The iac valve is a small device that is part of the throttle body, its mission is to allow air access to the engine when the car is cold or slow motion. What happens if I disconnect the iac valve?Drivers who decide to disconnect this valve have no idea of the damage they are causing to their vehicle, such as: high fuel consumption, emission test failures, the engine does not start, among other failures. Here you can find out everything harmful that driving without the air control valve represents.
What is iac valve?
The iac valve (idle air control) or valve for air control, is a small electronic component that is installed on the throttle body, has the function of allowing the regular passage of air to the engine when the car needs to run cold or idle. It has a sensor that relates to other parts of the Engine Control Unit (ECU). The main symptom that the iac valve is not working right is the correct idle speed.
What is the idle speed of a car?
Idle speed refers to the gear at which the engine runs while the vehicle is idling, for example when it is at a traffic light, in park or starting the engine. This speed is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm), which must be between 600 and 1000 rpm.
What happens if I disconnect the iac valve?
There are many negative effects that it can bring to your car, when the iac valve is disconnected, it can be driven, however, it will bring failures or consequences that you will notice immediately, let’s get to know them:
1. The car will burn more fuel
Once iac valve or idle air control valve disconnected, more time is spent warming up the engine. It will show erratic air-fuel readings, so the engine will work harder at idle. The engine needs more time to warm up, like in the past. This results in higher fuel consumption. You might not notice it right away, but filling up a tank often is more expensive than replacing the iac valve.
2. Emission test failures
To the Disconnecting the iac valve will most likely give you wrong fuel/air mixture readings. In the event that the reading indicates too much hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide or a large amount of fuel for the system to work, rest assured that it will not pass the emissions tests. The failed emissions test does not distress drivers from other countries, because within the emission standards they are absent. On the other hand, if a continuously car without the iac valve and with the wrong air-gas ratio, the catalytic converter can be damaged.
3. Affect other components
What happens if I disconnect the iac valve? Perhaps you have thought that the problem has been solved, but the reality is different, without the presence of this small device, you are harming others engine components as mileage accumulates. The iac valve relates to the Engine Control Unit (ECU). The part that will suffer the most damage is the exhaust system catalytic converter.
4. The car engine does not start
Without iac valve the car can shut down immediately after starting. All because it requires a longer warm-up time and a drop in temperature, the engine will start to fail to idle. Fluctuating speed is hard on the ECU, can cause trouble starting, and may stop before starting. It can also happen, a load on the air conditioning system and the headlights on, the engine does not have the capacity to withstand enough and some moments are turn off.
Why do car owners turn off the iac valve?
There are various factors that lead many owners to decide to disconnect the iac valve from the car, especially when they perceive that it is failing. They try to reset the valve and check that it works again, or I just disconnect it for a short time to avoid an idle speed problem. Some say that since they disconnected the iac valve, they have noticed that the fluctuating idle speeds or hard starts have gone away.
Common IAC valve failures
The iac valve of a car, it is possible that it begins to present the following symptoms:
1. The car does not idle
The car does not idle when the valve is closed or clogged. When you run it, the air required by the throttle passes quickly, resulting in a low idle speed. The throttle plates contain springs that open with the passage of air. But at low idle speeds, these plates stay closed or gently open.
2. Rough or rough idling
The Low (lean) idling is when the car feels like it’s getting less fuel than necessary. While the hard (rich) idle is when the engine receives more gasoline than necessary to idle. Either option is not normal at idle. Maybe notice some strange sounds such as revving, diffusing, or bubbling when trying to start or stop the enginethis means that the valve is malfunctioning.
3. Engine starting problems
It is possible to experience a hard start, because the engine does not have enough fuel to start the engine.
4. Stagnation
Stagnation, means once that iac valve does not provide a constant portion of air, what causes the engine to shut off during parking or stopping. During this time, the engine struggles to maintain power, however, the air supply is not enough, which is why the car’s engine shuts down after starting.
5. Engine light
The check engine light should be checked, when the car is not idling smoothly.
What should be done if the iac valve has problems?
In general, many drivers, the first thing they do is disconnect the iac valve in the event of any failure, they believe that this solves the problem. But, the reality is that they must take action immediately. Initially, they should do the following:
- Try to reset iac valve
- test valve
- Turning off the radio and air conditioning will allow you to hear clearly
- Listen carefully for the sound at idle to shut off the engine
- Write down the rpm, they should range between 600 to 1000 rpm
- Pay attention that it emits a soft sound, without inconsistent noises, or feel a lot or little air.
If the rpm is below the figures indicated, try to reset the iac valve. Each model has its way of resetting the valve, it is best to consult a specialist guide or the owner’s manual. However, the procedure is practical and simple:
- clean iac valve
Dust and dirt buildup on the iac valve is no stranger to damaging it, but it can be cleaned along with the throttle body so it works fast. The valve can be located connected to the throttle body. You will have to disassemble these parts, remove the filter box, hoses and air ducts, the cables, remove the gasket that is attached to the throttle body. Apply a special cleaner for iac valves. You will need to soak the valve in the carbon cleaner for 15 minutes, then clean, removing all dirt. Reconnect all components to the throttle body.
- replace iac valve
The best option to take is to replace the iac valve, once it is found to be malfunctioning. In many cases a cleaning does not solve the fault. To prevent the iac valve from presenting problems, it is best to perform regular maintenance, in addition to inspecting its proper functioning. You should not expect it to start generating throttle noises, or idling faults, proper corrections should be taken in time.
Writing Gossipvehicle