Hmmm what should I test next...

[ericsmith32]

The cable from the TB to the auto tranny is the kick down cable. I didn't think our cars had them but it's been 9 yrs since I owned a auto. To adjust the gas pedal there is a nut or nuts on the bracket holding the cable to the valve cover. You shouldn't need to adjust this to bump up the idle. The aspire has a idle screw on top and to the left, the festiva has a adjustment underneath the where the cable attaches to the butterfly. The cable should only have a little or no slack.

[ericsmith32]

Okay I tried the TB cleaner around all of the connections but nothing happened. I'm thinking that there's a connector underneath the intake manifold that i'm not seeing, i'm going to the picknpull tomorrow there's one with the engine on the ground I can flip over. If that doesn't work i'll try the propane. I did clean the egr it was bad, half clogged since the previous engine burnt oil, runs a little better and smoother. I also set down the idle further I still have to figure out how to read the idle with my meter... try that tomorrow.

[Safety Guy]

"Kick down cable." Okay, that makes more sense. Thanks Eric.

And no, my ATX Festiva didn't have one, but I've seen them on a '91 323 and some Proteges.

Karl

[ericsmith32]

I guess i'm not going to be able to set the idle with the meter I have, can't get a good reading. It's still doing the two revs if I start it up warm. I couldn't get a reading on the idle switch or iat i'm starting to wonder if my meter is no good. I did a vacuum test on it and it reads a steady 23 and snaps right back to the same reading after letting off the gas, according to the manual 17-20 should be the norm. I can't think of anything else to try so I may to leave it be till summer.