Idle/stalling issue

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J

J Piroth

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When I'm sitting at a light in drive, the idle of my Trac (which usually sits at or just above 500) occasionally dips really low, on the verge of stalling. Then, it sounds like a compressor or something kicks in and it hops back to normal again. (I think the AC has been on whenever this has happened.)



I've cleaned the IAC and opened the throttle body up to clean the butterfly valve, but it was already spotless.



Any ideas what this might be or how I can fix it? The Trac hasn't stalled yet, but it gets awfully close.
 
Mine had the exact same symptoms when I removed the factory aribox. Took me about a day to get a cone filter installed at which point it went back to normal. Except when it's real humid out, then it still stalls and runs rough at idle.
 
clean the butterfly valve in the intake with some carb cleaner, I tried cleaning the IAC but the butterfly valve was the culprit
 
Fast Eddie: Is there any way to know for sure if it's the IAC? I don't want to just start replacing parts unless I know what the problem is.



Schnellmed: I don't want to put in an aftermarket intake/filter just to fix this issue, and since it's ALWAYS humid here in FL, it doesn't sound like that would help me anyway.



Dennis: The butterfly valve is clean as a whistle.



Anybody else care to take a guess?
 
Replacing the air intake will do much more than help any idle problems.It will give more air for acceleration as well.It might also help with the gas milage.You might try taking the negative battery cable off,remove the throttle body,being careful of all gaskets, and check the backside of the throttle body. Mine was covered in carbon and oil.I also cleaned out as much of the intake as I could at the time.Follow the instructions for cleaning and oiling the IAC. reinstall it and hookup the battery.This might help with the idle._Ron
 
Same thing for me on my '05. Just a "Gremlin" in these trucks!

I have had the I.A.C. replaced once under warranty, @ 15,000 mi., and by what I consider

a good, reputable dealer (Sloan FD., Columbia, TN. ). They told me the same thing.

It's just got to be considered part of normal maintenance on most of our 'Tracs.

Clean the I.A.C., and throttle body at regular intervals...(They said 15/20,000 miles,

depending on fuel grade, seasonal fuel, and driving habits).

NO!!! WD-40 to lube the "Pintle" (the little valve in the I.A.C.). They said a little 3-M

Oil, or a good Teflon-Based lube to oil the little shaft in the I.A.C., and all should be

good for another 10/20,000 miles, depending...;)
 
Here I am at over 75,000 miles and have never cleaned the IAC valve once. I run the cheapest gas I can find and if I find some old gas in a gas can, I will put it in my tank.





Tom
 
ive had the same problem for like 2 months now and haev wanted to fix it but i dont know what it is, so i dont touch anything cause i dont know much of the IAC or w.e that is so i dont wanna go fix something and make it worse. that noise makes me feel that the car is gonna break down but i dont know what it is so i just leave it.
 
Bump. Just kicking this up to the top of the board in hopes of getting more opinions.
 
Another bump. Does anyone have the part number for the IAC? If nobody has any better ideas, if the problem gets any worse, or if the part's not too expensive, I may just replace it and see if that helps.



Anyone?
 
Clean the throttle body. Use a cleaner safe for fuel injectors.
 
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Clean the IAC using some of the fuel injector safe cleaner.



Get a gauge and check your R134a fill.
 
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When you're all done, if it is really hot or humid, it will still do it. Occasionally when it is not, and usually when your steering wheel is turned.
 
Wow, thanks for all of the help Nobleman. I'll take a look at a few of those possibilities this weekend.



One question though- why would my refrigerant level effect the engine idle?



Also, great observation. The problem does almost always occur when the wheel is turned. Any idea why that is?
 
wheel turn = added strain on belt driven components, power steering pump is working harder, idle speed drops.



Refrigerant level being low can cause the AC compressor to cycle excessively / run inefficiently. This is not something you want to overfill though, so use caution, and a proper gauge. Those pressure / fill levels are also dependant on ambient temperature, so if it is hot and humid out, the system will have a higher pressure. If you fill when it is cold out, pressure will spike on a hot day.



Dirty air filter / IAC / throttle body = restrictions in air flow, which can equal lower rpm's / harder time managing a stable idle speed.



Make sure your belt and tensioner are up to par as well.
 

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