***How-To*** Clean Your IACV a.k.a. Idle Air Control Valve
 

The function of the IACV a.k.a. Idle Air Control Valve is to adjust the idle based upon the amount of air entering the engine, then the computer reacts to this information by adjusting the cars rpm.

Reasons why you should take it apart and clean it:
-High idle after your car warms up
-Lumpy idle
-Roaming idle
-Hunting idle
-Fluctuating idle

Tools Needed:
Ratchet
12mm Socket
Pliers
Brake Cleaner or Simple Green
Paper Towels
A cooled down engine for at least 2 hours

1) Now you got to locate where the IACV is, pop your hood and it’s located directly behind the intake manifold. It’s actually connected to it. Remove your intake and strut tower bar. (If applicable)

Attachment 24368

Attachment 24369

2) Place a couple of rags underneath to catch the coolant spill. Loosen the two hoses running to the IACV with your pliers by squeezing the two clips and moving them away from the end, circled in yellow. DO NOT cut the hoses as they are the exact length and you will have to buy new ones if you do.

3) After doing that remove the harness connected to the IACV on the driver side, circle in blue.

4) Then to finally remove it from the intake manifold, remove the two 12mm bolts, circled in red.

Attachment 24370

Now that the IACV is removed from the intake manifold make sure that you do not lose the rubber gasket as you need this so that it does not leak after you re-install the IACV.

5) Take your brake cleaner or simple green and start to clean up the inside of the IACV by spray inside the two holes. Continue to do this until no more dirty fluid comes out. Should take anywhere from 5 minutes to 15 minutes. This depending on how old and dirty your IACV is. The gasket can be seen in this picture as well.

Attachment 24371

6) Once you’re done cleaning out the IACV let it air dry. I let it air out for 20 minutes while I did other maintenance on the car.

Now your ready to re-install it back on the car so follow the steps backwards from 5 – 2



Good Luck

I think you should be the TI...How to Guy

T.. when you do another DIY maintenance thread.. do it on the purple slut..it will save me from crashing it into a wall! lol

Trenell, do you know if the IACV 's differ from the OBD1 GSR's and OBD2's?

I was going to clean mine out today, but it looks totally different from the one on your car. Mine is alot smaller.

Im getting a check engine light and its for the IACV and Im getting a crazy lumping idle. I started the car again this afternoon and it doesnt idle as rapidly.

should be similar jonn, u can still give it a cleaning. It may be a smaller unit but function the same way.

^ the unit is smaller by a mile, and I just read something on ht how you cant take the thing apart and clean it.

Mine looks exactly like this one:
Attachment 24186

yup that's your IACV. you OBDII peeps get smaller everything. IACV, ABS Motor :mad: .

According to the helms your not suppose to clean it, your just suppose to buy a new one. You'll be fine if you take it off the manifold and clean it out, just don't try and take the actual IACV itself apart.

I'll give that a shot, hopefully it solves my shitty idle problem.

so this doesn't work for OBD2? ......i gotta buy a new one?

still works for OBDII

hey man..can you update the pics?

pics are back up now :yeah:

Bump

some things up with your pics

did mine already its soo easy !!!!

i just replaced mine after the car was about 10 yrs old. no difference in idlling.