choppy idle

2004 HONDA PILOT
200,000 MILES • 3.5L • 6 CYL • AWD • AUTOMATIC
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ALICIA CASS
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
My SUV has a really choppy idle when cold, but when warm it it is pretty quiet. It also occasionally stalls out when using the prndl switch. It does not seem to hunt, just choppy and rough like a Harley. There is no engine light. It also does not seem to have any power loss. It does not stumble under load. Actually impressed on the amount of power this SUV has. I really want to get this idle sorted so I stopped hearing complaints about the engine dust cover being off. winter is coming and it is going to be rough.
Sep 4, 2017 at 6:12 PM
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STEVE W.
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 15,367 POSTS
Choppy when cold but better as it warms up sounds like a vacuum leak at the intake. As the engine warms up the parts expand a bit and the leaks gets smaller.
There are multiple ways of finding a vacuum leak.
This is one.
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-an-engine-vacuum-gauge

Sep 5, 2017 at 8:50 PM
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