[ba] High Idle/Tranny Trouble? with my 4000CS Automatic

[Buchholz, Steven]

... it could be that the ISV or the ISV control module has gone south ...
but if it was working right before you sold the car to her I would suspect
that someone is monkeying with the screw on the throttle body that used to
control the throttle bypass ... i.e. the idle speed adjustment from the days
before ISVs.  The screw should be snugged down fully.  Does she have any
experience with the shop she took it to for the work?  Personally I'd be
leery of a shop I didn't know about with a female taking in an older car for
a smog test.  By California law it is the seller who is responsible for
getting the smog test done ... but hey, I've bought cars and had the test
done myself too ...

The other two things I can't really comment on, but it does sound like there
is something up in the AT ...

While I do indeed love the 4000s, and consider the '84-87 4kQ as one of the
most robust Audis of that vintage, I would question if it really was true
that a 17 year old vehicle could be considered a "reliable car" for someone
who is not familiar with working on them ...

Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)
 >
 >    Here's the story.  I had (until about 2 weeks ago) a 1986
 >  Audi 4000CS
 >  Automatic.  I bought it as a run around, and drove it for 6
 >  months or so (I
 >  love Rabbits and 4000's) and then I found a GTI I wanted,
 >  so I sort of
 >  wasn't driving the car any more.  I have a friend in San
 >  Diego, who needed a
 >  reliable car, so I told her I would sell/give her the Audi.
 >   I didn;t get
 >  much for it, despite the fact that I just put new exhaust,
 >  Alternator, CV's,
 >  Ball joints, and wheel bearings in it, and every single
 >  thing works on the
 >  car!  It is in VERY nice shape, and runs well.  So I
 >  dropped it off in San
 >  Diego and she thought it was great.  That is, until yesterday.
 >
 >  She called and said three things:
 >
 >  1.) The car won't pass smog (it passed in NoCal EASILY, and
 >  I didn;t do
 >  anything to it).  She says the guy at them smog place said
 >  it was idling too
 >  high and he wouldn't even do the test, because he said it
 >  wouldn't pass
 >  anyway.
 >  2.) She says the car seems to rev a lot.
 >  3.) She said the transmission "acts strange"
 >
 >  What could cause a high idle, and thus strange tranny
 >  behavior?  I made her
 >  go check the tranny fluid, and she says it is good. Would the idle
 >  stabilizer cause this?  One of those ignorant 4000 relays?
 >  Any advice?  I
 >  told her to pick a good shop in San Diego, and take it in
 >  and have them call
 >  me.  But I would like to get your advice.  Also, do you
 >  know any good (not
 >  rip-off) Audi mechs in the Downtown SD area?