IAC Question

Pulled the IAC off. Had lots of carbon BUT something stuck out and I'm not sure if its normal...

Inside the IAC there is a rod that is spring loaded. There is also a rubber boot on one end. And the spring carries over through a hole to the other end. The boot looks like it should be flush against the wall separating the two chambers...BUT IT IS NOT. IS THIS NORMAL?? is the rubber boot supposed to be seated against the metal opening?

BAM!!!!!!!!!!! Whether the boot was suppossed to be seated or not, its fixed. I cleaned it really good and it solved all my problems.

Glad to see you got it fixed, but you didn't say what your problem was to start with. Just curious to see what this thing will do when it's acting up.

got a 171 and 174 code. Engine had bad idle, would die, CEL was on. Autozone said it was a O2 sensor problem.

What did you use to clean the IAC?

I used carb cleaner on mine but ended up just buying a new one since I was cleaning out the intake system and replacing port seals, isolator bolts and valve cover. The new one cost me $95.67 including tax at the dealer. The new one also is slightly different in design. It no longer has the spring on the plunger and the plunger does not continue on into the back side of the housing.
Ken

Cleaning the IAC is a temporary "fix" that might or might not even work.

I get worried about people cleaning them because if it doesn't help they may be tempted to look elsewhere for the problem, when it really IS the IAC.

The cold start stalls went away after I washed the engine. I haven't tried to figure that out yet. I cleaned the IAC with TB cleaner anyway. It had only a slight build-up of carbon. If the problem comes back, I'll change out the IAC before I do anything else. It's easy and cheap enough.

By the way, I did not get a CEL when I had this problem. It would start and stall right out unless I held my foot on the gas to get about 1000 rpm's. After about a minute the engine would rev slightly and I could take my foot off the gas.

What did you use to clean the IAC?

Carb Cleaner and WD-40. Worked great!

Cleaning the IAC is a temporary "fix" that might or might not even work.

I get worried about people cleaning them because if it doesn't help they may be tempted to look elsewhere for the problem, when it really IS the IAC.
If it is carboned up it needs to be cleaned. You shouldn't tell people to replace it if it is dirty. Very rarely do these go bad. It is easy enough to check after all it is just a DC motor.