Odly fast engine RPM idle

[jordan]

Just started happening tonight near the end of going for a drive. Hasnt happened in 5 years of owning the car (2.4liter/2000 alero). it always idles at 550 RPM when stopped in drive or in park. now tonight it is acting up idling at 1000 Rpm when in park or neutral and 650- 750 RPM when in drive and stopped. Any ideas? it is raining outside and damp if that has an influence on it so i thought id mention it.

Fuel filter was recently changed, new oil & filter, air filter. no idea what it could be. car drives ok but this idle thing has got me worried.

thanks

[TheMeaningOfLife]

Mine always runs about 700..

[Gr1m]

was the engine running hot or cold..?

[01silveralero]

Just started happening tonight near the end of going for a drive. Hasnt happened in 5 years of owning the car (2.4liter/2000 alero). it always idles at 550 RPM when stopped in drive or in park. now tonight it is acting up idling at 1000 Rpm when in park or neutral and 650- 750 RPM when in drive and stopped. Any ideas? it is raining outside and damp if that has an influence on it so i thought id mention it.

Fuel filter was recently changed, new oil & filter, air filter. no idea what it could be. car drives ok but this idle thing has got me worried.

thanks

if you first start it up it will be like that until it warms up. i have watched mine do that when it was all warmed up it dropped to 600 rpm.

[Vinalero]

mine always idle at 950 rpm. But I've got a manual, so I don't know...

[Crazytaxi37]

sticky throttle cable? does the idle drop back to normal if you pull up on the peddle???

[Gr1m]

it sounds like he started it cold and the RPMs were higher like normally

[Ralero15]

hm i got the 3400, and it also idles pretty high at about 750 RPM, but i see Im not the only one with this problem so i guess its normal on an alero??

[jordan]

I just got it fixed today and it was the idle air control valve needed cleaning and the IAC motor needed to be reset. Now the car runs as good as new. 530-550 RPM

thanks guys for you input

[lonnie]

Where is the idle air control valve, and how do you clean it?

[Vinalero]

hummm, do you 2.4L guys also idle at 550 rpm?

if yes, why does mine idles really stable at 960 rpm ?

Or is it that you idles at 550 in gear and I idles at 960 in neutral?

[SIUlero]

Where is the idle air control valve, and how do you clean it?

It's attached to the throttle body. To clean it you pull it off and hit it with some throttle body cleaner...It looks like this (http://www.autozone.com/selectedZip,62902/initialAction,partProductDetail/initialpartType,00207/initialR,APP479669/initialvehicleId,2580202/shopping/selectZip.htm).

[lonnie]

Thanks that shit isn't cheap!

[jayson_waltz]

hummm, do you 2.4L guys also idle at 550 rpm?

if yes, why does mine idles really stable at 960 rpm ?

Or is it that you idles at 550 in gear and I idles at 960 in neutral?

mine 2.4 idles at about 550 in park, i dunno if there is a way to set that. if there is maybe yours got changed. I love mine to idle about that speed in the winter b\c it takes a while longer for it o warm up at 550, when i push the pedal so it idles about 1000, its a lot smoother and warms up better.

[vikz99]

Hey, where is this "idle air control valve" located at???? i have a 3.4L engine

[[ion] C2]

the IAC is located on the throttle body
i idle 550-1000 depending on weather conditions, if i just started it, and/or if the engine was just run recently. usually 550 after driving for a while.

[vikz99]

the car was running for quite a while, and was driven well over 100kms in the same day, it happened in "P". So turned the car on and off couple of times and it went back to normal. Found it odd, should I still clean it?

[Kilroy]

It's attached to the throttle body. To clean it you pull it off and hit it with some throttle body cleaner...It looks like this (http://www.autozone.com/selectedZip,62902/initialAction,partProductDetail/initialpartType,00207/initialR,APP479669/initialvehicleId,2580202/shopping/selectZip.htm).

http://www.autozone.com/images/products/pna003.gif

I don't have anything in my car that looks like this picture. :haha:

[billytheman1188]

my 3.4 idles at 800rpm, is that too high? i thought it was pretty low. After i put my exhaust in it dropped to 800.....when the car was stock it would idle around 1000rpm

[Spilner521]

hummm, do you 2.4L guys also idle at 550 rpm?

if yes, why does mine idles really stable at 960 rpm ?

Or is it that you idles at 550 in gear and I idles at 960 in neutral?
Mine does idle pretty low, around 600-650 rpm at normal temp in gear and closer to 800 rpm in neutral. The manual transmission cars idle a little higher for some reason. Sounds like yours is completely normal.