idle air control

[spayordie]

I, too, have a surging engine in a 93 accord automatic wagon...seems to have begun with cold weather but now does it some of the time at any temp. If I unplug the idle air control (or whatever it is near the throttle body with three wires, held on by two rivets) the surging stops and it just goes to a steady fast idle.

Occasionally I get a 'check engine' light but only today did I learn how to read them. This raises two questions: Can the code be read after the check engine light has gone back off? Is there memory of it? And, 2) should I replace that 'idle air control' unit, and if so, how?
Any advice would be helpful. I read back 23 pages of posts so far but couldn't figure out how to remove that unit.

[jeffcoslacker]

I'll give you my stock answer before anything else...did you make SURE the coolant is full (through the radiator, not the jug)?

Low coolant surging before the thermostat opens fully can cause cold idle surging. I always check this before going any farther.

It should store a code for the CEL coming on intermittantly, especially if it's set the same code more than once.

As far as replacing the IAC, that's usually pretty straightforward, but you say yours is riveted on? Haven't looked real close at a Honda in a while. Could be, I suppose. You'd have to drill them out and replace with bolts.

IAC units can sometimes be cleaned up and made to work again, like an EGR valve they get carbon in the bore and sometimes will stick or the pintle can't seat fully and makes them do strange things.