Idle issue?

[armythug]

Hmmmm I'm surprised that this hasnt hit youtube yet. All of you owners that are having this problem need to get on the phone ASAP. This is making me doubt my pre-order. I hope that they get this sorted out asap but they need current owners to come forward now.

Sounds like a dodgy fuel pump

[yayforaddison]

Try and skim threw here. Most of us have very low miles. I personally have only had my car for one week and a day, 280 miles, MT (some in AT), and it has dropped well under 400RPM, hesitating to stay running, and has stalled once at a light in neutral. That was probably the 8th or 9th time in this short period. This is far from normal.

[yayforaddison]

Originally Posted by armythug

Hmmmm I'm surprised that this hasnt hit youtube yet. All of you owners that are having this problem need to get on the phone ASAP. This is making me doubt my pre-order. I hope that they get this sorted out asap but they need current owners to come forward now.

I've been dying to make a video, but you never know when its going to happen. I'd probably have to leave a camera recording the entire time I get in and out of the car to drive, and leave it far enough back to see the car in neutral.

Maybe I should take the camera with me to work today and tape it someplace lol

[yayforaddison]

Originally Posted by civicdrivr

The idle dipping a bit when accessories are in use is normal.

But dropping down to ~4-500rpm and taking a second or two to recover is not. It usually happens when I pull up to a red light and take the car out of gear. But as I said above, its not constant.

Took the words right out of my mouth

[Rabble]

You guys should post the section of your vin that says which number it was off the factory line. It would be interesting to see if there is a pattern of a specific batch of cars having this issue or if it is random.

[otoz]

The problem I was having is more of a "returning to idle" problem than an just an idle problem, I'm not positive its the same issue as everyone else. Fast forward to the end where i turned off the AC and you can hear it better. This is with the car in neutral. Clutch is fully out and i'm not touching it. I estimate it dips to about 350 rpm but i haven't confirmed it with a scanner yet, additionally it has never stalled out from this but it has sounded like it might.

[civicdrivr]

Originally Posted by Rabble

You guys should post the section of your vin that says which number it was off the factory line. It would be interesting to see if there is a pattern of a specific batch of cars having this issue or if it is random.

#180

[Hawaiian]

Originally Posted by Re~Mix

I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around this. Can someone provide a succinct description of this phenomena?

My MT FRS is 2 weeks old and I have yet to notice it really drop below 500-600 RPMs except during user error (first time stick shift driver).

I've posted in the poll thread with the details of it happening with me. It has only happened with a missfire 4 times. While ignoring the low shaky randomness of the idle, my car has had what I can only describe as 4 noticible occurances.

Twice it happened after starting my car in the parking lot while Idling and messing with my pandora without going anywhere. Both times I'm guessing it was in neutral with the E-brake on and the clutch out. There is a slight decline to the parking lot, and the outside temp was in the upper 80's (it's been warm here the 2 weeks since I've picked up my car) so my A/C was on.

The second 2 times happened in a short time span on the same drive. There is a double stoplight set up with the front light being 15 yards ahead of the second light. Once again it was a warm day and my A/C was on. Coming to a stop I was clutch in, with the car in neutral idling. The idle dropped low causing the car to sputter and almost stall, but the car responded and reved the idle up to 1000 rpm with a audible pop/missfire noise coming from the engine.

The light turned green and I moved up to the next light, clutch in, this time in first. While idling again the same scenario happened; rev drop, near stall, rev to 1000, and the pop.

Things to note,
I have a MT
I have 1100 miles on my car.
I put only 93 in my car, and have had my fillups at Mobile stations.
I fill up at the half tank mark.
All 4 times my A/C has been running.
My car has been both clutch in and out.
I have been in and out of gear
It has occured on a decline, and on level ground
I have not stalled or gotten a CEL
The noise, while audible is not loud.
I have tried, but have not been able to re-create the stutter.
While I have had the low rev/rev up happen a few times, there are only 4 times that I have noticed the sound with it.
@Rabble 1586 vin

[kiddo]

In the meanwhile I am still waiting mine, so I've no comment on the FA20 engine. However, it has happened to my VW 1.8T quite a few time. Frist, I don't think the grade of the fuel (regular or premium) is the main factor for this issue, but I suspect it is the "water-content" in the fuel. Although I can't be 100% sure, but I felt that few occusions when I filled up the car during heavy rain/quick snow melting, it generated a greater chance that engine would shake and erractic idling for that tank of fuel. If the engine really got problem, it should happen very often, but that is not that case. I guess the engines with high-compression-ratio are sensitive to the quality of fuel. FYI: stock 1.8T = 10.5:1 ratio. Some gas stations have leaky tanks, so the water may goes in there.

[ToxicSneakers]

About water fouling: Would a half-cup of isoproply alcohol added at fill up time extract the water and remove that possibility of idle speed problems? (The foregoing is a question, not a statement.)

[yayforaddison]

Originally Posted by otoz

The problem I was having is more of a "returning to idle" problem than an just an idle problem, I'm not positive its the same issue as everyone else. Fast forward to the end where i turned off the AC and you can hear it better. This is with the car in neutral. Clutch is fully out and i'm not touching it. I estimate it dips to about 350 rpm but i haven't confirmed it with a scanner yet, additionally it has never stalled out from this but it has sounded like it might.

This video does a decent job at showing what it kinda looks like.

Mine tho does this thing where it'll drop below 500rpm, shaking in the process, for maybe 1-2 seconds then jump over 1k.

Thanks for the video tho! Its decent proof that its a real problem incase you end up taking it to the dealer.

[DantKR]

Mine sat here after 30min drive and was idle for about 2 min:

[DantKR]

Originally Posted by otoz

The problem I was having is more of a "returning to idle" problem than an just an idle problem, I'm not positive its the same issue as everyone else. Fast forward to the end where i turned off the AC and you can hear it better. This is with the car in neutral. Clutch is fully out and i'm not touching it. I estimate it dips to about 350 rpm but i haven't confirmed it with a scanner yet, additionally it has never stalled out from this but it has sounded like it might.

I've seen a lot of cars that do that if when they drop RPMs. I don't think any car I've owned that was manual ever stopped right at idle and always dipped low and then came back up.

[otoz]

Originally Posted by DantKR

I've seen a lot of cars that do that if when they drop RPMs. I don't think any car I've owned that was manual ever stopped right at idle and always dipped low and then came back up.

I would agree, It just seems like the dip is a little more pronounced on the FRS. I dont think its a problem, but is this what other people are experiencing or is there a different issue?