2000 Honda Civic erratic idle

Hi JSG,

I would suggest cleaning the throttle body, idle adjust screw and IAC. Seems the idling system pasage is partially clogged resulting in inaccurate air flow and the low engine rpm.

thanks! i cleaned out the throttle body and adjusted the idle screw i also cleaned out IACVi just need to clean out fas idle vavle.but this does not happen when the a/c is off... is that a normal thing to only do it when the a/c is on?how ounces of freon is suppose to be filled with this car?

The engine idling system is designed to compensate for load fluctuations and it should not work erratically. Idling should be constant at all times.

The fast idle is the IACV so you have already cleaned it. If symptoms are similar after leaning, the problem could be with the AC, if you have filled in freon, most probably you have overfilled it.

Refrigerant capacity is 21.1 - 22.9 ozs.
A pressure test would confrim if there is excessive pressure in the system.

Btw, is the Check engine light showing?

sorry i took a while but... i cleaned out the IACV the car still idles up and down.and there is no check engine light on.it was on before but i replaced the CAT CONVERTER.it needed to be replaced cause everytime i did a smog it would show the smog paper.i thought it would stop that problem.even when i adjusted the idle it would still fluctuate.

If the uneven idling is only with AC on, I would suggest checking the valve clearances. Tight clearances would cause the idling to drop before recovering when accelerator pedal is released.

how do i do that?are you taking about IACV?

Not the IACV but the valve lifters.

Are you doning the job yourself?

i get you now thanks!no i will not do that to technical for me.again its only when the a/c is on i am driving it but as soon as i put it in neutral the rpms drop very low the car shakes like its about to shut off but it doesn't.just when i come to stops.so checking the valve clearances so stop this how much is to do this job?

If the IAC and throttle body are confirmed to be ok, the most likely cause for the condition would be the valve clearances.

The labor time is quoted as 1.3 hours.
However during the work, there is a possibility of valve cover gaskets, plug seals and bushes needing replacement.

I asked if you are doing the job yourself because I can provide the necessary procedures but if you are not a technical person, this job is best done by professionals.

can you please provide me with the necessary procedures.since a shop wont let me be there watching what they do, i would like an idea of whats getting done THANKS.

SINGLE OVERHEAD CAMSHAFT (SOHC) Accord 2.3L & Civic NOTE: Valves should be adjusted only when cylinder head temperature is less than 100 °F (38 °C). NOTE: On some applications, word "UP" is cast into camshaft pulley. On other applications "UP" mark will be represented by an arrow pointing to outer edge of camshaft pulley. 1. Remove timing belt upper cover, valve cover, spark plugs and distributor cap. Adjustment of exhaust and intake valves for each cylinder are done at same time. 2. Rotate crankshaft counterclockwise to bring piston No. 1 to Top Dead Center (TDC) on compression stroke. "UP" mark on camshaft pulley should be at top, and TDC grooves on camshaft pulley should align with cylinder head surface.

TDC groove (White mark) on crankshaft pulley should align with timing pointer and distributor rotor should point to spark plug wire No. 1 on distributor cap. 3. Measure clearance between valve stem and rocker arm.

Adjust valve clearances to specification if necessary. Loosen valve adjuster lock nuts and turn adjusting screw for each valve on cylinder No. 1. Go to next step. 4. On Accord and Civic with D16Y5 or D16Y8 engine, tighten valve adjuster lock nuts to 14 ft. lbs. (19 N.m). On Civic with D16Y7 engine, tighten valve adjuster lock nuts to 13 ft. lbs. (18 N.m). On all models, check valve clearance and repeat sdjustment, if necessary. 5. Rotate crankshaft counterclockwise 180 degrees (camshaft pulley rotates 90 degrees). Ensure "UP" mark on camshaft pulley is on exhaust side and cylinder No. 3 is at TDC. Adjust valves on cylinder No. 3. Repeat step 4 and go to next step. 6. Rotate crankshaft counterclockwise 180 degrees (camshaft pulley rotate 90 degrees). Ensure "UP" mark on camshaft pulley is pointing downward, TDC grooves on camshaft pulley are aligned with cylinder head surface and cylinder No. 4 is at TDC. Adjust valves on cylinder No. 4. Repeat step 4 and go to next step. 7. Rotate crankshaft counterclockwise 180 degrees (camshaft pulley rotate 90 degrees). Ensure "UP" mark on camshaft pulley is on intake side and cylinder No. 2 is at TDC. Adjust valves on cylinder No. 2. Repeat step 4 and go to next step. 8. After adjusting valve clearances, retighten crankshaft pulley bolt to 181 ft. lbs. (245 N.m) on Accord and 134 ft. lbs. (182 N.m) on Civic. Install timing belt upper cover, valve cover, spark plugs and distributor cap. Tighten timing belt cover and valve cover bolts and nuts to 89 INCH lbs. (10 N.m). Tighten valve cover bolts sequentially in 2 -3 passes. See Fig. 9 or Fig. 10 .