VWAR Old forum !

I know that you're suppossed to adjust idle speed while the car is in neutral. But I found that doing this with an autostick actually decreases idle speed (at 900-1000rpm) when the car is put into gear...making the engine run so slow to the point where it wants to stall - and has done so.
Therefore, wouldn't it make more sense to adjust the idle when in Drive 1 at the required speed - as most autosticks (pressumedly) hardly stay in neutral long enough, and at start-up, to do any damage to the clutch at say 1200 rpm (in neutral)

I have mine adjusted to ~900-950.  If you increase the RPMs for idle, you get a nasty thump when it goes into gear.  The higher the RPMs, the nastier the thump.  I can't imagine this is good for the trans.  Basically the same thing as dumping your clutch to peal out.

I made the mistake of leaving Edel in high idle and going into reverse.  Even with the brake on, Edel chirped her tires.

I have my idle set at 900 RPM which is what is specified in the repair/maintenance manual.

The car operates fine at this idle speed without even a hint of stalling.  Increasing the idel speed will cause other problems and will make the setting of proper engine timing difficult.

If the car is stalling at this idle speed, you have a problem elsewhere.

Sounds to me like you have manifold vacume going to your clutch selonoid instead of ported vacume. When you release the shifter, it should take about a full second or more to engage the clutch, unless you hit the throttle like after you shift. The ported vacume over rides the timed engagement which is adjustable by the adjustment screw on the selonoid. If you have manifold vacume going to the selonoid, when you release the shifter, it will slam into engagement, like dropping the clutch to burn rubber when we were kids. Make sure there's no vacume at the small hose going to the selonoid at idle. If you do, change it to ported vacume.  Dennis, Red Bluff, California

Hiya Dennis,

Good point concerning the vacuum and the mechanical action of shifting.  One question though...........are you using the term solenoid to also mean control valve?

Mike

1970 AS Bug

Same thing....