Thread: Idle/Car dying problem

Well, for the past couple of months my idle has been getting progressively more erratic, I'll do a cold start at around 1500 rpm's and it'll warm up to 750 or so, but now it'll start at 1200 and bounce up and down from 200 to 2300, and it has been dying occasionally at stops, and once on a residential road. From what I've read I thought it could be the IACV getting gunked up with carbon deposits, but now I'm thinking it might be a fouled spark plug? So what do you guys think, any help is appreciated.

what motor? I had the same problem and it was the IACV was bad. Also have you tried playing with the TPS, checking the Voltage?

pull IACV take it apart and clean it, definitly sounds like a IACV problem to me, i have ad ALOT of them, spring can get stuck closed and it will starve your motor for air thus making it stall, or it can get gunked up and cause the spring to stay open hence higher idle. they are really a PITA

Yea, there are a few big culprits that will usually cause a sh*tty idle:

IACV
Air Regulator
TPS
PCV valve
Vacuum Leaks

Check all of those things... if your car runs normally aside from idle then it's probable not a spark/fuel problem, but check those plugs anyway because if they suck than that would certainly aggravate any idle issues. Good luck!

PS - Those are all easy to check except for the air regulator (on a B13 it's kind of a b*tch to reach is all I mean). I've decided I would have to lift the car up just to reach the thing with my hands and be able to do the hose clamps. Anyone else have a better way to do it?

Another reason I think it could be the plugs is that, I changed my oil the other day and I had a little more than 4 quarts in there, thats the last time I go to a store to get my oil changed again.

pull them and check them

I'll check back in tomorrow, I'm gonna dip out of school early go and buy some carb cleaner and go to work on it.

In order of ease:

Clean the intake
Change the plugs
Clean AIR valve, AAC, FICS, and EGR
Double-check timing
Check TPS

Post results and ask for help after doing all that

I cleaned out the IAC and no more problems! I also gave the TB a good scrub and shot some of the intake cleaner into the manifold for good measure, gave a little hesitation on start-up but now no problems.

Good to see it's fixed, idle problems can be a b*tch!