Thread: 2003 L322 erratic idling issues

I pulled the plug off the MAF sensor and started it from cold. All seemed good until it got close to temp then the erratic idle started again.

So I've continued down the rabbit hole and removed the throttle body assembly and given it a good clean. Checking pipes etc around the front just now but nothing seems amiss?

Any clues?

Could be a dodgy coil ! the best way to find out would be rotate a good one and see if that makes any difference. Failing that you might have to check the VANOS !!!


Laurie

I did a search for VANOS on the forum, but there was very little info particularly relating to the 4.4.

I understand that it's a version of a variable valve timing system, but that's about the extent of my knowledge. How is this checked, what is there to check etc?

What generally fails and with what symptoms or results?

When was your fuel filter changed last? They have an internal pressure regulator that may have failed or is dodgy and is quick and cheap to change. The fuel pressure might be too high and loading up the plugs at idle but OK at wide open throttle.

Have you had it scanned? That will tell you if you are having issues with a coil or a misfire and the VANOS system.

How did you go with this? Is it sorted now and what did find was the problem?

Still struggling with this. I thought I'd fixed it by cleaning the MAF sensor and throttle body and we went to take it out a couple of nights ago and got 4kms from home and it threw up an engine light. Was running really badly so we had to limp it home to look at it another day.

I ordered a coil before Christmas so tomorrow if I have a little time I'll take another look and try and get a code out of it.

I got the RSW softwae to work this morning and there were all sorts of codes accumulated over the last year. Seats, lights, transmission, and a few engine related.

Primarily there was a missfire on bank 2 and an airmass sensor fault.

So I cleared every section on the list so I could start again, and then ran the car for a couple of minutes to verify that the missfire was still there. Then ran engine faults again and this time it just comes up with airmass sensor fault P0103

But the missfire is as bad or worse than ever and this wouldnt happen with an airmass problem. The car would just go to limp mode and be rich, but that's not going to cause whatever my fault is.

So I think I'm back to swapping coils?

I got the wife to sit it on 1500 RPM with brakes hard on and in drive. The missfire shows up badly at that load and RPM. Whilst holding there, I slipped the plugs off each off the coils expecting one of them to make no change to the issue and the others to get worse. Unfortunately, the problem got worse on every coil plug. So at this stage I have to suggest that the fault isn't a coil.

So the car continues to show the fault but now I'm a bit stuck.