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2.5i idles high when not driven


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Over the last few months I've caught on to something funny when I don't drive my '06 OB 2.5i for 12 hrs or more... When I start it up and I'm still in park the engine idles high at 1.5 rpms and if I let it sit for more than a day it will idle at 2000. When I put it in gear ® it usually drops down to normal levels but sometimes it will like to reverse fast.

 

Has anyone ever heard of this or expierenced it personally?

 

A friend said it may be the emissions computer or something.

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My 1983 Delta 88 did the same thing. Its called fast or high idle. By bringing the R's up slightly at cold temp it will in turn slightly bring the oil pressure up as well. Utilizing the higher oil psi to bath the motor's vital organs because we should all know where the oil likes to hang out when the cars off right. It the factories way of saving thier posterior.
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In case you are curious.... the reason that engines run a a slightly higher idle RPM when cold is that the higher flow rate helps to keep the fuel atomized in the intake and combustion chamber.

 

When you first start your car, the oil, coolant, block, pistons, heads, valves, intake, etc. are all ambient temperature (~75F). Gasoline does not atomize or vaporize well at lower temperatures, so the higher flowrate allows for mecanical atomization of the fuel so that it combusts properly. Without it... the fuel could condense and puddle in the cylinder.

 

Old carburated engines did this with the use of a choke. A choke is a plate that closes in the carburator and forces the incoming air through a smaller space. This smaller flow area, in turn, accelerates the flowrate of the air, causing extra turbulence.

 

Late model electronic controlled cars do this with the ECU and idle controls.

 

In addition, our cars also use the tumble generation valves (TGV's) to assist with this atomization of the fuel. :spin:

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The flashpoint of gasoline is around -40F... but that is not the issue.... Flashpoint is the minimum temperature at which a liquid will give off enough fumes to combust. This means that at 40 degrees below zero, gasoline will give off enough vapors for them (the vapors) to ignite.

 

What we are really looking at is vapor pressure of gasoline vs. temperature. The boiling point of gasoline is a range that starts around 75-80F. As temperature increases... the partial pressures increase and the vapor pressure goes up. It is not linear, since gasoline is a solvent blend of many different hydrocarbons.

 

For our cars, the injector sprays a fine mist of atomized fuel into the intake air track. At cooler temperatures... this atomized mixture wants to condense and pool in the bottom of the cyliner. The extra turbulence of the incoming air (via the TGV's) keeps it from condensing out....

 

When the engine warms up... the atomized mixture is more stable since the gasoline wants to vaporize anyway (at least partially).

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The flashpoint of gasoline is around -40F... but that is not the issue.... Flashpoint is the minimum temperature at which a liquid will give off enough fumes to combust. This means that at 40 degrees below zero, gasoline will give off enough vapors for them (the vapors) to ignite.

 

What we are really looking at is vapor pressure of gasoline vs. temperature. The boiling point of gasoline is a range that starts around 75-80F. As temperature increases... the partial pressures increase and the vapor pressure goes up. It is not linear, since gasoline is a solvent blend of many different hydrocarbons.

 

For our cars, the injector sprays a fine mist of atomized fuel into the intake air track. At cooler temperatures... this atomized mixture wants to condense and pool in the bottom of the cyliner. The extra turbulence of the incoming air (via the TGV's) keeps it from condensing out....

 

When the engine warms up... the atomized mixture is more stable since the gasoline wants to vaporize anyway (at least partially).

WOW. I am suprised. I wasn't suggesting that this was the issue just tryin' to be a smart a#@. While readin things around here you tend to find quite a bit of "fluf" with out the knowledge to back it up.

And I believe DOT places the flashpoint at -47F:icon_wink

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Talked to a few more people about this...they are not subie owners, but they are auto gurus and retired mech. engineers. They said that even 1800 rpm sounds like too much, just to be warming up. They said something more like 1200 would seem normal. I dunno.
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Talked to a few more people about this...they are not subie owners, but they are auto gurus and retired mech. engineers. They said that even 1800 rpm sounds like too much, just to be warming up. They said something more like 1200 would seem normal. I dunno.

 

 

My 1969 Camaro idles at 1650 RPM when the choke is closed.... that is the factory recommeded setting. Every engine is going to be different.

 

The RPM setting is not important...

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