How to clean the idle speed sensor and when to do it

The idle speed regulator, aka IAC, aka idle speed sensor, aka idle speed valve - very modest in size, but, despite this, a very important component of your car. From the name you can already understand what function it performs - stabilizing the idle speed of the engine, by changing the flow area in the channel through which the air passes.

Despite its modest size, IAC plays a rather important role in a car. Photo: marketingpluspr.ru

What is an idle speed sensor for?

RHH performs two main tasks:

1. When the engine comes into action, the idle valve helps it to gain the required number of revolutions.
2. When you move in “neutral”, switch gears, stand running and just about to start off - the idle speed controller maintains the speed at the required level, prevents them from “jumping” and stalling the car.

How the idle valve works

If you do not go into details, which are not really needed by a simple car owner, the idle speed controller works according to the following principle:

When the engine is idling, it receives a certain amount of air. The crankshaft sensor takes into account the number of revolutions, feeds data to the control unit, which, in turn, already gives IAC commands.

The valve increases or decreases the amount of air supplied, regardless of the throttle position. By the way, the sensor is located in its body.

As for cars with a carburetor type of engine, they are equipped with a slightly different idle control system. It requires manual configuration. With certain skills, knowledge and experience, you can adjust the idle speed just by turning special screws. If you are not sure about the correctness and accuracy of your actions, it is better to entrust this work to the masters at the service station.

Like any other part of the car, the idle control has a “habit” to wear out, fail, malfunction. Photo: drive2.ru

At the slightest malfunction, the IAC will immediately make itself felt, or rather, the sensor will inform the computer about this, and it, in turn, will show that something is wrong in the car. This should be approached with full awareness of the problem and responsibility. In no case do not operate the vehicle with a broken sensor, or with obvious signs indicating a failure of the idle speed controller. But the big problem can be that the IAC does not show any specific signs of its malfunction. Symptoms can be completely different and similar to breakdowns of other parts.

What can cause a breakdown? There are a lot of options, but these three are the most common:

1. A wire broke in the sensor itself;
2. Due to the long period of active operation, the guide needles have worn out;
3. Stock clogged.

The main signs of failure of the idle speed sensor:

1. The car starts without problems, but after a couple of minutes, it stalls. This is repeated regularly.
2. The revs jump like crazy.
3. When you turn on the air conditioner, stove or additional light sources, idle speed drops sharply.
4. The car stalls during a gear change.
5. When starting the engine cold, the number of revolutions is minimal, or even zero
6. The engine is clearly "troiting" at idle

Consequences of inaction

Prolonged ignoring of any manifestations of idle speed controller malfunctions is detrimental to your car's engine. Photo: repairautomobilya.ru

Postponing the diagnosis and solution of the problem, you yourself bring the "death" of the engine closer. “Resuscitation” can cost a very large and round sum. Yes, and riding during this period will not be the most pleasant experience, but, on the contrary, a complete headache and complete disappointment. Each attempt to start the car will last at least ten to fifteen minutes.

If you notice at least one of the above signs, then you don’t need to start panicking and run to buy an idle speed controller sensor as well.

The same signs can also signal other malfunctions in the car engine. First you need to make sure that the problem is in the IAC. Contact the service station. They will do a full diagnostic on your car.

The most elementary and relatively quick way to check is to temporarily replace the installed sensor with another one that works. It is very important that the sensor itself is of high quality. Now it is very easy to run into a fake, remember the saying about the one who pays twice? Prices for IAC range from five hundred rubles and above.

If the "symptoms" have not disappeared, then the problem must be looked for more carefully in other parts of the engine.

Idle speed controller malfunctions and how to fix them

Full computer diagnostics will detect problems with the idle control and display an error alert. Most often, the problem is an open circuit. It is diagnosed with a multimeter.

Another common IAC failure is rod clogging and jamming. This happens because when driving there gets moisture, liquid, dust, dirt, debris. Because of this, it clogs or rusts.

We clean the IAC

To clean the IAC, you must:

You can clean it with widespread means that almost every car owner has in the garage:

1. Solvent
2. alcohol
3. Tool for carburetor
4. "VD-shkoy-40"

The cleaning process itself is also extremely simple: the rod area is soaked in one of the products for ten to fifteen minutes, and then it is thoroughly blown through with a compressor.

You will find a video instruction for cleaning the IAC in this video:

So that a small sensor does not give you a lot of trouble, and its service life increases, you must follow a few basic rules:

1. Make sure that no liquid gets into the throttle area so that moisture and dirt do not accumulate there.
2. Since the IAC is the "controller" of the air intake, it is necessary not to forget to change all air filters in time.
3. It is strictly forbidden to leave a car on the street in winter, everyone knows this, but not everyone has the opportunity to find a covered, heated room for their car. Therefore, if your car winters on the street, and they practically don’t drive it, then at least from time to time start it, warm up the engine, and re-gas. For what? So that the idle speed controller "comes to its senses" was developed. Otherwise, in the spring, at the first attempt to start, it will jam.

Outcome

It is very important to keep the interior and exterior of the car in order. But it is even more important to monitor the health of its internal parts, and especially the engine. After all, it is for a machine - like a heart for a person. It contains no unimportant details. Every little detail of the "iron heart" contributes to its optimal performance. One of them is the idle speed regulator, which is not so difficult to put in order.