Do your motors run smooth at idle?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,898
Likes: 5
From: Plainfield, IL
Do your motors run smooth at idle?
I recently purchased my 99 FRC with 22,000 miles. Car is great but I was expecting the idle to be a little smoother with such a car. You can really feel the car idle from the cabin I was wondering if this is normal or should it be very smooth? I think my 97 LT1 Z28 idles slightly smoother than the vette sometimes. I know the car has stock plugs but those platinums should last long time. Any recommendations? maybe I should go ahead and try new plugs
Thanks
Thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 2,156
Likes: 0
From: S.W. Ohio
I have 99 FRC and the idle is rough. I do run the heck out of my car at the track and the idle has not changed and my odometer is around 25.5.
The factory plugs have little pucks on the electrode opposite of the insulated tip that can easily be lost. Many others have pulled thier plugs to discover that the "Pucks" where missing. I will be changing plugs this fall. Hope this helps...
The factory plugs have little pucks on the electrode opposite of the insulated tip that can easily be lost. Many others have pulled thier plugs to discover that the "Pucks" where missing. I will be changing plugs this fall. Hope this helps...
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,459
Likes: 48
From: Schaumburg IL
CI 7-8-9-11 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Hey JT- how's it going 
I have 24,900 on my 01 and it idles pretty smooth. Give me a call if you want to compare idles 
So long as your not thowing any codes I think you should be okay.
BTW- did you change your intake or anything like that...or do you still have the stock air intake??
I have 24,900 on my 01 and it idles pretty smooth. Give me a call if you want to compare idles So long as your not thowing any codes I think you should be okay.BTW- did you change your intake or anything like that...or do you still have the stock air intake??
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,898
Likes: 5
From: Plainfield, IL
I recently installed the Donaldson Blackwing but idle was the same before and after. I have reset my PCM and even did the idle re-learn procedure made no difference. I am very picky so when I say rough idle its not like a miss or anything its just sometimes you can feel a little bump here and there from the motor. Maybe I will try and pull a plug or two sometime soon.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 19,459
Likes: 48
From: Schaumburg IL
CI 7-8-9-11 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Originally Posted by JTS97Z28
I recently installed the Donaldson Blackwing but idle was the same before and after. I have reset my PCM and even did the idle re-learn procedure made no difference. I am very picky so when I say rough idle its not like a miss or anything its just sometimes you can feel a little bump here and there from the motor. Maybe I will try and pull a plug or two sometime soon.
yea, I would check the plugs/wires just to make sure, you also could just have gotten some crappy gas, or could have a bad fuel filter....I assume it's been doing it for a while though??
Last edited by baldy26; Sep 15, 2004 at 12:15 PM.
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Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 160
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From: Westminster Colorado
I too have noticed a little roughness at idle as you described. My '99 FRC has 33k miles. I changed the plugs three thousand miles ago and it did not change. I have never found a code stored indicating a problem. I just figured "its a sports car" and decided to live with it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,251
Likes: 4
You are not alone. Mine in not "Lexus" smooth either. "99 with 24k miles on her. I have read in the past, similar questions on the idle issue. When I swapped out the stock plugs for the NGK irridiums there was a noticable smoothness to the idle. That said, it was not "Lexus" smooth.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,561
Likes: 448
From: Atlanta metro Ga.
Most LS1 motors idle rough, for whatever technical reason. Mine does, and changing out the plugs made no difference. I guess I must have "adjusted" to it, because it used to really bother me, but I hadn’t thought about it in months until this thread!
Last edited by Dan_the_C5_Man; Sep 15, 2004 at 06:24 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,966
Likes: 22
From: Frederick Maryland
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11
If the rough idle bothers you then the Vette might not be for you....J/K. 
I own 3 LS1 powered cars and ALL of them idle rough. It's just the nature of the beast.
I own 3 LS1 powered cars and ALL of them idle rough. It's just the nature of the beast.
