Problem with idle speed - 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE 1.8L

Asked by Underdog Apr 05, 2011 at 08:23 PM about the 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

2002 Nissan Sentra GXE 1.8L

When starting the car cold it immediately revs to 2000 rpm and when it finally warms up it bounces revs between 1500 - 2000 rpm roughly.
If I let it run for a while occasionally the idle will simmer down to just under 1000 rpm as it should but after about another 20 seconds the idle goes up again to just under 2000 rpm.
If I try to press the gas ever so slightly it starts to idle up and down - press the gas a little more and the revs go right to 3000 rpm steady.

I have replaced the throttle position sensor and Air Mass sensor but no luck.
Have also used the carb cleaner trick to try to detect a vacuum leak with no effect.
No computer warning lights are currently on.

Any ideas?

4 Answers

935

sounds like a vacuum leak to be honest, i know on the spec v's there's an idle relearn process, but I don't remember it off the top of my head. Since you've replaced the MAF and TPS I'd just go ahead and reset the ECU again, and start it up and let it idle for ~15 minutes without touching the gas.

6 people found this helpful.
245

sounds like the Idle Air Control valve is shorting out or outright bad.You can try cleaning the valve with PB blast and then MAF cleaner,but it probably will have to be replaced.

9 people found this helpful.
60

i just bought my 16 yr old a nissan sentra 2001 and it started to idle up and down when its in park ...now its showing 3 different codes p0420...p0505...p1140 i know its not all these problems can it be ..

6 people found this helpful.

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