First Gen 3.2 TL Idle Air Control Valve (IACV) Removal and Cleaning DIY
05-28-2012, 04:03 AM
#1
'96 3.2 TL
Thread Starter
First Gen 3.2 TL Idle Air Control Valve (IACV) Removal and Cleaning DIY
Hi all. I recently was experiencing a rough idle on cold start and warm start and occasionally during idling at stoplights. I determined through these forums that the culprit was likely the idle air control valve (IACV). This is a common issue with our Acura TLs yet I have not come across a really good first gen DIY guide for IACV removal and cleaning. So, here's my shot at it.
First, the symptoms - rough idle. Maybe jumpy between a few hundred and a thousand RPM and / or difficulty keeping the car running at idle. Symptoms do vary. Luckily, this fix is easy (~30 mins) and free.
First, make sure your engine is cool as you will need to access the engine compartment and temporily disconnect some coolant tubes. Assemble your tools. From left to right in the attached picture: Ratchet with 12 mm socket, Needlenose plyers, 10 mm wrench, and Vice grips.
Next remove the plastic engine cover by removing the four 12 mm nuts. The IACV is just under the cover in the front, next to the throttle body and main air intake, slightly on the driver's side of the engine.
Once the engine cover is off, the IACV is accessible. I removed the black plastic throttle body cover by removing the two 12mm bolts just to more easily access the IACV.
Next, unclip and detatch the two electrical connections in the vicinity (one attatches to IACV) and then use the needlenose plyers to loosen the clamps around the two small (~1/2 inch) coolant hoses going to the IACV (pictured). You may need to loosen the hoses using the vice grips. It's a tight space but gently rock the hoses back and forth and apply pressure to remove them. The vice grips worked well for me - it would be nice to have a pair that are padded so to protect the tubing better. Be cautious of coolant coming out of the hoses once detached. There wasn't too much for me, just some minor spilling.
Once the hoses are removed, use the 10mm wrench to get two bolts removed. The one in the back is an especially tight fit and hard to get at unless you have the right tool. The bolts are ~4 inches long.
The IACV should be loose and you can pull it out. Visually inspect and clean with carb cleaner. Douse it until all the grime is removed and you're satisfied! Inspect the gasket too!
Let the IACV dry for 20 minutes or so before reassembling in reverse order.
Start the car and let the PCU "re-learn" the idle. The RPMs may be jumpy and seem to be worse and the check engine light may come on, but let the car idle for a little while anyway (few mins?) to complete the learning process. Soon, your car should be purring during idle.
Re-set the check engine light if necessary by removing the negative battery terminal. It should not come back on if you've put everything back together properly and don't have some other new issue.
Hope this helps others! My idle has been rock solid since my cleaning. I should probably do a complete air system cleanup too ... my next project.
First, the symptoms - rough idle. Maybe jumpy between a few hundred and a thousand RPM and / or difficulty keeping the car running at idle. Symptoms do vary. Luckily, this fix is easy (~30 mins) and free.
First, make sure your engine is cool as you will need to access the engine compartment and temporily disconnect some coolant tubes. Assemble your tools. From left to right in the attached picture: Ratchet with 12 mm socket, Needlenose plyers, 10 mm wrench, and Vice grips.
Next remove the plastic engine cover by removing the four 12 mm nuts. The IACV is just under the cover in the front, next to the throttle body and main air intake, slightly on the driver's side of the engine.
Once the engine cover is off, the IACV is accessible. I removed the black plastic throttle body cover by removing the two 12mm bolts just to more easily access the IACV.
Next, unclip and detatch the two electrical connections in the vicinity (one attatches to IACV) and then use the needlenose plyers to loosen the clamps around the two small (~1/2 inch) coolant hoses going to the IACV (pictured). You may need to loosen the hoses using the vice grips. It's a tight space but gently rock the hoses back and forth and apply pressure to remove them. The vice grips worked well for me - it would be nice to have a pair that are padded so to protect the tubing better. Be cautious of coolant coming out of the hoses once detached. There wasn't too much for me, just some minor spilling.
Once the hoses are removed, use the 10mm wrench to get two bolts removed. The one in the back is an especially tight fit and hard to get at unless you have the right tool. The bolts are ~4 inches long.
The IACV should be loose and you can pull it out. Visually inspect and clean with carb cleaner. Douse it until all the grime is removed and you're satisfied! Inspect the gasket too!
Let the IACV dry for 20 minutes or so before reassembling in reverse order.
Start the car and let the PCU "re-learn" the idle. The RPMs may be jumpy and seem to be worse and the check engine light may come on, but let the car idle for a little while anyway (few mins?) to complete the learning process. Soon, your car should be purring during idle.
Re-set the check engine light if necessary by removing the negative battery terminal. It should not come back on if you've put everything back together properly and don't have some other new issue.
Hope this helps others! My idle has been rock solid since my cleaning. I should probably do a complete air system cleanup too ... my next project.
The following 3 users liked this post by bbero:
01-30-2013, 04:42 PM
#4
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idle air control valve
Just replaced mine on a 1999 with 126000 miles. Took an hour to do. I removed the air intake, disconnected everything attached to the throttle body except the cables and removed it. It made getting at mounting screws easier. Runs Great! Good Luck.
06-19-2013, 07:07 AM
#5
97 3.2TLPrem(Sold 3/7/14)
10-11-2013, 08:27 PM
#6
Hi all. I recently was experiencing a rough idle on cold start and warm start and occasionally during idling at stoplights. I determined through these forums that the culprit was likely the idle air control valve (IACV). This is a common issue with our Acura TLs yet I have not come across a really good first gen DIY guide for IACV removal and cleaning. So, here's my shot at it.
First, the symptoms - rough idle. Maybe jumpy between a few hundred and a thousand RPM and / or difficulty keeping the car running at idle. Symptoms do vary. Luckily, this fix is easy (~30 mins) and free.
First, make sure your engine is cool as you will need to access the engine compartment and temporily disconnect some coolant tubes. Assemble your tools. From left to right in the attached picture: Ratchet with 12 mm socket, Needlenose plyers, 10 mm wrench, and Vice grips.
Next remove the plastic engine cover by removing the four 12 mm nuts. The IACV is just under the cover in the front, next to the throttle body and main air intake, slightly on the driver's side of the engine.
Once the engine cover is off, the IACV is accessible. I removed the black plastic throttle body cover by removing the two 12mm bolts just to more easily access the IACV.
Next, unclip and detatch the two electrical connections in the vicinity (one attatches to IACV) and then use the needlenose plyers to loosen the clamps around the two small (~1/2 inch) coolant hoses going to the IACV (pictured). You may need to loosen the hoses using the vice grips. It's a tight space but gently rock the hoses back and forth and apply pressure to remove them. The vice grips worked well for me - it would be nice to have a pair that are padded so to protect the tubing better. Be cautious of coolant coming out of the hoses once detached. There wasn't too much for me, just some minor spilling.
Once the hoses are removed, use the 10mm wrench to get two bolts removed. The one in the back is an especially tight fit and hard to get at unless you have the right tool. The bolts are ~4 inches long.
The IACV should be loose and you can pull it out. Visually inspect and clean with carb cleaner. Douse it until all the grime is removed and you're satisfied! Inspect the gasket too!
Let the IACV dry for 20 minutes or so before reassembling in reverse order.
Start the car and let the PCU "re-learn" the idle. The RPMs may be jumpy and seem to be worse and the check engine light may come on, but let the car idle for a little while anyway (few mins?) to complete the learning process. Soon, your car should be purring during idle.
Re-set the check engine light if necessary by removing the negative battery terminal. It should not come back on if you've put everything back together properly and don't have some other new issue.
Hope this helps others! My idle has been rock solid since my cleaning. I should probably do a complete air system cleanup too ... my next project.
First, the symptoms - rough idle. Maybe jumpy between a few hundred and a thousand RPM and / or difficulty keeping the car running at idle. Symptoms do vary. Luckily, this fix is easy (~30 mins) and free.
First, make sure your engine is cool as you will need to access the engine compartment and temporily disconnect some coolant tubes. Assemble your tools. From left to right in the attached picture: Ratchet with 12 mm socket, Needlenose plyers, 10 mm wrench, and Vice grips.
Next remove the plastic engine cover by removing the four 12 mm nuts. The IACV is just under the cover in the front, next to the throttle body and main air intake, slightly on the driver's side of the engine.
Once the engine cover is off, the IACV is accessible. I removed the black plastic throttle body cover by removing the two 12mm bolts just to more easily access the IACV.
Next, unclip and detatch the two electrical connections in the vicinity (one attatches to IACV) and then use the needlenose plyers to loosen the clamps around the two small (~1/2 inch) coolant hoses going to the IACV (pictured). You may need to loosen the hoses using the vice grips. It's a tight space but gently rock the hoses back and forth and apply pressure to remove them. The vice grips worked well for me - it would be nice to have a pair that are padded so to protect the tubing better. Be cautious of coolant coming out of the hoses once detached. There wasn't too much for me, just some minor spilling.
Once the hoses are removed, use the 10mm wrench to get two bolts removed. The one in the back is an especially tight fit and hard to get at unless you have the right tool. The bolts are ~4 inches long.
The IACV should be loose and you can pull it out. Visually inspect and clean with carb cleaner. Douse it until all the grime is removed and you're satisfied! Inspect the gasket too!
Let the IACV dry for 20 minutes or so before reassembling in reverse order.
Start the car and let the PCU "re-learn" the idle. The RPMs may be jumpy and seem to be worse and the check engine light may come on, but let the car idle for a little while anyway (few mins?) to complete the learning process. Soon, your car should be purring during idle.
Re-set the check engine light if necessary by removing the negative battery terminal. It should not come back on if you've put everything back together properly and don't have some other new issue.
Hope this helps others! My idle has been rock solid since my cleaning. I should probably do a complete air system cleanup too ... my next project.
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11-03-2013, 10:46 AM
#8
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This was a great, very informative post! Pulled the TB and took off the IACV and cleaned it. Rough idle and stalling issue solved! Thanks for taking the time to post and share this!
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