1988 festival stuck idling high

[EricksonJ]

I had it in neutral coasting down a hill when the dash lights all came on. I put it back in 4th gear and the lights went away. It seemed like it was running just a little rough, so I pulled in to a rest area. Once I slowed down the car died. It started back any time I wanted to start it, just idled rough. I had to pat the gas peddle to keep it started. Once I got sped up around 3rd and 4th gear it smoothed out, but not completely. Now, when I put it in neutral it just starts idling very high. Any ideas what it could be?

[Rick the Quick]

Welcome to the forum. Coasting down a hill is a bad idea. Coasting in neutral is never a good idea period. Sounds like a fuel system / carburetor problem. If it will stay running without your foot on the gas open the hood and listen for vacuum leaks. There are a bunch of vacuum hoses on the carb model that generally don't get replaced until they leak. Is the choke opening fully? If it is not opening fully at idle it may be running on the high speed idle cam. Check these items and report back here with your findings. There is a lot of talent on this forum. Good luck.

[WmWatt]

I'd look at the accellorator cable to see if it's sticking, under the air filtre at the back. Also check al the vacuum hoses to make sure they are securely attached and no cracks or splits. Another thing to check, although not sure if it could be the problem here, is the automatic choke releasing. If the carburetor is dirty the butterfly valve could be sticking. The solution there would be to spray carbruettor cleaner into the carburettor. When spraying the carb it's also a good dtea to spray the exterior linkages for the choke and accellorator as it disolves deposits which can cause sticking.

[EricksonJ]

It stays running now without touching the gas, the idle is just super high. I checked the accelerator cable this evening and it wasn't stuck. How do I check if the choke is opening fully? I'm not very experienced mechanically, but can usually figure it out with a picture or video. Thanks guys for the quick replies!

[WmWatt]

The automatic choke controls the butterfly valve in the carburettor, keeping air out so there is a rich (more fuel) mixture until the engine warms up a bit. Usually after the engine has been running for 10 seconds you press the accellorator to release the choke and the idling goes down. The choke is on the driver's side of the carburettor, a round thing with linkages. Since you didn't adjust anything to create the problem I wouldn't go trying to adjust anthing to fix it. I'd look for a leaking vacuum hose or dirt buildup because those are things which could happen on their own. Good luck.

[fudge]

Why is coasting in neutral bad? I do it in my neighborhood down a long not steep hill and now I'm wondering whats wrong with that.

[WmWatt]

I was told not to take the car out of gear at a stoplight because you lose control. That might be one reason. Of course, at a stoplight I'm just as likely to pop the clutch in an emergency and stall the engine.

[r34king]

Typically you use less fuel engine braking then you do letting it idle as you coast down in neutral. This might not have any relevance to carburetors. I know in fuel injected cars at maximum vacuum (24ish inhg) the injector pulse is lower than it would be in neutral (14ish inhg).

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[EricksonJ]

So should the choke plate be open or closed? I took it to my friends dad and he said that he thinks that the float in the carburater may be stuck. He definitely thinks its something in the carburater. Can i clean the carb by just spraying cleaner down in it.

[r34king]

Carb cleaner and a toothbrush. It's gonna smoke like crazy for a few minutes after.

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[WmWatt]

I'd try just the spray at first. Be careful not to drop anything into the carburettor.
PS there is a little glass window on the passenger side of the carburettor which peeks into the float chamber. I think it's to see the level of fuel in the chamber. If the float is sticking the carb cleaner may free it.

[Rick the Quick]

Spraying carb cleaner down the throat wont do it. If your choke is not opening I would check the thermostatic coil. The spring can break or there can be a link broken the connects to the actual choke valve. You will also need to verify that the choke has a wire connected to it that should show batttery voltage with the engine running or even with the key turned to ignition position. Floats don't usually stick on a vehicle that is driven at least semi regularly. I would put my money on a worn float needle and seat. The tip of the needle is usually viton rubber and eventually gets a groove worn in it. When this happens the float can no longer keep the fual at the correct level. As william mentioned there is a sight glass on the carb and if you look at it while the engine is running at idle the fuel should be in the center of the glass, or darn close. There might be a dot on the glass, it's been a while since I owned my '88. If the fuel level is up to the top of the glass or higher you probably need a new float needle and seat. These are included in a carb rebuild kit. Another problem that is not so common is float weight. After 30 years of being in contact with fuel I have seen plastic floats gain a few grams in weight from absorption of elements present in the fuel and when this happens it takes more fuel to raise the float than it did when new, causing it to run rich. I had it happen on a '73 Pinto. Rebuilding a carb is not overly difficult but if your mechanical skills are at a beginners level you would be best to have a qualified person to help you with it. This will be the time to disassemble the carb and do a proper cleaning. COASTING : coasting should never be done. Period. Remember when your engine stalled when you were coasting? Guess what, you had no power assist for your brakes. That's one reason. Not to mention if you have to actually use the engine at a moments notice you need to look for a gear and hope it starts if it stalled as yours did. Your car will also be more controllable when it is in gear at all times. I make exception for stop lights. Sitting at a light with your foot on the clutch pedal is guaranteed to wear out your throw out bearing prematurely. If you worry about getting rear ended leave it in gear until the car behind you has stopped. As for braking including a panic stop just leave it in gear and declutch before you come to a complete stop. I have noticed a lot of drivers stepping on the clutch when they are braking. The momentum of the moving car will not allow the engine to stall. FWIW : if you ever take a cdl (commercial vehicle) drivers license test any coasting is an automatic fail. Also if you don't mind me asking why is it you take the car out of gear and coast?

[EricksonJ]

There is no check engine light on, so does that mean that the problem has to be something mechanical? Probably the carb? Is there anything specifically I can check with the carb that would make the car throttle wide open? A buddy said the float may be stuck in the carb, would that cause it to stay idling high?

[ryanprins13]

COASTING : coasting should never be done. Period. Remember when your engine stalled when you were coasting? Guess what, you had no power assist for your brakes. That's one reason. Not to mention if you have to actually use the engine at a moments notice you need to look for a gear and hope it starts if it stalled as yours did. Your car will also be more controllable when it is in gear at all times. I make exception for stop lights. Sitting at a light with your foot on the clutch pedal is guaranteed to wear out your throw out bearing prematurely. If you worry about getting rear ended leave it in gear until the car behind you has stopped. As for braking including a panic stop just leave it in gear and declutch before you come to a complete stop. I have noticed a lot of drivers stepping on the clutch when they are braking. The momentum of the moving car will not allow the engine to stall. FWIW : if you ever take a cdl (commercial vehicle) drivers license test any coasting is an automatic fail. Also if you don't mind me asking why is it you take the car out of gear and coast?

I was hoping you would answer. Way back when I took my drivers test I nearly failed because I didn't downshift into first 2 times coming up to stop signs. Third time woulda been a fail for my class 5 (regular license). When I asked him why he didn't really have a good reason (in my opinion), just said your not in control of your vehicle. Your engine dying when your in neutral isn't something I had thought of but in my opinion if your going to do evasive maneuvers in a festiva your gonna have to shift regardless if your in gear or in neutral, we don't exactly have a lot of power at 2500rpm or lower.
2 weeks after I bought my car I went on a long road trip and put it in neutral down the bigger hills. I don't recall there being a fuel mileage difference and I haven't done it since, but 3rd is as far as I downshift usually coming up to a stoplight unless I am in a heavier vehicle.

[Rick the Quick]

UOTE=EricksonJ;754418]There is no check engine light on, so does that mean that the problem has to be something mechanical? Probably the carb? Is there anything specifically I can check with the carb that would make the car throttle wide open? A buddy said the float may be stuck in the carb, would that cause it to stay idling high?[/QUOTE]

Go back and read my posting #12. I don't understand "is there anything specifically I can check with the carb that would make the car throttle wide open?" So if it is idling fast that is a far cry from "wide open" !# check your throttle cable. Does it move freely? when you release the gas pedal does it return to the idle position at the carb? Does it have a little bit of free-play? It doesn't need much. Just make sure there is some free play in the cable. #2 your buddy is probably wrong. Floats do sometimes stick but more than likely it is either a vacuum line that has fallen off or leaking or it may be time for a carb rebuild. Look at the fuel level in the sight glass with the engine idling. Where is the fuel level? If it is high I would imagiine the float needle and seat need replacing. Did you ever check the operation of your automatic choke? If it is not opening fully the car may be running on the fast idle cam. If you plan on keeping this car or working on it your next stop should be to get a service manual for it. At the very least read posting #12 it should get you back on track.