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INFO: Rough idling & stalling problems
Under the "tech" part of the forum title, I thought I'd submit this:
If you have an older (> 60,000 miles or so) engine and it is starting to show problems idling or even stalling sometimes, there's a good chance it's the IAC valve that needs to be cleaned.
The IAC valve is the Idle Air Control valve and provides a way for the ECM to allow more air to flow thru the throttle body without opening the throttle plate. This is how idle is controlled.
Because of where it's located, the IAC gets quite dirty over time to the point where it cannot open easily. Therefore, it must be repalced or cleaned. This valve is not cheap, so cleaning it makes a lot of sense.
The IAC valve is on the bottom of the throttle body. Carbon will build up inside this thing and cause the engine to not idle right and even stall. The symptoms may go away after the car warms up....or in my case, it got worse and began stalling.
To fix it, you have to take the IAC off the throttle body...and you have to take the throttle body off to get at it. There are 4 screws that hold the IAC in place. These screws are soft and strip easily. Also they tend to get frozen in place, which makes it tougher to remove them. [REMINDER: Use anti-seize when reassembling!]
Once you get it off, you have to take the IAC apart and soak the aluminum parts in a strong cleaner. A machine shop can do this a lot better. You really want this sparkling clean!
When putting it back on, you need to use a new gasket between the TB and the IAC valve.
Steve
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