Hey guys, today i went to jack in the crack to get some lunch, and while i was stopped, noticed my idle was a bit rough. and yes, i know about the boxer engine, and it wasnt that. the car shook a little more than normal, and i watched the tach needle wiggle down below the 500-750 line, and then bob back up. it did this off and on for a little bit. when i turned down my radio, it "seemed" to make it go away? the subwoofer isnt causing this is it? i pulled forward, and whe ni stopped, it did it again.

when i got back to my office, i sat in the car and turned the music up, and experienced no prolems. i also kept an eye on the temp needle, and that didnt move up. so im just kinda puzzled, and hoping its not a major problem im facing.

04 wrx, no engine mods, just catback.

i searched, AND i know this belongs in the technical forum, but you guys always seem to help out a lot better and faster. so i thought i'd give it a shot here first. as always, thanks in advance, any help will do. =)

thanks guys,
Brandon

 

Okay I'm gonna ask the obvious, was your A/C on?

 

Bov?

 

sorry, no A/C wasnt on, i know better. =P

and no BOV, i have no engine mods. only "engine" type mod i have is my catback. sorry for not stating the ovbvious. heh.

 

your sub was just hitting too hard... haha.

Might just be a bad tank of gas, and somtimes I notice it's like that when it's cold occasionally.

 

well on friday it was hot as hell, so i dont think its a cold shudder. i noticed that therse another fan that turns on, is there a seperate fan from the A/C? like a radiator fan? i think it might be when that turns on is when the idle dips down low.

is that normal and ok?

 

Yes there is a fan that kicks on when it's super hot out and you are sitting still. I haven't noticed that my idle dips down when it kicks on...I'll check and see next time I'm driving.

 

That fan is your radiator fan that has to kick in if you're not moving so air is still flowing. Usually the fan turned on it'll dip for a second, but it shouldn't be for a long time...

Also, whether it's freaking hot or not, a hot engine is over 1000 degrees, hopefully it's not that hot in danville.

 

You'd be surprised...

 

Haha Smitty, maybe I should reword that. No matter how hot it is outside, an engine still runs cold when started up. Since engines run at over 1000 degrees and it'll never get that hot from ambient temps.

 

just wanted to pop in and say thanks for all the info so far. i knew i could count on my baic brothers. but yeah, i think when the radiator fan kicks on, it seems to make the idle waiver and thus makes the needle drop up and down slightly, and it makes the car shake a bit more when at the lower RPM.

i've been having s omany small problems with my car im hoping this isnt another one of them. its really getting frustrating. but thanks for the input.