Cleaning idle air control valve on 99 accord 4 cylinder

Hello. I am having trouble with stalling at idle and would like to
clean the idle air control valve and throttle body. Do I need to
remove the throttle body to get to the IACV? I removed the bolts for
the throttle body, but can't seem to break it free from the intake
manifold. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how to get the throttle
body free? Otherwise, I will have to clean the TB from the front, but
access to the IACV seems pretty limited.

Thanks for any help.
Rich

wrote in ps.com:

> Hello. I am having trouble with stalling at idle and would like to
> clean the idle air control valve and throttle body. Do I need to
> remove the throttle body to get to the IACV? I removed the bolts for
> the throttle body, but can't seem to break it free from the intake
> manifold. Does anyone have a suggestion as to how to get the throttle
> body free? Otherwise, I will have to clean the TB from the front, but
> access to the IACV seems pretty limited.
>


This is why you should alwys have a shop manual when attempting to
work on your car.

Click he
<http://www.slhondaparts.com/browse.asp?Model=ACCORD&Year=1999&TrimLevel=4DR+EX &TransLevel=4ATKA&Section=A&Category=E++01++%7CTHR OTTLE+BODY&Doors=4&Emissions=KA&PartCatalogId=13S8 40&ViewParts=true>

See part#9? That's your IAC. You don't remove the throttle body
or its bolts to clean it, and chances of you actually needing to
clean the IAC are slim.

Is the engine cold, warming up, or hot when it stalls?
Does it stall when coming up to lights, or when already stopped?
How long will it idle until it stalls?
What speed is it idling at before it stalls?
How old are the plugs and plug wires?

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

> See part#9? That's your IAC. You don't remove the throttle body
> or its bolts to clean it, and chances of you actually needing to
> clean the IAC are slim.
Yes, I need a shop manual, but I do know that #9 is the IAC. It just
seems difficult to access without taking off the TB.

> Is the engine cold, warming up, or hot when it stalls?
The engine is hot.

> Does it stall when coming up to lights, or when already stopped?
It stalls occassionally in stop and go traffic (I think when already
stopped).

> How long will it idle until it stalls?
Most of the time it idles ok. The stall is intermittent.

> What speed is it idling at before it stalls?
Under 1000 rpm. It is hard to tell what the scale is, but usually it's
one mark under the 1000 mark. The idle tends to drift a bit above and
below this mark.

> How old are the plugs and plug wires?
I just replaced the plugs with NGK this month. I had a misfire last
month while idling and figured it was time to replace the plugs (they
were 4 years old with about 25k on them, but didn't look too bad when I
took them out). The wires are original. The car is a 99 with 47k
miles.

wrote in
ups.com:


<snip>


>
>
>> What speed is it idling at before it stalls?
>
> Under 1000 rpm. It is hard to tell what the scale is, but usually
> it's one mark under the 1000 mark. The idle tends to drift a bit
> above and below this mark.



Oho, so it's fluctuating! An interesting piece of information. The idle
should be rock steady.

At idle, full warm, you should be 750rpm in Drive. If you're around
1000rpm and fluctuating at that, I must ask these questions:
1) When was the last time the cooling system was drained and refilled?
2) How old is the thermostat?
3) What does the fluid look like when you pull the rad cap (cold!)



>
>> How old are the plugs and plug wires?
>
>
> I just replaced the plugs with NGK this month. I had a misfire last
> month while idling and figured it was time to replace the plugs (they
> were 4 years old with about 25k on them, but didn't look too bad when
> I took them out). The wires are original. The car is a 99 with 47k
> miles.
>


Your wires are seven years old. Time for new ones (OEM, of course). Old
ones will leak current in damp weather, resulting in a weaker spark than
what you should have, and worse combustion. Wires that are poor enough
can cause hunting idle.

Right now I suspect your problem has absolutely nothing to do with the
IAC or the throttle body.

--
TeGGeR®

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

> At idle, full warm, you should be 750rpm in Drive. If you're around
> 1000rpm and fluctuating at that, I must ask these questions:

Thanks for your help. More specifically, most of the time I can see
the rpm gauge moving slightly up/down around 750. Other times, when I
bring the car to a stop (hot in drive), the idle is closer to 1000 (no
electrical or a/c load).

> 1) When was the last time the cooling system was drained and refilled?

The cooling system was drained/filled in March 06 by an independent
shop that specializes in Hondas.

> 2) How old is the thermostat?

Original (7.5 years).

> 3) What does the fluid look like when you pull the rad cap (cold!)

It looks normal (green).

> Your wires are seven years old. Time for new ones (OEM, of course). Old
> ones will leak current in damp weather, resulting in a weaker spark than
> what you should have, and worse combustion. Wires that are poor enough
> can cause hunting idle.

I thought I read here that Honda wires last a very long time. Anyway,
the wire on cylinder 3 doesn't give me great tactile feedback (soft
click) when I press it into place on the spark plug. I think it's
engaged, but the others had a different feel when engaging.

> Right now I suspect your problem has absolutely nothing to do with the
> IAC or the throttle body.

Other data points: the rotor and distributor cap were replaced 4 years
ago. Last valve adjustment also 4 years ago.