Sabbath-7

I rigged my Radio Shack test light and proceeded with the adjustment directions, easy enough. But of course with my luck I did not get the textbook outcome that I expected. When I turned the key to the acc. position, after warming up, both lights were out so I slowly turned the screw clockwise until it could go no further, no lights.
I procceeded to turn the screw counter clockwise. In between the extremes of the screw there were SEVERAL places where one or the the other light "flickered" but not a constant light. I could wiggle the flathead in the screw and it seemed to statically control the rythm of the flickering light, along with the sound of small electrical currents. Most of the time if I removed the screwdriver the static would stop and my testlight would stop flickering as well, except the last time when the light remained flickering. I ran to the other side of the engine to see where the electric sound was coming from, it was coming from or around the BAC assembley and would not stop. I unpluged the smaller (seems smaller) white connector (on the right, closer to the firewall side) and it did nothing. I unpluged the larger white connector on the left and the sound stopped.

I removed (broke free from the brittle gasket) the BAC assembley, inspected and cleaned, it was functioning correctly, as far as I can tell. I was not able to break free the two parts of the BAC assembley due to a weathered gasket, which I will do when I get a replacement gasket.

I left the ajustement screw where it was and said F*@# IT, on a good note the surging and sputtering is less, but the idle is still at 1500.

So to make a long story short... I never found a point when both lights were on, could not get a constant light from either, there were several points around the screw where I would get flickering from one light or the other, a strange electrical sound coming from the BAC side, after cleaning the BAC, adjustment had same outcome.

So please...if some one could help me figure out the problem, Ive been searching and reading for two weeks, read every thread I could find and nothing has worked. If I did not have this crazy obsessed bond with this car, it would be sitting at the bottom of a random ohio quarry.

Also where, besides Mazda, can I get replacement BAC gaskets?

Thanks... I hope

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

where in ohio are you? i can help you work on the car if you're close. i had to make my own BACV gasket. couldnt get one.

Sabbath-7

bowling green at the moment, moving to columbus at the end of may...I just hope the 7 can make the trip. What did you make the gasket out of? Im not quite sure where Vermilion is?

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

vermilion is up north, right on the lake(44089). i'd like to help you out. i have a lot of knowledge on the SE, as i've owned two and have gained knowledge through trial and error and by asking questions on the board. i made my gasked out of rtv copper. it worked great!

Bteets9914

iTrader: (6)

One of the other things that could help you out would be to use a volt meter to get a rough idea of where the tps should be. I know that the values are in the factory service manual, but not quite sure where. Another idea while you are at it would be to take the tps out for the car and fully depress the plunger and let it go full travel a couple of times. This can help improve the contact for the TPS. The put it back in the car and rough set it usign the volt meter. last use your test light to do the final adjustments. That should get it to where it needs to be. Had the same issues with mine last summer.
Bryan

RX7Rox

Also make sure the lever that pushes the plunger is at it's idle resting place. If you can move the lever by hand and it lowers the idle speed, the rod is binding in the t/body and need to be lubricated with some Marvel oil in the spray can.

ratboy

iTrader: (1)

Are you switching off/on the ignition after each adjustment? You need to have the car off turn the screw then turn the ignition to on. You need to recycle the power so you can reboot the ECU after TPS adjustments.

Sabbath-7

mazdaverx713b- vermilion is like an hour and a half away, that sucks, I dont think the ol' girl is ready for that trip just yet.

RX7Rox- yes I can lower the idle with my hand, the last couple of days I have sprayed and lubed the secondary butterflies and rods and worked them back and forth, and also the primaries as best that I could. What I have noticed is when I push the secondaries to the vertical limit (just short of 90degrees) and release my finger, they spring back to the horizontal position smoothly. But with my finger, I can push them even farther (to around 90degrees horizontal). Once I remove preasure, the secondaries gently rise back up around an eighth of an inch with kind of a spring motion.

Stupid questions, but when I remove the "air funnel" and look into the TB should the secondaries be at an opened or closed position, when the car is not running. And also should the secondaries be able to close all the way to a vertical position?

Thanks for your help guys, I feel a little better now, its hard to read and gather info to a specific problem when all the answers are general and there are a million of them. Damn to the search filter.

Sabbath-7

sorry, ratboy- I read that the key needs to be in the "on" position after the car is warmed up and turned off. Correct?

ratboy

iTrader: (1)

The key does have to be in the ON position after warm up but needs to be turned off and then back on after any TPS adjustments. The engine should not be running. But to (try and be) clear you need to turn the key back off after any adjustments. Did you use the gsl-se idle adjustment doc from the FAQ page? Its best to check all of the adjustments to make sure its not a different adjustment....

Sabbath-7

Ok, then yes I did it correctly, after adjusting (well trying to adjust) I started the car up let is sit for a minute to see if anything had changed, then would turn the car off and try again. And yes I used the idle adjustment doc, a nice piece of lit.

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

the butterflies on my SE were staying open just ever so slightly, causing an erratic idle and giving me a poor tps reading when i was trying to adjust it. i replaced the throttle body with another one that i had and it worked like a charm. no more problems. given this information, i would guess that the butterflies are to remain closed at idle.

Sabbath-7

mazdaverx713b - But when the car is not running should the secomdary butterflies be horizontly open? Do they close shut when the car is turned on? And when I manually try to shut them they do not go to a full 90degree vertical position like the primaries do, are they even supposed to? I hope I don't have to hunt down another TB...

RX7Rox

There was a good PDF file on Fuel & Emissions at iluvmyrx7.com, but I can't bring it up anymore. I have a copy on my home computer I could email you. Its around 15megs tho. Has alot of good info and test procedures.
If you want PM me your email address and I could send it when I get home.

Sabbath-7

great thanks, if you dont mind sending it.

PMed

ratboy

iTrader: (1)

Yea none of the good FAQ docs are valid links anymore (I printed hard copies and put them in my FSM. RX7Rox could you email me a copy too if you dont mind? Oh and do you have a larger image of your avatar? My 3 year old loves Go Dog Go! and rx7s!

eswansiger@opushealthcare.com

bizarro

iTrader: (1)

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/gsl-se-idle-faq-link-gone-424918/

Sabbath-7

thanks bizarro, but that is what I have already been using

gsl-se addict

iTrader: (3)

Here are the FSM files (1985). I am not sure how long I will have this webspace as it is on my old university account. If someone wants me to host some other files, pm me and I will get you my email address.

http://oregonstate.edu/~abelk/Manuals/

For the TPS, you may have a bad spot in it. Unplug the TPS and measure the resistance between one 'eye' of the connector and the 'mouth'. The resistance should vary smoothly between about 1kOhm and 5kOhm. The clicking you hear is probably the vent and vacuum solenoids (cylinders under the BAC). These are what control the BAC (and therefore idle speed) by opening and closing the BAC by either applying vacuum or releasing the vacuum.

The TPS test light just shows which solenoid (vent or vaccum) is being energized. You may be able to replace with a 12A TPS if you can't find an SE one. The resistance range and wiring is the same. Perhaps the mounting is different, though.

Good luck.

Kent

Sabbath-7

thanks kent, is there a write up on checking the resistance, a walk through and with what different readings/outcomes mean?

Thanks for the manual files, Ive been looking for them!

gsl-se addict

iTrader: (3)

I don't think there is a write-up. The FSM just lists the end points (1kOhm and 5kOhm), but you should be able to push slowly on the TPS and see a linear change in the resistance (1/2 way should be like 3kOhm) and just look to see if there is any inconsistancies (like if at one point the resistance goes to infinity). I think this is probably the best option to test the TPS. Let me know if you need any help or have questions.

Sabbath-7

gsl-se addict- I will go and buy a multimeter after work (any advice on brand or style?)

When the car is turned off (or at idle) and the tps "plunger" is at its resting point, should I be able to push the plunger in even more? I can push it in like an 1/8th inch more from its resting point.

Also, when the plunger is at its resting spot, what shoud the Ohm's read, 1kOhm?

Sorry for all the Q&A, I would love to get to the problem.

Thanks

Whanrow

gslseaddict is in France, so you'll have to wait a bit for your answer due to the time difference.

The TPS should push in a heck of a lot more than that (at least mine sure does). Unless you don't have it off the mounting, then it would only move a little. You must unbolt it from the car, or manually open the throttle linkeage all the way and watch the TPS extend. It easier to just pull it off.

gsl-se addict

iTrader: (3)

Any multimeter should do the trick. They are nice to have around anyway for checking out electrical problems on your car and such. The total resistance should stay the same ('eye' to 'mouth' + other 'eye' to 'mouth'). Resistance between one 'eye' and 'mouth' should start at like 1kOhm and increase as you push in the plunger. The other 'eye' and 'mouth' should start at like 5kOhms and decrease when you push in the plunger. I am pretty sure this is what you should see, but I haven't checked out my TPS in awhile. Also, take a look at section 4b in the FSM. It will tell you about checking the resistance and also tell you how to check out the different sensors and solenoids on your SE. You can use something to hold the throttle open to make the testing easier or just remove the TPS to do the testing. I tested mine on the car. Good luck.

Kent