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[obrut]

During my last race I noticed my A/F ratio slowing climbing and going lean at wide open, saw 13.5 then 14.2 then 14.9 and I went back to the pits.  I shut my car off and went to find a fuel pressure gauge.  When I went to restart the car it just clicked.  I tested the battery and it was at 11.3V and 125CCA.  I had a spare alternator so I swapped it and charged the battery and everything seemed fine.

 

I went out the next day for practice/qualifying and my car ran fine.  30 minutes before the race I start my car and it wont idle, I have to hold the pedal to get it to run.  I finally get it to idle and it doesn't sound good.  I skip the race thinking I leaned it out too much and now I have no compression.  When I get back home I do compression, leakdown and check vacuum and can't find anything wrong.  I start checking things by the alternator and just touch the IAC connector and it instantly runs better.  I check that its connected all the way and it is.  I pull the connector off and there is oil on the lower pin of the connector.  I haven't touched this connector in 5 years and I've never spilled oil on it.

 

Did something happen to my IAC when the alternator died or is this just coincidence? 

Also why in the hell is it $650 for a new one?

 

 iac.jpg   51.84KB   2 downloads

[Steve Scheifler]

Hard to say from the picture but it looks burnt. If so, that happens on any electrical connector when it’s making a poor connection due to being corroded, loose, whatever. Resistance and therefore current draw increase causing heat, component works intermittently.

Not sure where oil came from but could be part of the problem rather than a symptom.