Parasitic Losses?

[Bonner]

Okay so I have a 2001 Coilpack with power steering.

When the car is sat idling with no electrical load it will idle with no problems. When I load the alternator by switching on the lights, wipers, hazards, radio etc then it starts shuddering every other 'cycle' when it idles. It feels like it's struggling to maintain power, then it's fine, then it struggles, fine, struggle (etc etc). On a side note to this when I turn the power steering from lock to lock I get the same result - The car feels like it's struggling to make power.

Now this car is slow. Slower than the Mrs' pre-facelift and it's really, really slow in the cold and when it's first getting going. I feel like this might be part of the answer to that slowness but I don't know having never driven another coilpack. Is this a fault or it it just something I have to deal with?

 

[pollyp]

check the idle control valves not gunked/sticking/slow to react

 

[frank]

the parasitic losses only effect idle or low throttle really bonner, and wont make much difference to full throttle response really.
i cut mine down to a minimum with a bigger alternator pulley and slacker belts, but it only helps the fuel milage @ idle or while flowing with the traffic at very low throttle really (where a 1hp saving has some significance while the engine is only outputting about 10hp)

 

[Bonner]

check the idle control valves not gunked/sticking/slow to react

I'll have a look at that one. Cheers Pollyp

the parasitic losses only effect idle or low throttle really bonner, and wont make much difference to full throttle response really.
i cut mine down to a minimum with a bigger alternator pulley and slacker belts, but it only helps the fuel milage @ idle or while flowing with the traffic at very low throttle really (where a 1hp saving has some significance while the engine is only outputting about 10hp)

Damn, I was hoping I had the issue of it being painfully slow when cold nailed down. What do you reckon to the electical load issue? Is that just the alternator trying to keep pace with the load or might there be an issue there?

 

[frank]

yours will be the coilpack stepper motor type idle control valve eh bonner, it should be flagging faultcodes if its not working correctly tho surely ?

 

[Bonner]

I need to buy myself a code reader then. Useful kit to have anyway. They're OBDII Aren't they?