my 323f (BA) idling is fluctuating/hunting with a/cond selected. worst if headlamps are also 'on'. but it's ok (stable at 800rpm) if a/cond and lights are off. any adjustment can be done on the distributor or throttle body?

Check all the electrical conections associated with the battery and alternator. Also check the alternator output with a voltmeter as you switch the A/C and headlights off and on. It should remain stable.

done that. the guy claimed that part was ok. he dare not tweak around with the adjustment on the throttle body i.e the allen screw (flapper angle) and the philips screw (air?) since he do not hv the laptop/gadget to read the datas. distributor was adjusted and it was slightly improved . to do the adj manually (on the t/body), is there any guide to the rough/approximate setting of the two (allen screw and the philips screw)??......

Modern cars are very sophisticated compared to how they used to be, with many of the systems controlled by computers that depend on information from numerous sensors for proper operation. It'd be far better to have the codes read and appropriate action taken rather than attempting to adjust things that might not need adjusting and risk mucking up who knows what. Your analysis of things involves the ignition timing and fuel delivery systems. It's not likely that both would require adjustment at the same time when both were working normally prior to the onset of the problem.

I'm not sure of your year but there is a chance that your car has a ISC valve. This bypasses air around the shut throttle on start up. It also controls air increases through the throttle body when you turn on accessories such as lights, A/C, Basically any electrical load that puts a load on the engine. It increases cars RPM as loads are turned on. Hope this helps.

ISC vlv? interesting...where is this vlv? integrated in the Throttle Body or attached to it? anyway, have managed to somehow solve the problem by further adjusting the distributor (reducing - turn it counter clockwise). the only thing left is when the lights are on or off, idling would drop to 500rpm and recovered to 800rpm. anything else can be done? and can anyone here explain the brief function of the allen key screw and the philips screw adjstment on the Throttle Body....it will be a great info to know.

sorry...the car model = 323F 1.8 DOHC (BA).

What year is your 323? If you have one it should be mounted to the throttle body.

A nlittle more help in finding the ISC Valve. There should also be a hose that branches off the air intake that goes to the ISC Valve. I know atleast a 93 323 has one, checked the service manual.

it's a 95 model. the one with small head lamp, BA model (projector type headlamp). this ICS vlv = Idling Ctrl Solenoid? is it the one mounted below (metal housing, with i think 2 water hoses going to it) or the one on the side (black plastic housing, which can be adjusted by rotating it). and, is there anything you can do to this vlv. i know my Accord's (SV4) can be rmvd and there is one opening on the vlv that normally got dirty (black stain) and causes the idling to be rough. clean that and everything is ok.

It's the one with the 2 coolant hoses going to it. This is how it censes engine temp and bypass air on cold start up. The other item you see sounds like the throttle position sensor (TPS)