Update: I put a couple of brass fittings in the hose that connects to the duct over the cam cover. The hole that air draws through is now about 1/8-inch (~3 mm) in diameter, compared to the hose fittings which are about 1/2-inch (~12 mm). The idle is a little higher in neutral (~900 RPM) than it was and drops to ~800 RPM when I put it in Drive. I'll check it with the air conditioner compressor engaged tomorrow. It definitely idles smoother than it used to, probably because now the idle mixture is a little richer than it was. These engines desperately need balance shafts; they will never be smooth at idle without them.

Next tests are highway performance, drivability, coast down, cold start, and fuel consumption.

I think we're on to something here, guys.

Don, y'all
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"Myshorts -now you can understand how excited I got!"


Heck, yeah, I sure can. I didn't seem to get the power gains you did, or at least I can't tell until I can wring the snot out of it and get it on the highway. I'll do that tomorrow. And I'de still like to know EXACTLY what the KIA guys did to yours. I'de pay good money to find out. I want to duplicate yours and see if I get the performance increase you did. But you know, I really don't care if I don't. I'm tickled to death with what I've got right now. Especially now that the RPM hold is gone. I've lived with the CEL for so long I don't even notice it anymore, and I'm going to take out the light bulb for it the next time I need to dig into my dash for something. (I have that CEL because of a damaged O2 sensor I got from the last muffler swap I had done. No matter. It passes smog just fine.)

Regarding that other question, I think the part is '95-'96 only, and aside from helping the idling out, I'll bet that part has something to do with emissions. Whatever it was, just unplugging it has made a big difference. Again I can't believe I haven't tried that before.

Axe, I'm very curious myself to see how it starts up "dead cold" after sitting there all night. I'll let you guys know right after I find that out.

One other thing. If you can stand getting a CEL and don't mind undoing your battery to get rid of it, maybe one of you guys with a newer model Sportie should try unplugging the equivalent part and see what happens.

Send me the pic please. samm@austin.rr.com
Thanks.

Slade, the pics are plastered all over this thread, but if you can't see them for some reason let me know and I'll e-mail them to you. What year is your Sportage?

My bad! I'm going through the thread right now.
I jumped the gun before I noticed the thread got up to a couple of pages. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ignore.gif" alt="" />

Hey, guys, I just thought of something that seems obvious. I think that I'm getting exactly the same results as "here" did in his original post. The difference is his KIA techs pulled a trick that allows it to remain plugged in and not throw a CEL, but behave as if it's unplugged. Does that make sense?

No prob, man. This thread's subject has turned it into somewhat of a monster. Lot's of scrolling needed.

Myshorts -that's exactly what they did. Took out the innards -which (not being very knowledgeable on the subject) I understand to be the motorized solenoid. Funny, but well before any of this was done or had even been thought about, I just out of curiosity pulled the plug on it one day and got the same result CBP stated. It had been 'buzzing' a little -when it should have been quiet. I was surprised to see it didn't seem to make any difference to the engine -and no check light either. But I didn't give it any further thought and just reconnected it. Coincidence that it would be exactly what the Kia techs pulled apart when I brought it in for a final check after the other shop did the unrelated motorwork.

Which results? I mean the ones CBP talked about? I can't remember reading those.
Anyway, the weird part to all this - aside from your first post about it - is that over the years I've unhooked, unscrewed, unplugged, tweaked, messed with, or otherwise disassembled every other part on the engine BUT this damn thing. It always looked so weird to me I was afraid to touch it. Do you have any idea what the innards look like?
Further, from the buzzing sound you described, might it be that yours wasn't running right in the first place, hence a power loss you couldn't have known existed at all, therefore the results you're getting seem especially significant - same as mine but with more power - and because we both are from warm climates might we be experiencing the same benefits, yet without me noticing the power you have?
God, did THAT make sense?

I better heft another Bud Light. That hurt my head . . .