[Joshua]

First, let me admit that I do not know a whole lot about cars, so my explanation of this may not be the best.

Okay, so I have a 1999 that for the last several months has been plagued by the dreaded "rough idle" problem. Like most of you, my idle gets even more erratic when I turn on the A/C...and as a result I am forced to put it in neutral.

Well, I have searched these forums for the last several days and I have compiled a list of things I am going to try to do to resolve this problem. I started yesterday by cleaning the MAF sensor and cleaning the throttle body. I also replaced the PCV valve.

However, the question I have is that when I was replacing the PCV valve I noticed that there was no elbow connecting the valve to the other line. The valve is connected directly to what looks like a container on one end, and directly to a hose on the other end (this hose is too connected to another hose which runs directly to the top of the gasket head)...but no elbow was present. So, I was wondering if there should be an elbow there, and if not could this feasibly be causing my rough idle problems? Also, I took the hose off that connects directly to the valve and it appeared to be cracked on both ends where it connects. I wondered if this was a big deal, and if so what can I do to reduce suction in this hose?

Thank you very much in advance for all of your responses.

 

[pextor]

if the hose is cracked, it should be replaced. I'm pretty sure there should be an elbow on the PCV valve, my 02 had it for sure.

 

[Joshua]

Okay, thanks for your post. Do you have any idea where I could find a PCV hose at? I looked online at autozone and oreilly, neither of them had any listed. Also, I looked under the hood of my car again and noticed that there is an elbow joint right next to where I pulled the PCV from. However, it is very large (much bigger than the PCV valve)...so I don't know if this has anything at all to do with the PCV itself.

 

[pextor]

mine has the elbow right at the PCV valve, right next to the exhaust manifold.

mine is the same as this:

 

[Joshua]

Thanks again for the info. I appreciate the picture, because my PCV doesn't look anything like that. I'm going to post some pics later of it so you can see what I'm talking about.

 

[pextor]

is your 99 an early production car?

 

[Joshua]

I have no idea. Is their any way to tell?

 

[pextor]

look in the drivers side door jam, there should be a tag in there. it would have the manufacture date, something like 2/99 for February of 1999.

 

[Joshua]

Sorry, my camera isn't working at the moment. I did look where you told me, however, and I did find that this car was made in April 1999 --- which I guess makes it early? Anyway, thanks again for all of your help.

 

[pextor]

actually that would be considered late. the production year runs from approx september to august, just like how the new model year cars come out.

 

[Joshua]

Thanks for all the help, but I took the car into the shop today to get a diagnostic and they gave me the bad news. Apparently, there is a rod knocking in the engine...so I finally have to give up this car. I am sad to see it go, but maybe its for the better.

 

[pextor]

junking it or trading it in?

 

[Joshua]

Idk. I don't have enough money to try to do the cash for clunkers thing. So, I guess I will have to junk it. Unless I could find a used lot that would let me trade it in for a car.

 

[pextor]

I would either run it until it's completely dead, or trade it in while it's still running decent.

I would also get a second opinion, but thats just me.

 

[ApprenticeZX2]

Could someone please help me with where the PCV valve on my 98 ZX2 is? If you could refer to it by the grid I put in the image, that would really help.

 

[ApprenticeZX2]

After poking around I found it at L14. It was a little lower than I thought it would be, but was in plain sight.