Symptoms of a Faulty Idle Motor?
2 Answers
The manifestations of a damaged idle motor are as follows: 1. Irregular idle speed. One of the most common symptoms associated with a problematic air control valve is irregular idle speed. The idle air control valve is programmed to regulate and maintain the engine's idle speed at a constant rate. If the valve malfunctions or has any issues, it may cause the idle speed to fluctuate. This can result in abnormally high or low idle speeds, or in some cases, repeatedly rising and falling idle speeds. 2. Engine stalling. Another more severe symptom of idle control valve issues is engine stalling. If the idle control valve fails completely, it may leave the vehicle without an air source to maintain proper idling. This can cause the engine to stall while running, and in some cases, may prevent the engine from idling at all, causing it to stall immediately after starting.
The symptoms of my old car's faulty idle control valve were particularly obvious. After starting, the tachometer needle danced erratically between 500 and 1500 RPM. When idling at traffic lights, the car shook like a vibrating phone, accompanied by popping noises from the engine bay. The most troublesome issue was cold start difficulties - I had to press the accelerator to get it started. One day at a highway toll booth, the engine suddenly stalled when I stopped, causing the steering wheel to lock up instantly, nearly causing an accident. The repair shop found the valve stem completely clogged with sludge - cleaning it solved all problems. Fellow drivers, don't hesitate to get it checked if you notice unstable idling.
