OK so here is where I stand and what I have done, I was able to get the car to fire up easily and idle better by checking the CAS and sure enough it was stabbed wrong so I fixed that. Havent adjusted the timing because my timing light is MIA. The computer should do it anyway if I get it in the ballpark.

I Checked for vacuum leaks and double checked and triple checked and even disconnected the BAC to adjust the idle to make sure the engine would die when adjusted and the BAC disconnected. This is an easy way to find out if you have any major vacuum leaks.

The car only wants to idle @ 750rpm. I think this is about normal or even seems a tad high for a manual. I can get it to idle @ 550rpm or even lower and it seems to idle pretty smooth with the BAC disconnected but Im sure stock is probably 750rpm.
@ 750rpm the motor shakes like crazy idles like **** but starts right up and runs.

Now for the driving portion.

It revs like total *** which is almost to be expected. It revs slow until about 3,500 then goes fairly normal. Driving is the same impression, the car cant get out of its own way until about 3,500 then it gets better but still far under performing.
A stock 12a would put a bad hurtin on this car as it sits.
Anything over 40% throttle while taking off and driving under 3k is useless and makes no difference in speed and power.

Well if you need to know more just ask. Here is a vid although I dont think you can see the engine jumping because of image stability on the camera

Video is big so be patient.

<a href="www.davidorlo.com/img/RX7/88RX723/2010/May/88idle.mov">www.davidorlo.com/img/RX7/88RX723/2010/May/88idle.mov</a>

 

The car's ECU does not fine tune your idle timing, and every adjustment it does make is still based on the assumption that your timing is set exactly per factory spec. These cars will still run with crazy retarded timing, but they will run like ***.

Get a boost leak tester, I had several vac leaks that I NEVER would have found otherwise. The small leaks will require a quiet location, a good ear, and sometimes even sensitive/wet fingertips (you can feel the leaks blowing).

750 is where the ECU will try to keep the idle, however it's not particularly good at it if anything's amiss.

We also need to know about what you're driving. S4 Turbo? S5 NA?
Also, though much less common, I wonder if something is wrong with your primary injectors, electrically perhaps. There's a 3800RPM hesitation a lot of people deal with and it's typically due to poor electrical grounds so the secondary injectors don't fire, but maybe your primaries aren't firing right (could be clogged/faulty, too I guess).

Fuel filter? Spark plugs?

Also vid didn't work for me, downloaded nor opened.

 

88 S4 NA

Video is working fine for me, Do you have Quicktime installed?

 

Yeah u have to copy and paste the link or use this one


<a href="http://www.davidorlo.com/img/RX7/88RX723/2010/May/88idle.mov">www.davidorlo.com/img/RX7/88RX723/2010/May/88idle.mov</a>

 

Quicktime video, can't watch it. I am sure a lot of folks don't have quicktime either. Mind posting an MP4 or something?

 

Its just what my camera outputs and its not a video camera its an actual camera so I dont think it can be changed but I will search for a conversion utility.

Other than that I would normally agree with you about QuickTime but since the invention called an iPhone I see QuickTime installed on 95% of home computers. I'm a level 3 sys admin btw so I see a TON of computers, well not as much now that I am level 3 but in the previous years I would say I worked on thousands.

 

Here you go

<a href="http://www.davidorlo.com/img/RX7/88RX723/2010/May/88idle.avi">http://www.davidorlo.com/img/RX7/88RX723/2010/May/88idle.avi</a>

 

Oh yeah almost forgot, when you hear / see the motor idle down its because I unplugged the BAC to show how when it drops to 550 or so it goes smooth but 750 just shakes like mad. I really gotta get a new compression tester to get the comp done but the previous owner said it was rebuilt not long ago (although that doesnt count for much).

 

Maybe it is just your exhaust, but it sounds like you have lost a leading plug on one rotor. I had this happen to me once and my car sounded lopey like that. Pull your leading plugs and check them out.

When it happened to me, the car idled like ****, and didn't have any power until higher RPM. Come to find out, I lost the anode to my leading spark plug on the front rotor.

 

sounds blown to me... id do a comp test as soon as u can

 

Brand new plugs less than a few days old

 

Ive never seen a motor with a blown apex seal run and start this reliably, it could be a blown side seal or just worn out apex seals. I was told the motor was recently rebuilt and its extremely clean so I'm trying to give it the benefit of the doubt.