hey everyone I'm having a stalling problem with my 1997 jeep Cherokee. starting yesterday the jeep wouldn't start at first unless I started it with the gas all the way down. I cleaned the throttle body and I was able to start the Cherokee but it would still idle low and start weakly.
Reading that cleaning the iac might help I did that and now I'm back to square one with the jeep dieting after I start it when I let off the gas. does anyone know any procedures to test if I may have broken the Iac before I start testing other things? Thanks

 

I'm not sure how you could test it out, but it sounds like a fuel delivery issue to me.

 

Testing the IAC is best done by substituting a known good part. You could measure the solenoid resistance (roughly 10 ohms), but that isn't normally how they fail. They normally get sticky until they stop moving entirely.

 

What would happen if I were to start the vehicle without the Iac? I'm trying to avoid having to buy a new iac just to have my old one be fine. Thanks

 

If you ran without it, it'd probably be worse than what it already is. I just did this to my xj. I went and bought a new one and threw it in there just to see if that was the problem, fortunately it was, but if it wasn't I was just going to return it. I know it isn't ethically right, but it is if you are a college student working for minimum wage...

 

if your IAC is bad, then you cant just "not use it". you cant take it out and try to start the vehicle without it on the throttle body, because it would be a massive vacuum.

if you were to unplug it, you would still have the low idle issue, because the IAC isnt moving.

 

have your battery load tested. I got a new IAC out of my bad battery because I didn't believe a battery could cause my stalling when I let off the gas.

edit: forgot to agree with the fuel issue first, check for pressure.

 

First things first, check fuel pressure at the fuel fail using a fuel pressure gauge. You can rent one at any auto parts stores for cheap.

And while you are there, get your battery load tested. They should do that for free.

 

He meant to say fuel rail but he is right. The place where you will be testing looks just like a valve stem that you'd see on a bicycle tire. Iv'e never had to take mine off and look at how you would measure the pressure but I know that is how I would describe it to someone who has never dealt with it before.

 

Your plugs OK? .035....You might get your codes read free at the auto parts, or try the "key trick";

You can try this. I hear sometime in 97 it no longer works.


1984-1990 w/AMC engine are pre-OBD.

1984-1986 w/GM V6-173 are OBD-I (GM control setup.)

1991-1995 are OBD-I (Chrysler)

1996-2001 are OBD-II (Chrysler)

The "Key Tricks"
Older (OBDI) models - Start with the ignition off. Within five seconds, switch the key on, off, on, off, on. ("On" is NOT "Start" and "Off" is NOT "Lock"). The "check engine" light will flash. Count the flashes. Each code is a two digit code, so a (for example) 23 would be FLASH FLASH (pause) FLASH FLASH FLASH (long pause). It will never flash more than 9 times, so watch for those pauses!

Newer (OBDII) models - Put the key into the ignition, push down the odometer reset button, then turn the key to RUN with your finger on the button - and then release the button. The odometer will go through 1111111 through 999999, then display the car's serial number. It will then show the error codes (it might show them starting with P). If this method does not work, try the OBDI method.