Rover Metro automatic idle

I've got a 96 version of this great British invention.

The idle is very high, I could be at the bottom of Everest in idle, and be at the top in no time.

Someone told me this is normal with this car, as it has a belt driven tranny, so needs to be high.

But I'm interested in hearing if other users have the same problem. Is it possible to adjust it lower, or is it allways this way.

The problem is that the high revs use a lot of petrol, and is expensive, perhaps not so much a problem in 96.

Thanks

Reply to
TT
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does it have the SU carb fitted, if so then adjusting is simple, although on this year you will need to remove the tamperproof plug they fitted at the factory, this can be (carefully) drilled out, but be carefull not to damage the crosshead adjusting screw underneath. its located to the right hand side of the throttle body at the base of the dash-pot.

if you have the single point injection fitted then its more likely that the idle control valve might be playing up, sometimes a clean out will work,

dont forget beforehand to eliminate any air leaks by checking all the vacuum pipes for splits and perishes etc, this will upset the idle speed no end.

regards. Steve.

Reply to
anon

How can I tell if its got an SU carb? I've been told that it needs to be adjusted at a garage where it can be hooked up to a machine, as it has an electronic brain. As you can see I'm not too experienced in these matters.

Do you know if its true that this model has a high idle in automatic?

Many Thanks

T
Reply to
TT

One common problem with high revving is the ecu not recognising the throttle position sensor due to an internal fault of the ecu, the ecu fault is said to be caused by the plug leads giving of to many emf's. The company I get recon ecu's from wont guarantee the ecu unless new plug leads are fitted. Alternatively the throttle position sensor is failing, or if some one has been playing then the steps could need resetting which need to be adjusted with a diagnostic machine giving the step information as you adjust, I think

25/30 steps is normal for that system.

Regards

Reply to
R A

Thanks for the excellent information.

But I'm still not clear.. is it normal for the Rover Metro to have an idle highter than other automatic cars, as I've been told due to its belt driven tranny, or should the idle be the same as other automatic cars.

Cheers!

Reply to
TT

No the idle should not be excessively high even though its an automatic that said its normal for the need to have your foot on the brake as you select gear as the drive is just about trying to get hold, some people used to complain about grabbing on gear selection but that's just the nature of the beast.

Rob

Reply to
R A

the idle speed in an auto should be slightly higher than that of a manual transmission, simply because when you engage drive it will resist against the engine and drop the idle speed, so this is only to prevent it cutting out. I would say about 800 to 850 rpm for a manual and 850 to 900 rpm for an auto.

Reply to
anon

How many rpm are you seeing at idle out of gear ?

Reply to
R A

Thanks for the info.. I'm not sure how to measure the rpm on my idle.. will try to find out....

Cheers

Reply to
TT

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