Hi people,

We've been noticing that the car has been running a little "tired" lately. Slightly wavering idle. My thought was change the plugs and air filter. So I've done this and it's sort of the same I think. What are some of the other possible issues I could look into? I tried testing the alternator and it's 14+ V which I think is okay (right?). Not sure if the alternator wavering would affect the idle, but have this feeling that it does. Car is at roughly 140,000 km. I will admit that A: I did not check the gap on the new plugs (I might go back in and do that, somehow I lost my gap tool and was in the moment etc). B: Also I did not use a torque wrench. Perhaps I under tightened the plugs (I was ginger if anything, so that's why I think they might be under torqued if anything.). By the way I do have a torque wrench that is a fairly nice one but probably 20 years old. Do I really need to get it calibrated and if so where the hell do people get that done??

Thanks!

Yaleh in Toronto.

Do check the plug gap. You don't need a torque wrench to home the plugs, just nice and snug will do it. Put a thin coat of anti sieze in the threads.

Possible idle fluctuations include dirty plugs, bad gasoline, dirty O2 sensors, vacuum leaks, dirty MAF, etc.

Klaus
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Always willing to listen, just not able to take direction.

Thanks Klaus, good to see you're still helping people out here!

Okay, I'll pull the plugs and check them.

I put "3 in 1" oil on the threads, is that okay?

I'm thinking about cleaning the MAF and the ETM also after having read that this is a fairly easy thing to do.

I'll try the other things you mentioned if it's still persists.

Thanks again.

Yaleh in Toronto.