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Hey guys/gals,
I am new to the ETCG forums and am having a problem.
My cousin recently bought a 97 Honda Accord for pretty cheap.
Well it’s having some issues with the idle right now. When in park or neutral the car will like to rev up and down. It also has a high idle for some reason.
It had a CEL, I checked the codes. One was the Idle control system malf. and one was the EGR flow. I cleaned the egr passages with no luck to the idle. Atleast that problem is fixed. Cleaned the throttle plate, and the FICV (Since it’s the one that we could get to easily). With no luck. We bled the cooling system and topped it off. I am wondering, If we should just buy a new idle control valve because that’s the last thing I can think of or just try to clean it.
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Basically there are just two 12mm head bolts that fasten the valve to the intake. It is a little tight to get a wrench in there to break the bolts free, but it is possible. I’d try a Swivel Head Ratchet Wrench. It would give you more flexibility since it is very tight back there. There is also an idle adjustment screw on top of the throttle body located right above the intake boot. A flat blade screw driver will fit it. It usually has some sealant around the screw to prevent it from backing out, so I would spray some carb cleaner on it to help removal of the sealant. Your idle may little lower after the job is completed, you can adjust that screw to the specs: 750-850 RPM/no load. Adjust when fully warm and under no load. When you adjust some, apply a load such as the A/C and see where the idle goes.
Also one last note:You should disconnect the negative terminal for about 30 seconds to allow the ecu to relearn from scratch as it goes faster than for it to change from its existing idle. So do this after you have cleaned and reinstalled your IACV.
I can’t say how you can get the valve off, but I would check a service manual, or maybe someone experienced with Hondas can chime in. I do know from my experience with Subarus that cleaning the Idle Air Control Valve can make a big difference in idle quality, and if cleaning doesn’t work you may have to replace it. I believe they’re usually an expensive part so I would clean it first and go from there. Sounds like you hit all the other things I would check, like bleeding cooling system, egr passages, etc. Good luck!
This is from the Chilton Online manual (there’s a link on this forum for free access):
Removal & Installation- Disconnect the negative battery cable.
- Detach the wiring harness from the IAC valve.
- Remove the two retaining bolts.
- Remove the IAC valve and discard the old seals or gaskets.
To install:
- Clean the gasket mating surfaces thoroughly.
- Using new seals or gaskets, position the IAC valve on the throttle body.
- Install and tighten the retaining bolts.
- Connect the wiring harness to the IAC valve.
- If raised, lower the vehicle.
- Connect the negative battery cable.
The car is a 4cyl BTW idk if that makes a difference.
To RyanS93, I know how to take it off, it’s just in a very tight place and IDK what tools to use.
It’s right behind the intake manifold, and between the fire wall. The hard part is the bottom of the windsheild is like right there and IDK what tools to use.Thanks fader, Have a question though. Were would be the best place to buy a swivel head ratchet?
Local is lowes, autozone, homedepot, harbor freight.Before you go any farther perhaps my ‘idle speech’ will help.
By suggestion I’m going to post my idle speech along with a couple of video links that I hope will help if your having problems with your Honda’s idle. First I’ll give you the link to the Solving Honda Idle Problems video, please remember that adjusting the FITV is the LAST step in the process and you need to back it off at least 1/2 turn after it bottoms out or it will not start properly when cold.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L788jKEVblYThe Bleeding a Cooling System Videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUp … =relmfuThe video response to the Honda Idle videohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMj … onseLastly here is the “Idle Speech”There are a lot of things that can contribute to an idle issue, in fact in the end it may still be there to some degree because of the nature of a 4 cylinder engine however here are some things to start with.First start with a good tune up, use NGK or Nippon Denso plugs, don’t change the wires if they are OE, if they aren’t OE you might consider NGK wires as they are very good and less expensive then OE. A quality cap and rotor should be good. A new air filter also helps.Don’t change the PCV valve, if you see an aftermarket PCV valve in there put a Honda in, believe it or not I’ve seen idle issues caused by aftermarket PCV valves, the OE’s last just about forever so you can easily justify the expense.Next a good valve adjustment, this goes a long way to smooth out the idle if done correctly, mess it up and things can get a lot worse though.While you have the valve cover off check the timing belt tension, if you feel a lot of slack this can cause the cam to ‘chunk’ as it spins causing a rough idle. If you think the belt has been on there for some time then you might consider changing it and resetting the tension properly, if it’s not ready for replacement you can reset the tension to take up the slack.DO NOT adjust the idle screw under any circumstances, it is set at the factory and that is the reason it was sealed in the first place. If you find that the seal has been broken and you have a low idle and you have done all of the above then you might turn the screw out a little to see if that helps the idle but only enough to try and bring it back to where it was before it was adjusted in the first place.Last clean the screen in the Idle Air Control valve, this can get clogged up with carbon over time and cause the flow through it to be restricted which can cause idle issues.If you still have a ‘rough’ idle after all of this THEN look to the engine mounts as you want to be sure the engine is running correctly before you go for those as the one in the back is a real pain to replace.I hope this info is helpful as I get a TON of questions about Honda idle problems, thanks for reading.have you ever had any problems with the idle. I have a 97 accord lx and the idle surges. I have replaced the iac, and the throttle body. Map sensor fast idle valve and the intake Manifold. Also when I have the car in gear at a red light it starts jumping like it’s not getting enough gas. The car does not throw any codes.
Do you know what it might be causing the surge? I’ve read online that it could be the wires to the 02 sensors? But like I said it doesn’t throw any codes. Could it be the charcoal sensor in the back of the car? Or the egr valve. Or a specific area where there might be a vacuum leak?Do you have a coolant thermostat on your vehicle? Also, your coolant temperature sensor is working correctly? Your engine is not running colder than the normal operating temperature, right?
I do have a coolant temp sensor. I also have a coolant temp switch on the back thermostat by the throttle body that is broken. Could that be the problem?
Yes. When a coolant temperature sensor is broken, the ECU will consider the high resistance as a negative temperature. This will make the ECU increase the RPM to warm the engine up faster.
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