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I've done a lot to solve my hot starting problem, now. When I re-start the car hot, especially on hot days, it hasn't wanted to idle. I've done the the IAC and the CPS, plus plugs, wires, cap and rotor. After doing the CPS, I got a check engine light, and OBD codes 2-1-2 and 1-2-1. After resetting the codes, the 1-2-1 (faulty or missing signal from AMM) has persistently been coming back, though the check engine light hasn't been coming back on. Yesterday, in a bad mood, I raced the engine when it wouldn't idle. There was the check engine light again. Today, I pulled the intake hose between the AMM and the throttle body, and found that the throttle body was filthy, as was that end of the hose. They were covered with an oily grime which came out easily with carb cleaner (I have an appreciation now for the angle of the throttle body: It was har to get at, and I had to use a mirror to see in, but the dirty carb cleaner drained out nicely. Also, I noticed the hose itself had leaks in it. I have temporarily plugged them up with gasketting material until I can get a replacement hose. I started the car and warmed it up, and the codes did not return. I shut it her down and she re-started fine, and idled well for several minutes more. Still the codes did not come back. I haven't driven it, though, so I'm not completely out of the woods.
So here are the questions:
1. Assuming the problem is solved, and exercising my penchant for automotive forensics, what did it: the clean throttle body, or the plugged leaks on the intake hose (remembering that the leaks were downstream of the AMM, so air would be getting into the engine without passing through the AMM).
2. Where's this oily grime coming from? The AMM end of the hose was clean, but the throttle body end, and the throttle body itself were filthy. Should I be concerned? I just broke 180,000 miles, and it's the first time I've been in there, though I've only had the car about 1 2/3 years.
-EdM.
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