# 1988 chevy cavalier rs idleing and driving issues

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-chevy-cavalier-rs-idleing-and-driving-issues/79444>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** chevrolet, cavalier\
**Created:** [May 21, 2013, 9:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-chevy-cavalier-rs-idleing-and-driving-issues/79444 "2013-05-21T09:14:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![weliketodrivefast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@weliketodrivefast](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weliketodrivefast)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 9:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-chevy-cavalier-rs-idleing-and-driving-issues/79444/1 "2013-05-21T09:14:44Z")

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k so I recently bought this cavalier about a week ago its and 88 automatic trans with 1.8 4 cylinder I thing not that it matters much. I noticed the exhaust had a smaller pipe from the manifold and the rest was strung with a bit bigger pipe and was attempted to crimp the pipes togather it was loud so I crimped thhe pipes better and used exhaust glue to patch the holes it runs better now to a point. but when I start the car it revs up a fair im guessing 3 grand since I have no rpm gauge but then it dies down to a low idle to the point were the car shakes a little bit. with the exhaust fixed I can get it up to 20 kilometres an hour with my foot off the gas when I turn fully it wants to lurch ahead/backwards. when I took it out for a highway drive today I came to a stop sign so I slowed and stoped and the car stalled out. started no problem. but I also tried later putting it in neutral and it doesn’t stall as I role to a stop it doesn’t shake in neutral. I would like to have this fixed but I need some pointers as of were to look. im not sure if this means anything but when I got the car it had a bad enough radiator fluid leak at the hose meeting the heating car on the engine side of the fire wall I repaired that and no longer leaks. any sugestions on what I could do do fix the lurching and staling.

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**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\
**Post date:** [May 21, 2013, 9:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1988-chevy-cavalier-rs-idleing-and-driving-issues/79444/2 "2013-05-21T09:17:26Z")

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@weliketodrivefast

Clean the throttle body first

If that doesn’t help, the idle air control valve is probably defective

Make sure you don’t have any obvious vacuum leaks