1988 Festiva running rich with high idle

[Dinyoclese]

Hi everyone,
I just bought a 1988 Ford Festiva that idles unreasonably high. 3k RPM while it is warming up then 4k once the choke turns off. After the choke turns off the car continues to smell like it is running very rich. It smokes some. I have done a little testing with carb cleaner and didn't find a vacuum leak, but I also think it wouldn't smell so rich if it was a vacuum leak. I suspect there is something going on with the carburetor but I don't really know where to start looking. Does anyone have any advice or a carburetor diagram so I can know what all I am looking at? I am totally new to these cars and many of the parts on or near the carb are a mystery to me.

[WmWatt]

To release choke tap accellorator with foot 10 seconds after engine starts (owner's manual). There is a whilte plastic idle adjustment screw at the lower left rear of the carburettor. I'd do a minor tuneup. I don't replace the air filtre any more, just clean it with the household vacuum cleaner. I usually start diagnosing with a vacuum guage (see "sticky" thread at top of this forum) and compression test. Good luck.

[WmWatt]

Sorry you're not gettign any replies. Assume you alreadyused the car cleaner to clean the carburettor. LOL! I checked the Haynes manual troubleshooting section but no running rich or fast idle. Under excessive fuel consumption it mentions the air filtre and also emissions and furel injection systems "not functioning properly" which doesn't help at all. Also tire pressure. I did an Internet search on "feedback carburettor running rich fast idle" and got quite a few hits. You might want to try that. Good luck.

[Dinyoclese]

Thanks! I've looked for vacuum leaks and didn't find any using brake cleaner spraying around all the vacuum lines. I'll give the google search a go shortly. I have a 1988 carburetor from a junkyard that I am likely to give a go this weekend. I'll report my findings!

[Dinyoclese]

junk yard carb helped tremendously. No more smoking. No more cazy high idle. While swapping things out I realized some vacuum lines were switched around. I fixed those. I replaced the o2 sensor. New/continuing problems are: It's still running a little rich. Idle is erratic like 500 up to 1500 rpm. Sometimes dying at a stop. I'm supposing the issue at his point is something with one of the many emissions switches and valves. Any advice?