Irratic Hunting Idle After Sitting.

[Hyper Dad]

Hello everyone.

I have a 2002 Micra k11 1.0ltr. It's been sitting for a few months on the drive while I got over a short illness and performed a few jobs on the old girl. It's been started periodically and on occasions I noticed an erratic idle. Which seemed to clear. Only this time i started it up it's seems to be permanent. Car was running perfectly before standing (as it always has). Car revs fine but as soon as it returns to idle it hunts around rapidly.

Anyone have any ideas? I've heard the MAF sensor can give issues, should this be my first port of call?

Any advice welcome.

 

[Seb_]

Hi HyperDad!
What mileage is your car? They usually tend to fail around 160 000KM. To check if it's the MAF sensor you could try to unplug it (from the loom side, with the plastic connector that you need to pinch and pull) if it then run a bit rough but doesn't stall anymore, you found the culprit.
Hope it helps!

 

[Hyper Dad]

Hi HyperDad!
What mileage is your car? They usually tend to fail around 160 000KM. To check if it's the MAF sensor you could try to unplug it (from the loom side, with the plastic connector that you need to pinch and pull) if it then run a bit rough but doesn't stall anymore, you found the culprit.
Hope it helps!

Hello

Just over 80k miles. I will try that and report back. The car doesn't stall the idle just climbs and falls rapidly like someone was blipping the throttle. Very strange .

 

[Seb_]

Try to unplug it like on the video below around 1min48:

If that's the problem try to gently clean it first (don't touch the hot wires) with some isopropyl alcohol.
If not, check the vacuum system at it might also be a leak somewhere.

 

[Hyper Dad]

Would carb cleaner suffice?

 

[Micra Paul]

Would carb cleaner suffice?

NO

mass air flow

Hi guys needing help here i think ive got bother with mass air flow sensor can anybody help me in the direction of cleaning it

micra.org.uk

 

[Seb_]

NO

mass air flow

Hi guys needing help here i think ive got bother with mass air flow sensor can anybody help me in the direction of cleaning it

micra.org.uk

Paul, funny how the answer you gave in the previous thread is exactly the same as mine (even tho I didn't read yours before)
Also talking about MAF sensor cleaner, dedicated sprays from CRC or LiquiMoly used to be widely available for cheap, now they're both hard to find and cost an arm!

 

[Micra Paul]

Paul, funny how the answer you gave in the previous thread is exactly the same as mine (even tho I didn't read yours before)
Also talking about MAF sensor cleaner, dedicated sprays from CRC or LiquiMoly used to be widely available for cheap, now they're both hard to find and cost an arm!

As regards arm & a leg costs of so called (IPA) MAF cleaners, I have found them to be a waste of time with the MAFs of all four of my K11 micras that suffered the same notorious fate in the last 17 years of owning & driving them.

The only one I was economically able to fix was the Bosch TB with its detachable & thus replaceable MAF at an economic viable cost.

Sometimes its more efficient to do only the right minimal work & avoid doing unnecessary uneconomic work & quickly move on.