# My idle won't go low enough to pass emissions test

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-idle-wont-go-low-enough-to-pass-emissions-test/99253>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** toyota, pickup\
**Created:** [January 30, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-idle-wont-go-low-enough-to-pass-emissions-test/99253 "2017-01-30T21:41:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-idle-wont-go-low-enough-to-pass-emissions-test/99253/1 "2017-01-30T21:41:46Z")

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I failed the emissions test, solely because the idle speed wouldn’t go low enough. It passed easily at high speed. It’s been passing emissions tests for 30 years.

I got it home, turned the idle screw all the way out; it didn’t slow down. I turned it many turns in; it eventually sped up (so I have the right screw; I’ve done this before.)

What’s up? I haven’t driven it in a year, but that’s usually the case.

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-idle-wont-go-low-enough-to-pass-emissions-test/99253/2 "2017-01-30T21:44:22Z")

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Nobody can say.

Nobody knows what year this Toyota pickup is.

Tester

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**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-idle-wont-go-low-enough-to-pass-emissions-test/99253/3 "2017-01-30T22:02:22Z")

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Sorry. 1987 XtraCab Deluxe long-bed 4-cylinder carbureted 5-speed manual transmission, red, AC (broken years ago, never fixed)

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-idle-wont-go-low-enough-to-pass-emissions-test/99253/4 "2017-01-30T22:12:47Z")

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You might be looking at a carb rebuild.

The ethanol in today’s gasoline can damage the rubber components/pot metal carb body.

In Minnesota, we can purchase non-oxy gas just for this reason.

[http://msra.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jan-2017-Non-Oxy.pdf](http://msra.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Jan-2017-Non-Oxy.pdf)

Tester

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RandomTroll](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/randomtroll/32/12184_2.png) [@RandomTroll](https://community.cartalk.com/u/RandomTroll)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-idle-wont-go-low-enough-to-pass-emissions-test/99253/5 "2017-01-30T22:27:26Z")

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The choke was stuck. 15 years ago it froze (17 below) and the arm attached to the bimetallic coil popped out of its seat. It was riveted on. I had to drill out the rivets, put the arm back into the coil’s loop, thread it for gauge 6 screws, screw it on. It’s held up until now.