Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Got a clue what this might be? I'm stumped!

For the longest time now i have been having a problem that I have done nothing about because it happens once in a while and it never happens when I show my mechanic!

Sometimes when I start my SE it'll idle really low instead of high when warming up..I'll tap the gas and have to give it a hand with keeping the RPM's up till it's ready to go! Like I said...it happens every once in a while so I havn't been to concerned... When this problem does happen, I hear a squeaking or chirping noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. It could happen when the car is warm or when I start it for the first time in the morning. The problem only happens when the chirp/squeak happens. I don't have to hold the gas down but rather get it up to 1500(aprox) where it would normally start warming up at and come down when ready. Does anyone have any idea if this is a fuel thing or an engine thing? Or maybe even something eles?????

Thanks for caring!

_Adam

Could be vapor recovery canister. There is a flat rectangular tank under the trunk that stores vapors from the fuel tank. It vents those vapors to your intake manifold under certain conditions to make room for more vapors. Valve could be stuck or something. Could place to look first anyway.

this may help you out. but i was having a problem similar to that on the warm up with out the chirping noise. but you may want to try and clean your mass airflow sensor (MAF sensor) its really easy to get to and all you need is brake and electric motor cleaner. (i got mine at napa) all you do is take the cylinder that houses the mass airflow unit out of the air box and spray the sensor. let it evaporate then reinstall. i did this to mine and slapped my self in the head when my car ran smoother down the road and ran smooth while idling. hey its worth a shot.

I know this may sound off the wall but, could the squeaking and chirping in the rear of the car be an animal of some sort? Could you have mice colonizing your exhaust on cold nights? They could add back pressure and keep the idle low.
A friend of mine had a Porcshe 911 that had a similar problem. He garaged it one winter and that car had a colony of mice in every tube and hose.