying into the housing as it can force crap into the throttle switch etc, especially if you aren't sure of what you're doing. :-)
It's worth trying to see if it helps.
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