ProfessorFunk

The picture below is the valve side of my idle air control valve. The o-ring looks stretched out to me. But why would that be? I have to replace it, obviously, but still, I'm curious.

Valve side of my IACV. Metal shavings are from my hack job, Dremel conversion to flat-head screws.

01acls

Since o-rings are made thicker than the gap it's sealing, once the o-ring is flatten the material need to go somewhere. In this instance the extra material is squeeze longitudinally, creating a longer o-ring or larger cirumference.

whitetiger5

That O-ring is a seal on the DC motor portion of the valve, correct? if that's the case, I believe that its there just to prevent liquid from getting into the electronics?

I don't see that listed as a separate part, perhaps because acura doesn't consider it serviceable, but in the off chance that it is allowing (an uncontrollable amount of) air into the system (though the open seal AND through the bearing assembly; I suppose you could measure the diameter of the o-rings channel and buy another from a auto/hardware store?

Was your IACV not working electronically? or just "stuck" and impacting your idle speed? I was able to clean mine out with throttle body cleaner & a toothbrush by disassembling the motor like you've done and brushing away all the carbon build up (in the valve passageway side) that was preventing it from spinning freely.

Since that thing is on a bearing, you should be able to spin it freely by flicking the rotor sticking out on the exposed motor side; once i did this i was able to resolve idle issues I had without having to pay $200 (oem) for a new valve.

ProfessorFunk

I was cleaning it out, just as you described. I've been chasing a vacuum leak and decided to do a bit of spring cleaning on most of the air induction paths above the lower runners (throttle body, IACV, manifold, EGR passages in manifold & ant farm in top plate, PCV).