Erratic Idle on some startups

For about two months now every once in a while when I start my sc up it will idle strangely with the revs jumping up to a grand and then dropping to about 300. When I shift the transmission into gear the revs return to normal but if I fail to shift into gear in time, the car will eventually die. As stated earlier, this does not happen all the time and there doesn't seem to be a way to replicate the problem under certain conditions consistantly.

Any ideas and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.

same here

i have the same exact problem. do you have problems starting the car? i have also a rough idel i've been dealing with for quite some time. i would start checking the tps. btw this cars are known to be only compatible with ford parts not aftermarket. just my 2 cents

Does anyone else have some input?

Tps?

I was ready to ask the same question. Mine warms up fine, then drops to about 500 RPM's & then eventually stalls. After starting up again, it idles about 1500 RPM's. If I let it idle for a while again, it drops to 500 RPM's & stalls again. Does this too sound like a TPS? FYI- it's a '94 5-speed.

Most times idle issues result from sensors that do not agree with each other and/or vacuum leaks.

First step is to thoroughly check your IC tubes and vacuum lines for leaks. Proceedures are talked about many times here on these boards.

Second step is to clean your MAF sensor wires. Carb cleaner and a q-tip work best.

Then if you still have problems you may have disagreement between MAF, TPS, and O2 sensor reading. This will require some qualified diagnosis.

Thnx for your input Dave, I'll start working on that stuff when I get back home.

Check vacuum

Just got mine fixed. It was so simple! I had a vacuum leak, so check vacuum lines... not only the rubber hoses but the super charger tubes also. The big nut that holds the top hat to the next tube was only hand tight. That last time I had it off was in November. Check all the tube connections- top hat and upper & lower inner cooler tubes. Hope this helps someone!