Hey everyone, it's Brian from Honest Mechanic Colorado. Today I want to talk about some common symptoms that can indicate you have a bad idle air control valve in your vehicle.
This little part is responsible for managing the idle speed of your engine and if it fails, it can cause a variety of problems.
First, one of the most common signs is rough idling or stalling when coming to a stop. The idle air control valve helps adjust engine idle speed to prevent stalling.
So if yours is stuck or failing, you may notice the RPMs dip way down and the engine struggles to stay running when you come to a stop sign or red light.
Another symptom is idle surging - this is when the idle speed rises and falls repeatedly. The faulty idle air control valve causes the engine to rev up and down randomly. It makes the vehicle feel like it has a mind of its own.
You may also notice cold starting problems if the idle air control valve is malfunctioning. When you first start the engine, the valve helps bring up the idle speed quickly. But a bad one can make the engine stall right after startup.
Inconsistent acceleration can be caused by a bad idle air control valve too. If it can't properly control the air intake, you may feel hesitation or lack of power as you press the gas pedal. The acceleration will seem irregular.
And finally, a check engine light illuminated on your dash is very likely with a malfunctioning idle air control valve. It will set codes related to improper idle or air flow that triggers the check engine light to alert you.
If you notice any of these symptoms, it's a good idea to have the idle air control valve tested and replaced if faulty. This inexpensive part going bad can cause all sorts of problems, so don't ignore the warning signs. Get it checked and replaced to get your vehicle running smoothly again.
Well that's all for today's video on detecting a faulty idle air control valve. Please subscribe to the Honest Mechanic Colorado YouTube channel
