A few issues

[anthony1707]

Hey guys I have a festiva which i recently got back on the road. It is driving decently but it has an issue. Under slight acceleration ( partial throttle), the car will bog down and almost sound like it is skipping or misfiring. As soon as you give the car more gas it will straighten out and rev high and drive well. I don't know if its connected but i am currently driving with the engine coolant temperature sensor unplugged because plugging it in will cause the car to run even worse, and the idle will continuously fluctuate. So I have been driving with it unplugged, and this leaves the idle steady, but way too high. It idles around 2000 rpms. I just replaced the engine coolant temperature sensor with a new one, and it is getting voltage from the electrical connector. so I don't really understand what is going on there. my other thought is the vaf, is there a way for me to test that?

[ThisVelologist]

You may have a bad VAF but I would also try these things:
-Removing and cleaning out the IAC
-Replacing plugs, wires, and distributor cap if they seem old
-Replacing fuel filter
Those things helped my '91 that was exhibiting similar problems.
Is your car an EFI or Carb?

[scitzz]

If he has a vaf it is efi.

You test the ect by measuring the resistance between the two pins on the connector of the ect itself, first engine cold warm it up and test again. There's actually a chart but if the resistance changes then it's likely good.

Search on here for throttle position sensor, and check that.

Something bugging me about that getting worse with the ect connected...

Sent from a mental institution

[ThisVelologist]

Take scitzz's advice first. His experience is far greater than mine.

[scitzz]

Take scitzz's advice first. His experience is far greater than mine.

Yours isn't bad at all.

Idle air control! Check for vacuum leaks! Unmetered air entering after the vaf could cause high idle.

Ben, I'm just wondering if part of his problem is the tps not coming off the idle position soon enough.

There could be more than one problem at play.

Sent from a mental institution

[ThisVelologist]

Very true!

[firebush357]

Check to make sure that the VAF door is moving freely along it's entire path. You could possibly be sticking at some point and it is letting in extra air at idle and the unsticks when you go full throttle but not partial. Also check the top of the VAF to make sure that no one has taken it apart before and messed with something. don't recommend trying to take it apart unless you have too btw.