Ok..this car has been sitting for about 2 years. I got her started (need to change the oil) but when i start it, it jumps to 3k, stays for maybe 15 sec., and then dies. Any Suggestions?

 

Sounds like the fast idle is fine then when it switches to a cold idle it dies. The fast idle I belive if 3k rpms for 17 seconds then it drops to the cold idle solenoid. Check out your idle solenoids for cracks in the air pipes and such. There are 3 idle control solenoids on a 1987 TII, not sure about NAs.

 

sorry for my ignorance, but where are the solenoids?

 

After your air bypass solenoid valve closes (17 seconds), your engine idle then falls under the control of the water thermo wax assembly on the firewall side of the throttle body, via the fast idle cam. A couple of possibilities here: the water thermo wax has stuck in the hot position (the piston on top of the valve in the fully extended position), causing the car to try to idle at 750 rpm cold. Second possibility is the fast idle cam is frozen in position, even though the thermowax is retracted, causing the same problem. Both of these situations can be determined by checking if the initial idle adjustment lever is flush against it's stop screw (screw with a locking nut on it). If it is, one of the above 2 conditions exist, or somebody mucked with the adjustment! If it is not, you either have a bad vacuum leak, or the compression is too low for the engine to idle at 1500-2000 rpm (atf treatment???). Hope this helps. The Haynes manual and the on-line 88 manual (04b) have good pictures of this mess. Good luck - it is a PITA to see and/or adjust on the car!

Irv, Keith's dad