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idle speed

73K views 58 replies 20 participants last post by  Denise 
#1 ·
My Accord has started doing something a little strange. On cold startup, the engine will go into high idle (as it should). However, this will on occasion 'spike' the revs up to 2k or a bit higher without pushing on the gas.
It concerns me because when you put the car into drive, the car will accelerate much quicker than I'd expect. I almost took off my bumper last night when turning out of a parking space.
The car will accelrete enough to shift into second, with no foot on the gas. I let it go last night, and it got up to about 22 mph with no input from me, other than putting it in gear.

(it wasn't cold, the temperature outside was 62 degrees)

Has anyone heard about this occuring in i4 7th gen accords?
 
#27 ·
I asked....& not in his experience....

No webs, I'm surprised!

Is the idle better now anyway?
 
#28 ·
Not even a trace of a web!!

The idle seems perfect at the moment. Will see after we get some miles on it.

It just seems very coincidental that the erratic idle started shortly before the MIL light came on. I'm not totally familiar with the EVAP operation, but just thought if the cannister could not vent (ie blocked by water), that it might have upset the idle control
 
#29 ·
Well, no news is good news...
They found no trouble codes with my car, and of course didn't have the problem occur for them. But it seems to be cleared up after the 20,000 check up. Magic again? Or maybe they reset the ECU. But anyway, it's not happening now, so I'm a happy camper. Until I have to go in for the airbag recall :mad:
 
#30 ·
In the original post when you started this thrread.....I've been thinking.....When I've been driving for a while in just warm enough for the A/C to cycle, then the first time I drive it & it's not....it feels funny. As if it were idling too fast in parking lots. Not like anything is wrong, just a power burst. I always just have my climate control set to about 74. If I go to one grocery store first....just a few blocks away....I seem to have to really hold her back. I haven't bothered looking at the rpm.

Does this sound like what you've experienced?
 
#31 ·
You know, it's kind of like that. I usually turn off the climate control when I turn off the car; but it's like a little power burst, like a high idle...it's not like I'm speeding off, but it seems a little more agressive than I expect.
It might be an emissions thing, in colder weather to get it to operating temp quicker.
 
#32 ·
I've always figured it was temp related. The first time it was a little scary! I'd owned her for a couple months & my first thought was "how will I control the thing when she's in this mood?" I whined to my husband & he assured me that it's normal. I have learned to reconize the signs & then enjoy it!:D In those times that there's no power draws, it feels like I could take on ANY car!

I did a little experimenting....turned the A/C on & off, trying to duplicate it. That's not quite the same feel.

Why ro you turn off the climate control? We never do. :confused:
 
#33 ·
I just shut it off, or at least turn off the A/C. It's just a thing I do :) I like to let the engine warm up a bit before putting the A/C load on it. It's just a habit probably left over from my Civic days, when I drove with the A/C as little as possible, because it was such a huge drain on the engine.
 
#34 ·
Just curious.... when we did sidework here, about 50% of people kept the fans off unless they're in use. Ours are always on. The A/C is a quicker dehumidifier than the defogger, so it even gets used in the Winter.

The air here is a little damp all year round....not like the coast, but damp. So when you park the windows can get a little steamy, then it goes away within seconds. With everything left on, I don't have to DO anything... it just goes away. Like magic!:)

I hope your cars little burst is normal. I really feel like mine is.
 
#35 ·
The air here is fairy dry, unless it's raining...so I usually don't have fogging problems except when it's raining - which in Ohio, is from now until April.

This is off topic, but I love seeing idiots who don't know how to use their air recirculation buttons, and you see them driving along with every window completely fogged up. I always want to yell at them to hit the button, but they would never see me because of the condensation...RTFM
 
#36 ·
Generally we keep ours on "bring in the outside air" unless it's extreme weather... hot or cold. You're les apt to get tay swampy smell later. It was a problem in the 86-89 Accords & he "trained" me to hit the outside air button as I was coming into our neighborhood. That way it got much of the gsthered humidity out before I parked it. We've known several that had no clue what that button was for!

Back on topic... if your idle does weird things again, keep us updated.... together we should be able to figure it out... or know if it's going to need a hands-on series of tests or something....:)

Hey RealWing, what's goin' on with your's now??
 
#37 ·
04EXNavi said:
The air here is fairy dry, unless it's raining...so I usually don't have fogging problems except when it's raining - which in Ohio, is from now until April.

This is off topic, but I love seeing idiots who don't know how to use their air recirculation buttons, and you see them driving along with every window completely fogged up. I always want to yell at them to hit the button, but they would never see me because of the condensation...RTFM
RTFM?
 
#38 ·
#40 ·
i remember a while back, i actually had to teach both my parents how to use it right....and i was only, what?....13-14yrs old???? maybe younger than that????
 
#43 ·
sprite03 said:
talking aobut idling speed. I have start ups with 1500rpm and i did experience going like 12mph with out the gas pedal when i put into drive. Is this normal on cold starts?
On a cold start tyhe RPM should rest at about 1500 until the fast idle valve thinks the coolant is a sufficient temperature to lower it.

If it is that fast when the engine is warm, then I'd suspect the EACV.
 
#44 ·
Interesting thread.. :thmsup: My 1996 Honda Accord 2.0iES automatic constantly revs between 600 and 1500 rpm when in park?? My pet mechanic has looked at it once and cleaned out the throttle - pipes etc etc But the car is back in the garage as the problem remains. :bawling:

I have copied Princesses info and emailed it to him.. Hopefully it will help resolve my problem.. Thanks Princess... :)

James.. (UK)..

EDIT>> The revving bit only happens once the engine has warmed up.. cycle is about 3-4 seconds.. Just brmm brmm brmm brmm like a bored boy racer.. lol.. :confused:
 
#45 ·
New Condenser fitted. Air con now working.. :)

The gasket between the two halves of the exhaust-inlet manifold was allowing air in. Joint sealed = engine now ticks over as it should.. :)
 
#46 ·
i noticed today my 93 accord was having some trouble holding a steady idle.at first it was fine when i started it.a little high on rpms like normal cuz its cold.i moved it to clean it,then when i started it and moved it again it was revving up and down from like 1000- to about 2500 maybe not that bad but u get my point.i shut it off started it again and it was fine.i doubt its the same problem as the newer gens.are havin but any help on this issue would be welcomed.my thoughts were bad ground or somethin?it sounds almost like a surge
 
#47 ·
josh189, have you checked your coolant level? Your year can act all surgy when cold if the coolant is low.:dunno: Then be fine warm.....unless it's low enough to overheat.:dunno:

Another possibility is the Fast Idle Control Valve which you would check by removing the plate on top of it. Start the car & stick your finger in the hole. If it smooths out, then it's the bad part.

There's other possibilities too....:dunno:
 
#49 ·
My 2006 Accord EX I4 does the same thing. My car will speed up to about 20 mph with foot off the gas, while the high idle is on. It seems to take a long time for the fast idle to come down to normal. I don't know if this is a problem because I bought the car used about 2 months ago. Actually now that I think about it the engine took about the same time to warm up in the warmer fall weather here in NJ. Dave
 
#51 ·
PCM=powertrain control module
ECM=engine control module

they are used interchangeably


I think you may mean HDS= honda diagnostic system (the computer link up for reading codes, seeing whats going on inside)
 
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