Quite some time ago, a mounting ear on my A/C compressor broke. I replaced the compressor but it seems as though ever since thenit idles rough when in gear, like it is running on 2-3 cylinders rough. I was backing it in to my driveway a few nights back and when I put it in reverse, it idled so rough it died. In Neutral or park, it seems fine.If I give it some throttle it's fine. Figuring it was due for it anyway, I replaced the plugs, wires, dist cap and rotor. No improvement. I have been searching for a vacuum leak and replaced a couple small hoses that looked suspect. Still no improvement. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

What does your hall sensor connector look like (on the back of the dist. housing). That connector is subjected to a lot of heat and will crack over time, and cause some issues like this.

 

Sorry it took so long to get back to you.... I think you may be on to something. I found a connector in a small metal bracket on the backside of the top of the timing belt housing behind the distributor. Is this the location of the hall effect sensor connector you described. I checked it and was indeed broken. If this is the culprit, what kind of hassle am I in for? Thanks for the help!

 

Something else I forgot to mention, and I do not know if it'll matter anyway, but... there has been no check engine light set and although the rough idle happens anytime it's in gear, it is slightly less horrible for the first few minutes after start up.

 

Yup, that is the hall sensor, and if the connector is broken, then that is probably the problem. Just a couple of allens on the backside of the cam housing, and it comes off. A bit of a tight fit, but you can get them out without removing anything else. About the only thing that will cause the cel to come on in the 968 is an o2 sensor gone bad.