[lunacyfringe129]

hello everyone, im new to this forum and really appreciate all the help you guys give around here. I own an 01 highlander v6 which just turned 77k. its been a great 77k miles but right now it just isnt idling very well in the morning. heres the deal.

in the morning on my way to work i let the engine idle for at least 5 mins before i head out. it always starts right up like it did when it was new, and then i head off to get some coffee. its a five minute drive to the coffee shop and the engine still isnt fully warm by the time i get there. after being shut off for 5 mins or while i get something to drink, i come back out and start it up and it idles at about 200-300 rpm, until i tap the throttle which brings it back up to its normal idle of around 800 rpm.

its really not a big deal, the car still drives and gets from point a to point b just fine, but its always on the back of my mind. the air filter is clean, the plugs were just replaces, oil is always changed at 3k miles. im thinking its the throttle posistioning sensor, but im not getting any codes to verify that.

any ideas?

 

[steve97]

throttle body cleaning might be the answer to a`smooth idle

 

[Shawn R]

Might be the idle control sensor

I had the same problem, I took it into the dealer and thats what the problem was.
About $500 for parts and labor, but it drives like its brand new again.

Its called the idle control sensor, and it apparently gets gummed up from carbon build up and stuck.