Dear Autozen,

Yes, I think this is basically the same set-up as the 190E 2.3 with the 102 engine. What do you mean by idle air valve, is this the same as idle contol valve resting beneath the air cleaner? If this is the same, I replaced this about 2.5 years ago. Before that time my idle surges above 10 and sometimes goes down to less than 5. And yes, there was that occassional hard starts also. This was cured as soon as it was replaced. Will it necessarily fail within that time frame? I've read that cleaning it with carb cleaners can be an alternative. Would you agree?

Dear Schumi,

I like your name. It reminds me that the F1 2005 season is about to start. I've already replaced the distributor cap and wires 3 years ago. And yes, I think it was the EHA that they adjusted (below the air cleaner). I've read the link that you've mentioned before. However, I'm not sure if this is what I would like to do in the meantime given that it cover-ups the problem. Rest assured, that upon exhausting all possible remedies, I'll definitely give this a try.

Thanks to both of you. I'll keep you posted if there are any developments.