[mckrishes]

No. You will need a 3 ton floor jack. I just changed mine. It wasn’t bad at all. I took my time doing it. You will need help when putting it back in place. You will need somebody to jack it up while you are guiding it onto the engine. The dowel pins make it helpful to get it on the engine. I have the manual if you are interested.

[mckrishes]

The solenoids aren’t the problem as you have replaced them. You need to do the following:

1. Check all sensors. Could be speed sensor, but I would test all the sensors and make sure they are at spec.
2. Check transmission line pressure.
3. Swap the transmission computer out. You should be able to get one from a junk yard.

If none of those are the problems, then I am afraid your transmission is toast.

[mckrishes]

A transmission jack is helpful, but you don’t need one to install it. A regular jack will do just fine. Just make sure you have some help and tie some rope around it to help move it into place.

[mckrishes]

I did a drain and fill times 3. Fluid was dark, but not burnt looking or smelling. Vehicle has 225,000 miles on it. I haven’t noticed much improvement. The car will drive, will experience some erratic shifting, then stop shifting altogether. Turn the car off for a 1-2 seconds, turn it back on, and it will shift again. Then same result.

[mckrishes]

Need to check fuel pressure and mechanical timing and then ignition timing.

[mckrishes]

Yes, the surging is fixed. No signs of problems thus far, but I haven’t had a chance to drive the car around yet. When I replaced the IACV the first time, the surging was fixed, but at certain times I would notice hesitation with acceleration and on occasion it would hesitate when down shifting. Then I noticed a pending code for a P0505, and then a while later, the check engine light came on during idle.

I will re-evaluate tomorrow and report any new findings.

[mckrishes]

I agree, the vacuum leak appears to be very minor and not making much of a difference at this time. Unfortunately I did not get fuel trim readings prior to replacing the gasket.

The fuel trim readings I obtained were during closed loop. I will take your advice and repeat the fuel trim measurements after I drive the car around town for a while. I actually thought about getting a small propane tank and doing this. It will confirm what I already know, but I can use it in the future for other things. Great idea.

The surging idle that I had prior to replacing the IACV was caused by what I believe was a stuck open IACV valve. I tested it with a volt meter and it failed the resistance check. Also, I applied power to it and it failed to activate. After taking it apart, I was able to give it power and make it work, but it seemed very weak. I replaced with a new one and the surging stopped.

I am definitely not using RTV sealant. I really don’t want to over torque the bolts. I am trying to figure out what options I have at this point. The vacuum leak is definitely not enough to cause any problems at this point, but I’d like to get it resolved. There must be something I am doing wrong, I just can’t figure it out.

I read on a subaru forum where the iacv was a pain to install because the gasket was hard to seat. Something about having to drive it around and the let the coolant heat the gasket up so it could seat properly, and then afterwards you could drive it at WOT. Not sure if that applies to honda’s though.

[mckrishes]

I put everything back together with the new gasket. Here are the fuel trims after five minutes each:

Idle:

Short term = 7.8
Long term = 7.8

at 2500 rpm:

Short term = -7 to -0.8
Long term = -4.7

Car idles fine as usually. No check engine codes or pending codes. I have not driven it around the block yet. I sprayed lightly some more carb cleaner around the IACV valve and noticed very minimal engine change, if at all. Spraying heavier amounts of carb cleaner shows significant change in engine speed.

I think this confirms the vacuum leak. Now I just have to figure out what to do with the IACV. Should I tighten in beyond the 2.5 ft lbs? I’ve tried two different IACV valves from different parts stores with the same result. I even tried the old gasket with the same result. Somebody on the honda tech forum recommended using RTV sealant, but I am against this. There must be something I am doing wrong. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

[mckrishes]

Correct. I sprayed carb cleaner at the top and bottom with no change in rpm. I sprayed the sides, I did see a change, particularly on the left side at the bottom. That’s the side where the iacv connector is. The rpm’s decreased. I also placed my finger over the lower port in the throttle body and noticed a decrease in rpm’s, but the car never died.

Will check fuel trims tomorrow and report back. Thanks for your help thus far.

[mckrishes]

I was thinking there was a vacuum leak because when I sprayed around the IACV, the engine dropped it’s rpm’s and almost died. I took some carb cleaner and I sprayed where the IACV mounts to the throttle body. I sprayed on top with no change in engine performance. Then I sprayed at the left and right of the IACV with significant changes. I sprayed what I could at the bottom (it’s difficult to get to) and didn’t notice any change. This is what lead me to believe that the seal is not sealing properly. This is my thinking, but if I am wrong, please educate me.

Just a little history. Surging idle from 1-2000 rpm’s. Checked for vacuum leaks and found none. Disconnected IACV valve with no changes in engine rpm. Tested resistance of IACV and was out of spec. Replaced IACV. Surging stopped and idle went to normal. Soon after noticed slight hesitation when down shifting which was periodic. Checked the OBD II with a scan tool and noticed a pending code for P0505. Drove around as normal without problems. Noticed at times idle would remain at 1000 rpm’s with no load (In park and neutral). Idle at normal 700 rpm’s under load (In drive). After sitting a while with no load one day, check engine light came on (P0505). Checked for vacuum leaks and found none except around IACV.

[mckrishes]

I had the same problem, but now I am having issues with vacuum leaks around the iacv on my 1999 civic after replacing it.

Anyway, first thing you do is identify the code. Then go from there. Check for vacuum leaks first. Fix any leaks you find. If none, then disconnect the iacv. Engine rpm’s should increase. If not, there could be an issue with the iacv valve. Find a wiring diagram and check the resistance of the terminals on the iacv.

[mckrishes]

I tried the old gasket just to see what would happen. Still same problem. Vacuum leak around the valve. What am I doing wrong?

[mckrishes]

I sprayed carb cleaner around it and found it to be leaking. I tightened it to spec, but with no luck. Still leaking around the valve. And it leaks around the sides of the valve. No problems with the top. So I am not sure what it is.

[mckrishes]

I do have a copy of the service manual and just saw it in there. Thanks. I’ve got the valve installed, but it there still seems to be a vacuum leak around the valve. Can’t really figure out what’s going on. I torqued it according to spec, but not sure what’s going on.

[mckrishes]

I used a 9 volt battery and some basic wire to test and clean mine. Worked well for me.

[Author]

Replies