Decarbonizing when replacing IAC Valave
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Decarbonizing when replacing IAC Valave
New to the FTE posting world and need some help...
My truck has stalled out on me recently. In the morning, the engine will start, but will immediatly go to 400rpm or less, idle rough and will either stall immediately or will wait until I have given a little gas to stall. If I can get the truck backed down the driveway and into drive, I can drive the truck down the street and it is usally good for the day. If not, I am stuck restarting the truck numerous times.
From reading some of the older postings, I have been led to believe that this is a problem with the IAC valve. In talking to another ford owner, he said he had the same symptoms, took it into the dealer and they confirmed it to be the IAC valve. He said that they replaced the IAC and "decarbonized" the engine.
Finally, my question: What is decarbonizing, how is it done and is this something I can do myself?
My truck has stalled out on me recently. In the morning, the engine will start, but will immediatly go to 400rpm or less, idle rough and will either stall immediately or will wait until I have given a little gas to stall. If I can get the truck backed down the driveway and into drive, I can drive the truck down the street and it is usally good for the day. If not, I am stuck restarting the truck numerous times.
From reading some of the older postings, I have been led to believe that this is a problem with the IAC valve. In talking to another ford owner, he said he had the same symptoms, took it into the dealer and they confirmed it to be the IAC valve. He said that they replaced the IAC and "decarbonized" the engine.
Finally, my question: What is decarbonizing, how is it done and is this something I can do myself?
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Decarbonizing when replacing IAC Valave
Its a cleaner that is run through the engine, normally sucked through a vacum line while the truck is running. Makes all sorts of evil looking smoke when you do it.
Your dealer should have bottles of this stuff available for about $10.
Your dealer should have bottles of this stuff available for about $10.
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Decarbonizing when replacing IAC Valave
I just did some googling to find out some more info for you.
Turns out the GM Top Engine cleaner is used pretty much industry wide to de-carbonize your engine.
Here are instructions on doing this to a TGN but the same process should apply to your engine just replace the word inlet to intake:
http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/main...e/cleaner.html
This method is not the one I use however. I normally disconnect my brake booster line and let the vacum suck the fluid into the eninge while its running. Either way it will smoke like crazy and you may have a service engine light for the next couple days (will be emissions related).
Turns out the GM Top Engine cleaner is used pretty much industry wide to de-carbonize your engine.
Here are instructions on doing this to a TGN but the same process should apply to your engine just replace the word inlet to intake:
http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/main...e/cleaner.html
This method is not the one I use however. I normally disconnect my brake booster line and let the vacum suck the fluid into the eninge while its running. Either way it will smoke like crazy and you may have a service engine light for the next couple days (will be emissions related).
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Decarbonizing when replacing IAC Valave
I haven't been to the dealership, but I think my friend said that they charged him $80:-staun for the decarbonizer (?)... I am not sure if that was just for the liquid itself or if that included labor as well (I personally think that a little low if labor is included).
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Lead Driver
Joined: May 2003
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From: Lyndonville, Vermont
Decarbonizing when replacing IAC Valave
Don't bother if its a new engine you can do more harm than good. the GM stuff says to disconnect your cat and I don't think you want to do that. Plus there isn't any carbon in the new engines when I take them apart. Just pulled the heads off my 94 4.0 l and it was clean as is all the other late model engines i've done. Just run a good fuel inj cleaner through once a year or so..
Unless you just gotta
Unless you just gotta
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Decarbonizing when replacing IAC Valave
The truck that the dealership did the work on is newer than mine and they told my friend that he might want to consider doing this every 40-60K miles.
From what he understood, they implied that this was part of the reason that the IAC valve required replacement.
I personally don't know if it is "required", but since I seem to be having symptoms that point to the IAC, I would like to do all the work necessary (at the same time) to make this problem go away. Since the decarbonizing was done by the dealer I was under the assuption that it might be a necessary step in fixing the problem (because the dealership $$$ never does anything $$$ that isnt required $$$$ right?)
From what he understood, they implied that this was part of the reason that the IAC valve required replacement.
I personally don't know if it is "required", but since I seem to be having symptoms that point to the IAC, I would like to do all the work necessary (at the same time) to make this problem go away. Since the decarbonizing was done by the dealer I was under the assuption that it might be a necessary step in fixing the problem (because the dealership $$$ never does anything $$$ that isnt required $$$$ right?)
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 9,303
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From: Lyndonville, Vermont
Decarbonizing when replacing IAC Valave
Don't count on it. They won't disconnect the cat either which could be fatal. Just clean the IAC. Dealers are sometimes non professionals. The cleaner is for the valves and piston tops Which are 99.9% of the time clean
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