I'd really appreciate any suggestions on this, here's my problem:

If I start my car after the engine cools off (not cold, I live in Texas and it's very hot, just cold as in it hasn't been running for a while) like if it's been sitting for a couple hours, or every morning when I leave the house, it idles very rough in Park. If I try to push the accelerator, the car will stall and turn off. If I shift into gear, the car will stall and turn off. If I turn the steering wheel too much, the car stalls and turns off. Anything that puts stress on the engine makes it stall.

I fix it by letting the car warm up. I can let it sit for about 4 minutes, or I can very gently rev up the engine until it warms (usually stalling a few times in the process)

Also I don't know if it's related, but every time I get moving for the first time after the car has been off, the car briefly stalls but then starts going again. Before shifting into 2nd gear, its like fuel gets cut to the engine just for a sec and the car lurches. It only does this after it's been off, once, then it doesn't happen again.

Trying to fix the idle, I've opened up the idle control **** as far as I can, gotten a tune up, new spark plugs & wires, fresh oil, cleaned the fuel system, changed the fuel filter, nothing helped. My final guess is the catalytic converter, what do you think?

 

Oh an I forgot to mention, this problem has progressed over time. Lots of people say "Oh it's an old car, you have to let it warm up." But no, this problem was nonexistent a year ago, and over time the idle has gotten worse and worse. It's as if something is building up in the fuel system.

 

its possible the temp sensor on the engine block that tells the ECU how warm things are is broken... if the engine thought it was already warm, it wouldn't be giving it enough fuel to run when its cold.

its also possible the idle regulator valve is sketchy, or the hoses to it are loose. this is under the intake manifold and connects to both sides of the throttle body and controls the idle speed.

its also possible the idle SWITCH is gummed up so the engine doesn't even know its supposed to be idling.

 

Thanks for the info, I'm betting on that temp sensor. I'll have it checked out.

 

there's a simple test, just need a multimeter in 'ohms' mode, and measure the resistance when the engine is cold, and when its hot. various places online have resistance tables.

hey, this is a 1984? is it a k-jet or LH II ? I don't know if k-jet has the same sort of temp sensor.