I am FREEZING in my car in winter especially

[Mechanical Mike]

Here's some pics. Sounds like you're missing the line from the vacuum gauge port to the cannister.
In the third pic the line labeled to Engine (Purge Valve) goes to the vacuum test port then on to the Engine (Purge Valve)

[bill buttermore]

If you find that a nylon vacuum line has broken, it may be possible to repair it by joining the broken ends or even replacing the entire line with appropriately sized rubber vacuum hose. Usually the nylon hoses are dealer-only items. This is the sort of stuff that you can find in salvage yards for hardly any money at all.

[laimisl]

On the first picture it is shown that the nylon line is going to the left side of the car.

I was referring to the charcoal canister on the right side of the car in the front under bumper. So it is on the right where that line got broken and that is the right side where the connector to the canister is rotten.

Can it be that in some models that canister is on the right and others on the left?

Thanks,
Larry

[bonnevillain]

The canister is on the drivers side in all bonnevilles i believe

[laimisl]

Oops, then we have a problem, as the sound comes from the right, and I am very certain that the vacuum sound comes from passenger side so from right front corner, and that canister and the nylon line that I do refer to is located there.

Suggestions to what can it be then?

Larry.

[gmman]

not sure if we are talking about the same area but on my 96 bonnie se, that cannister would be the vacuum reservoir.

[laimisl]

"gmman" what do you mean in your 96 bonnie, I understand you have one vacuum canister, but specify is it in the right or left side of the engine (the reference point better expressed passenger side= right, drivers side=left.).

Thanks,
Larry

[gmman]

the cannister (vacuum reservoir) is on passenger side of the car and located under the passenger side head light. on the 96 bonnie se, the cannister is fed from engine vacuum thru a check valve. the cannister in turn feeds climate control vacuum operated devices. the feed line comes off the side of the engine nearest the fire wall and then to passenger side looping around near the fire wall and forward to the area underneath the passenger side headlamp. from cannister back to firewall on passenger side and then thru fire wall to vacuum controlled devices.

may not be same for your vehicle.

[laimisl]

Thanks GMMAN I will check, your description is well guided and I will be able to find it easy I hope. Will let you know when I did that, that may be not soon, as we had a snowstorm and that ton of snow complicates things, but of course that is on my priority list.

Thanks,
Larry

[Mechanical Mike]

I totally missed that you stated the canister was on the right side. Sorry for getting sidetracked with the EVAP canister.

[laimisl]

Good day all fellas,

I guess you thought I was gone of this topic, but here is very curious continuation:

I have received replacement TPS sensor. But before I have replaced it I have tested the old one with ground black A and Middle B return from TPS sensor and guess what at closed position I got 0.33 VDC and at TWO it measured 3.50VDC. Strange huh, as before it read 0.05 at closed to 0.31VDC at TWO.

I have measured before that A and C and it read nicely 5VDC with ignition on.

So then I have tested the new TPS sensor while connected to the wires but not installed and while it was closed i showed 0 and when TWO it nicely measured 5VDC.

As I have replaced it, and measured A and B it shoved very similar to the old TPS sensor: 0.35 VDC and at TWO it measured 3.53VDC.

I said WTF is happening here. I have ordered part, got it and still in the same spot like before? UNBELIEVABLE! And as car starts it looks and sounds like the same as with the old sensor. I will watch how it will be in cold temps if they will come as it is much warmer now about 0C=32F that makes no problem to start.

Now for the vacuum and CANISTER. The CANISTER is in the right side so the passenger side under the fender and bumper. I have checked and it has only one connection. And that connection line that connects to it is off. Last time I have tested TPS sensor, at the same time I have found a line blindly touching by hand, but it was so rotten that it just broke off. I have that broken off piece, and have matched little rubber hose that would connect from broken hose end to the canister very easy. But the PROBLEM is I can not find from where the end of that plastic pipe line has broken off. I have used flash light, laid under car, got all myself dirty, but still bloody can not see it. Anybody knows or has images (pictures are great source to visually understand location) from where that line comes from? and where could I find it and trace it to broken end so I could connect the rubber hose and solve possible vacuum issue?

Please help as I am getting on the edge here, as spending so much time but basically getting nowhere.

Your exact expertise is appreciated.

Thanks,
Larry

[laimisl]

For the ones confused what is mentioned by acronym TWO, it means Throttle Wide Open.

[laimisl]

Hi Guys,

I really need your advise where to find that vacuum line that is broken and that connects to the canister onthe paseenger side front.

Thank you very much.

Larry

[bill buttermore]

Larry, are you near a salvage yard where you could go look at a 97 like yours with the fender off maybe? My '95 is not equipped like yours, and I do not have the factory service manuals that cover the '97 model year. My Chilton's 28200 makes no mention of a reservoir under the fender.

However, gmman described clearly what appears to be your setup. If it is indeed a vacuum reservoir, there should be two lines. One from the intake manifold to the reservoir under the fender. The purpose of that line is to create a vacuum in the reservoir. That line should have a check valve to prevent air flow from the engine to the reservoir when the engine is shut off or under heavy load. The other line runs from the reservoir back through the firewall to a vacuum switch that services the vacuum motors under the dash. These move the flaps in the heater/AC duct work to direct the airflow to the floor, dash, or windshield.

Here is a question for you. Are the air flow controls working in your car right now? For example, defrost, dash panel, and floor?

[laimisl]

Hi Bill,

Yes air flow controls work just fine. Would that mean I have no problem with vacuum then?

I am kind of tired searching hard why does it start hard when cold and starts so easy when it is not that cold. But still would like to find the reason and fix it.

Thanks,
Larry

[bill buttermore]

The fact that the air flow controls work normally suggests that the canister under your right front fender is not the vacuum reservoir for the heater/AC controls.

So, what else could it be? Does your car have an evaporative emission canister in the driver's corner behind the headlight? The fact that you can hear the vacuum leaking is not a good thing. You need to figure this out.

Look on the firewall to the left of the big round can that is the vacuum booster for the power brakes. See if there is an irregularly shaped black plastic reservoir with a vacuum hose running to a fitting underneath it. If so, that would be the reservoir for the heater/ac controls.

If your evap canister is located under the right fender and is missing parts and sucking air, remember back towards the beginning of this long thread that its failure is listed as a possible cause for hard starts.

[laimisl]

Bill,

Thing is that the car starts from half the turn at 32F and is very hard to start at -20C (Maybe that is 14F or 6F).

Do you think hat sounds like vacuum problem?

When I hear that suction noise it is coming exactly from the passenger side. So I thought that is due to that canister and the faulty line coming to it.

To tell you the truth as I wrote before, the canister located in the passenger side has only one input into it, and the connection nipple has only single entrance. So it is not EVAP canister. It is whatever other sort.

The EVAP canister is like at every bonnie on the drivers side and all vacuum hoses that go to it are just in the pictures and diagram you or other fella sent and posted in this thread.

I will check for the reservoir for the heater/ac controls and will net you know, I am pretty sure it is the same on all bonnies, I am very surprised though that I have that funny reservoir on the passengers side, and you do not. Have you tried t locate it, it is very close to the fog light if your bumper has fog lights on the extreme corners (other older bonnies has fog lights more in the center), actually I can see that reservoir via the fog light opening with the flash light easy.

Thanks, and I hope we will locate the problem any time soon.

Larry

[bill buttermore]

From page three of this thread:

My '95 FSM lists the following items under "...unstable idle..." the definition of which includes: "...Engine idle speed may vary in RPM..."

Items that also are included under "Hard Start" are highlighted in orange.

Vacuum leaks
PCM grounds (powertrain control module ( computer))
Injector balance
Fuel in Pressure Regulator hose
Evaporative Emission Control
O2 sensor
Ignition system; plugs, wires, etc
Cylinder compression
Worn camshaft, weak valve springs
Sticking or binding throttle
EGR system
IAC
A/C signal to PCM
PCV
PROM updates
Broken motor mounts
Generator output voltage should be >9, <17 volts
Binding or out of adjust cruise control cable

I would suggest you check the temperature sensors, and the throttle position sensor first, then move on to cleaning the IAC valve and passages, then the other items in orange.

I don't know what it could be under your right fender. I cannot imagine what reservoir would need just one line. ??? But when you look at the things listed above that could possibly cause your hard start cold, that we have not eliminated, we see the idle air control valve. A hard start cold condition would be created if this valve were sticking partially open, allowing too much air into the intake manifold when a richer mixture is needed. The broken, sucking vacuum line would add still more air to the intake manifold, possibly creating a mixture that is too lean to fire up when cold. I would consider cleaning the IAC and its passages, checking its function, and simply plugging the line to the canister under the fender to see if that helps the cold start condition.

Electrically testing the IAC:

Unplug the connector and check resistance between the IAC terminals. Resistance between terminals A-B and terminals C-D should be between 40 and 80 ohms. If not, the valve is faulty.

Check resistance between A-C, A-D, B-C, and B-D. All should be infinite resistance. If not, the valve is faulty.

Dirty pintle, seat, or passages may cause malfunction even if the electrical test is OK.

Mother nature will be solving your cold start problem soon.

[laimisl]

Bill,

I will definitely test IAC. I think I know what it is it is kid of other sensor on throttle body closer to the top, the one that is roundish and has 4 wires A B C and D.

Is this the one circled in red:

Please confirm that is the one, if you would have picture that would help. I will test OHMs and will let you know.
BTW I guess ignition must be on to get good reading.

I would not expect for dirt there, I have cleaned all throttle body a while ago. And all worked fine.

BIGGEST MYSTERY is as it is very cold, it is soo so so so hard to start, you must wind it all op so much. But once engine is on for few seconds, you may shut it off and restart with great easiness. Same as if you start so so so herd in the morning after great cold, drive to work, leave it there outside in the cold for all day, after 9 hours you start is quite easy too. Only is very hard to start after night colds. Any ideas??

Of course I would connect a hose to vacuum canister or whatever it is on the passenger side, but since I have broken off piece of it, I ca not locate from where it is coming from? This is MYSTERY #2.

As for mother nature will solve many problems yes I agree, but just in case more cold will happen one of the days I do not want to be stuck stranded for the problem if it can be solved.

Cheers and thanks for tips, I will try to check them,
and if you have more ideas on the MYSTERIES please let me know, so I could tackle them soonest.

Thanks,
Larry

[bill buttermore]

Yes, what you show circled is the idle air control. Did you remove it when you cleaned the throttle body last year? Be careful to use a screwdriver that fully fills the screw slots, and use a little penetrating oil as you carefully back out the screws. They may be installed with threadlocker. Clean the cone shaped pintle, but do not push the valve back into the body. Make sure the passages in the throttle body and the valve seat are clean.

No, you do not need the ignition on to check the resistance of the IAC valve. You unplug the connector, then probe the contacts of the IAC to measure resistance and to check for shorts as described above.

Sensitivity to cold will not be a mystery when you find the problem. It is not uncommon for the engine to hold a lot of heat, even for 8 hours while at work. Perhaps there is some moisture present where it should not be and it takes a good 12 hours to freeze solid.

Re mystery hose. I looked on my '95 and found a black nylon hose from the charcoal evap canister on the driver's side that runs along the lower radiator support to the inner right front corner of the engine compartment. It makes a 90 degree turn upward then a 90 degree turn to the rear and runs along the upper "frame" rail of the passenger side of the engine compartment. This is, I believe, the hose that runs back to the fuel tank, and will (at times) be under vacuum to purge the tank of vapor. Could this be the hose you are referring to?