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Reading an old manual made me question a common practice
I was looking through a 1978 Ford truck service manual I found at a garage sale. It said to adjust the carburetor idle mixture with the engine at normal operating temp, but also with the headlights on and the A/C blower on high. I've always just done it at temp with no load. The manual's point was to simulate a real electrical load for a stable setting. On one hand, that makes perfect sense for driveability. On the other, it adds steps and most guys I know skip it. Has anyone else tried this older method, and did it make a noticeable difference in how the vehicle ran?
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finleyf881mo ago
That "simulate a real load" idea is the key. I always set mine with the lights and blower on because that's how you actually drive it, not sitting still with no draw. It takes two extra minutes and the idle stays rock solid when you flip everything on later.
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claire_wells871mo ago
My buddy had this old Bronco that would always stumble at stoplights with the AC on. He followed that exact procedure from a manual, lights and blower on high while setting the idle mix. It was like night and day. The truck just stopped caring about electrical load after that, idle stayed perfect even with the stereo cranked. He swears by it now.
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