Introduction
Does your Ford crank but won't idle properly? Does it die at stoplights or when you take your foot off of the gas? It's quite possible the problem is a faulty Idle Air Control (IAC) valve (sometimes also referred to as a throttle bypass valve). This valve allows air into your engine when the throttle plates are closed thus allowing the car to idle when you don't have you foot on the gas. When it gets dirty or "stuck" it stops letting air in and thus your car dies. Not to worry, this is an easy problem to fix and can be done in less than 30 minutes even by a novice. If you do decide to take on this procedure yourself please drop us a line and give us some
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Parts and Tools...
For this repair you'll need a new IAC valve which comes with a new gasket and a 10mm wrench or socket. Prices for the replacement part can vary from about $35 to $70 depending on where you shop (even more for OEM parts from the dealer). In our experience most of the aftermarket replacement parts are good quality parts and perform well.
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Removal and Replacement Instructions
(steps 1-8 of 8)
- Disconnect the negative battery cable. It's always a good idea to disconnect the battery when working on anything connected to the electrical system of the car (which the IAC is). We confess we don't always perform this step since it's such a simple and quick repair and presents little risk to the electrical system. That said, do as we say, not as we do.
- Locacte the IAC on your particular vehicle. Ford 4.6L engines come in a couple of different configurations in terms of the orientation of the throttle body and thus the location of the IAC valve. On the 4.6L the IAC is attached directly to the front (or back) of the throttle body. On Mustangs, Thunderbirds, and Cougars the IAC faces the front of the vehicle and is easy to see and remove. On the Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car the IAC is on the "rear" of the throttle body since the throttle body is turned 180 degress from the above-mentioned Ford models (see pictures below).
- Unhook the electrical connector attached to the idle air control (IAC) valve by pressing the tab and pulling it out.
- Disconnect the IAC air intake tube - it just slides off (see pictures below).
- Remove the two mounting screws (10mm) securing the dle air control valve. Remove the valve and the gasket off. Do not re-use the old gasket. Your new part should have come with new, replacement gasket. Make sure the mating surfaces are clean.
- Mount the new idle air control valve and gasket. Tighten the screws and re-connect the electrical connection.
- Re-connect the IAC air intake tube.
- Reconnect the negative battery cable (if your removed it in step 1 above).
Congratulations! You just replaced your IAC valve and saved yourself some money (and gained the satisfaction
of doing it yourself). After your wash your hands and drink your favorite beverage please drop us a line and give us some
feedback on the content of this site. We're always trying to improve our content and we love
getting feedback from fellow Do-It-Yourselfers
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