| Subject: | 1990 Montero IAC and Stalling |
| Question: |
1. I bought a well-maintained '90 Montero (3.0L MPI V6, auto) with 114,430 miles in April '03. Records show that the IAC had been replaced in '99, and again, along with the ECU, just a month before I bought it. I had only owned the truck for about a month when they both failed again. I had them replaced at the dealer. I should mention here that before and after replacement, the IAC has never seemed to function. Problems surfaced again seven months later. Back at the dealer, they claimed that the IAC had been damaged by a coolant leak caused by a faulty o-ring in the fast idle air valve assembly. The warranty provided no coverage in this case, unless I was willing to authorize the replacement of the "unserviceable" air valve assembly ($770+). After some haggling, they let me keep the new IAC (no warranty), and I towed my truck back home. I rebuilt the "unserviceable" air valve assembly, replacing the faulty o-ring (50 cents, Ace Hardware). And as before, the new IAC does not work either. I've had to set the BISS and TPS to compensate. A diagnostic shop recently confirmed that the IAC was getting a signal, but was not responding. They would not confirm if they'd tested the IAC itself. I've inspected all related components, and have performed all tests outlined in Chilton's and Haynes. IAC responds to the 6v hotwire test. 2. This next problem is the most recent and important, but unrelated to that above. After driving somewhere and parking the truck, it will stall while driving within a mile of restarting. If I let it sit, I may be able to start it, but only if I put the throttle to the floor. The longer it sits, the easier it starts. I've just replaced the fuel pump and filter, which has brought no changes; pattern repeated itself. In the past 6 months, I have disassembled and cleaned the throttle body, cleaned the PCV valve, replaced the O2 sensor; battery and plugs are also good. I would appreciate any help you can provide in solving these two problems, and I think that what you've done to help others is outstanding. Thanks, Anthony. Respectfully, |
| Answer: | Toby, Your fisrt problem is a tricky one. Most all mechanics know what the IAC motor is and what its function is, but few understand why they can fail. It's a remote possibility that the new IAC motors and/or ECU you got were bad. Most of those are not new, but rebuilt. If you can hotwire the IAC and it works, than there still may be a problem with your ECU receiving the signal back from the IAC, thus not regulating fuel flow. You may want to pull your ECU just to give it a visual inspection for any leaking capacitors or damage. Your second problem may actually be related to your first problem. Possible
causes of this situation include malfunctioning fuel pressure regulator,
slow responding Idle Air Control Valve, and to a lesser extent a faulty
gas cap. Good luck! |