Another eBay purchased showed up in the mail today, just before I left for the day, and I couldn't have been happier.
My new to me used AIC valve arrived, and I didn't even bother to go home to put it under the bonnet. I did it in the post office parking lot.
What can I say, this was important and I was excited...also, it's a pretty easy install.
First, let me tell you about the last owner. Aside from obviously buying the car as a cheap beater, he didn't care for it and had no concern with doing things right. He had bought a new AIC valve from a salvage yard, but never bothered to check the numbers, and as it turns, out, they did not match. So now, I have an extra valve that I don't need...expect to see it on eBay soon.
After bolting down the hose clamps and hooking up the connector, and hooking the MAF sensor back up, I turned her over and had my first "AHHHHhhhhhhhh" moment (sorry, that was supposed to be a *sigh*).
For the first time since driving her home, she was purring like a kitten, running at the proper air/fuel mix, and the check engine light was off.
This was amazing. The check engine light was off. Ulla was no longer broken.
Finally, she was a really car. Idling softly, not popping and whining. I had throttle response, I could feather it, I could shift between gears smoothly, and I couldn't watch the damn fuel gauge go down while I was driving.
Even without a working odometer, I was able to keep a general idea of miles driven and MPG being churned out. My best figure was about 18 in town and low 20's highway. That's not good...I've driven full sized pickups with that kind of mileage.
We'll see what kind of mileage I get now that she isn't struggling to stay running anymore as it is.
Cost of AIC Valve: $25
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