1999 Honda Civic Repair Question
Mileage: No information provided.
1999 Honda Civic low idle
1999 Honda Civic Automatic 144000 miles
my car stalls when its idling. it has a low idle. how can i find the cause or can a mechanic and how difficult is the repair
Asked by nellysgirll33Answer
Hi nellysgirll33,
Stalling during idling are usually caused by a dirty throttle body, IAC valve and the idle adjust screw passage.
Get them cleaned and readjusting the idling should solve the problem.
Is the Check Engine Light showing?
no the check engine light is not on
Good, that means the cleaning of the throttle body and related parts should solve the problem.
can i take it to a mechanic to get it done or is it something i should try to get my boyfriend to do?
If your boy friend can do simple mechanical work, he should be able to do it.
Get a can of carb cleaner from the parts store.
Remove the intake air hose.
Spray the carb cleaner into the throttle body and the ports inside it.
Let it soak for a while.
Spray some carb cleaner into the throttle body again and use a piece of rag to scrub the inner part of the throtte body with the throttle plate opened fully.
Make sure the area where the throttle plate seats when closed is clean.
Use the carb cleaner to clean the throttle body of any residual dirt.
The idle adjust screw is at top of throttle body.
Remove it and use the carb cleaner to spray into it to clear the passage.
After cleaning, reinstall the idle adjust screw and fully tighten it lightly, DO NOT force. Back off 1/2 a turn, readjustment is necessary to get the correct idling speed after the engine warms up.
NOTE : It would be difficult to start the engine initially due to the presence of the carb cleaner.
After engine is started, spray carb cleaner into the ports again while throttling up and down to prevent the engine from stalling. This is to clear whatever dirt that is still inside the IAC and throttle body. DO NOT spray excessive at a time, sporadic spraying is all it needs.
Readjust the idling speed if necessary after the engine has warmed up.
Have a nice day.