1994 1.9L Will Not Idle - Runs at 2000 RPM

Folks,

I have read many posts about idle problems and thought I'd throw this out there to see your comments and advice.

My neighbor solicited for help on his 1994 Escort with 1.9L. He said it was running fine one day, and the next it would not run without opening the throttle about 1/2 way. Then keeping it at 2000 RPM it will run all day.

He's replaced the wires, coil pack, high-idle and oxygen sensor. We checked the timing marks and it's still on time. PCV replaced too. I noticed tonight that #4 plug is wet, though others are not. Same result with original coil pack.

No vacuum leak on Power Brake or hose or other hoses... they're new too.

At lower RPMs it starts to shake badly and makes a loud fumph, fumph, fumph, fumph sound at the exhaust as it runs. It will immediatly die if left to idle.


I suspect EGR or Mass Air Flow Sensor. Your thoughts?

Sounds like something an EGR valve would do. Can you get a vacuum gauge and see what the vacuum is doing? If the valve were stuck open I guess the vacuum would be too low to keep the engine running.

I'd do a compression check on the #4 cylinder to figure if that is why it is not firing and why the plug is wet. Could be the intake seat on the #4 is starting to go bad. At any rate, put a vacuum gauge on it. Whether it's the EGR or the intake seat on #4, it will show up on a vacuum reading.

Check the rubber elbow in the PCV line to see if it is cracked or split. That is a very common problem that causes idle problems in the 2nd generations.

When you say "high idle sensor" are you referring to the idle air control valve (IAC) on top of the manifold (small cylinder shape at the throttle body).
That is frequently the cause of the high idle problem you describe.
I would bet that the wet spark plug is a separate problem. You mentioned the wires were replaced, but what about the plugs? If you have the same plugs, switch them to different cylinders and check results. Do a compression test on that cylinder as suggested above.

Thanks for all the great support. Yes, I believe that is the IAC. All the plugs spark as they should. I'll let you know what I find out next.

So.... i am talking to my neighbor about his non-idling 1.9L as I scratched my head since the EGR valve improved the idle but it still wasn't right. I ask him if he can tell me the whole story about this little engine again.

The short version is that it started running badly so he put new plugs in it. It still ran bad so he held it at 6,000 RPM sitting still for about 5 minutes. After that it began the idle problem.

I re-examined the wet plug and asked what's this knick next to the electrode from... he wasn't sure but I thought it was caused by a failed valve's debry.

In closing I should tell you that cylinders 1, 2, and 3 all pump to about 150 psi. #4... well let's just say it doesn't want to play nicely with the others - no pressure... not even a twitch of the needle.

We'll see what's going on this weekend when the head comes off.

The intake valve seat is known to drop on 1.9 and 2.0 L Escort engines. Hopefully you have caught it before it has done major damage to a piston. On my 97 the #4 cylinder was making a tappet noise and I knew straight away the valve seat was starting to go bad. I pulled the head and replaced it with a used one from the boneyard. Many people on the forum had put thousands of miles of troublefree service on their Escorts only to have the valve seat drop and cause major damage to their engines. It is the only major defect that I have heard about in the 1.9 and 2.0 L's. If you get a rebuilt head make sure it has the new improved valve seats installed. Most head rebuilders are aware of this problem.

Yep... clearly the infamous valve seat.

I re-read the initial complaint.... it appears that your neighbor was deliberately keeping the idle at 2000 to keep the engine running, or was it idling on its own at that speed? Knowing that #4 was bad I can only assume now that he kept his foot on the gas... otherwise it just doesn't make sense...

Same vehicle, manual shift with 230k on it now.

Did a head gastket at about 180k. Cylinder number for leaks from the lower-front corner where the head-bolt inserts. Cracked the aluminum head, 2nd and 3rd cyls, where it attaches to the iron exhaust manifold. That headbolt may snap. Head is repairable. Recommend a good machinist repair shop as opposed to getting one that may have not yet been patched and may itself crack under the expansion stresses as a matter of time. Fully aluminum engines don't have this problem but with the iron block and iron exhaust header, it places considerable stresses on the head and gasket causing the failures.

The cylinder filling with liquid is what causes the stall. THe more it's run, the less likely it'll be that the engine is salvageable; if it's not already too late that is.

As far as the noise, in mycase it was a failed hydraulic roller lifter which was replaced at around 150k. It had worn and pitted the exhaust cam lobe which necessitated it's replacement once I pulled the head at 180k. You may need a stethiscope to determine which lifter has failed.

My vote is also for a dropped valve seat about to happen.