I have a 1987 Honda Accord DX with the 2bbl carb. It was running rough at idle but now it won't idle at all when warm. When I start it cold it starts up and goes to a very fast idle. It was running on the road fine then when it warmed up it began idling rough and now it won't idle at all. It did surge a few times on the road and then seemed to settle down and had good power. Plugs, cap, rotor, air filter, and wires are recent, and the fuel filters have less than 5000 miles on them too. I pulled the PCV valve yesterday and the valve seemed free and functioning but I cleaned it to be sure (that's a tough item to get out!). I pulled the EGR valve and the diaphram is intact and holding vacuum and works when you apply vacuum to it. I've had this happen before about a year and a half ago and went through everything but it seemd to correct itself. It has been idling very fast at cold - like almost 3000rpm at times. Before it started dying altogether I examined the vacuum hoses and listened around for noticable leaks but couldn't see anything apparant. Otherwise the car runs and drives well and I'd like to keep it going for another couple of years. Thanks for your help!
Bill
Wayne, NJ

 

check ur choke pull off.... the chose is supposed to close when the car warms up and if it does not, your car will stall

 

I did check the choke and it does open when the engine is warm (I know you meant the reverse of what you wrote). It is closed when the engine is cold, opening part way once the engine is started.

 

there might be a plugged up idle circuit in the carburator...
remove the air cleaner, on the back of the carb, there is the idle solenoid, first off, put the key on , and make sure you get power at the wire..If you do,,,, remove the 8mm screw, careful not to lose the small o-ring, , remove solenoid out of the way do not disconnect wire, blow some carb cleaner inside the passage in the carburator, if you have compressed air blow in there as well.
Also when solenoid is out, and key is on, ground the solenoid and the little plunger should go in and out. if it does, solenoid is ok,,
put all together and retry ..

 

Thank you AP.

It was the idle solenoid valve that was causing the stalling problem. After swinging the air cleaner housing bottom out of the way I used an 8mm open end to undo the screw holding it in. After I had it off I sprayed carb cleaner in the hole then blew it out with compressed air. I did it again and the second time as I blew it out I noticed it blowing out at the throat of the carb in the venturi area so I knew at that point it was clear. I checked for 12v at the switch with the ignition on and that was ok. I jumpered the body of the switch to ground and checked the plunger length with the ignition on and off and verified it was working. I cleaned off the area under the bolt and wire brushed the bolt where it met the switch, then put everything back together. It started up and at fast idle initially didn't seem much better. But once it came off fast idle it was no longer stalling. I took it for a ride and after a few hundred feet it was fine. I could take my foot off the gas and it behaved as it should. In park or neutral it idles just fine. I think it was a case of the ground being intermittant. It's been acting up over the past couple of months and one morning when I hadn't run it for a couple of weeks I put it on the charger before starting it. It started and ran the smoothest it had in that period. At that time I thought it might be electrical but I couldn't pin it down and the next time I put it on charger made no difference.

In case someone is doing a search on this topic the wiring diagram has it named as the Primary Slow Cut-Off Solenoid Valve. I've also seen it referred to as an Idle cut off valve and an Anti dieseling solenoid.

 

A few days later the stalling began again though not quite abruptly as the throttle was released. I pulled the idle cutoff solenoid again and rechecked it's operation, then sprayed carb cleaner in the hole and took my compressed air nozzle (long wand with a conical tip at about a 45 degree angle) and maneuvered it carefully to get the tightest fit in the hole and blew. Grey specs came blowing out the throat of the carb with the choke valve open. I sprayed the carb cleaner in again and blew it out and fewer particles came out. The third time almost none came out. After replacing the valve and air cleaner it started up and ran fine again and it idles very smoothly. So I think there may have been some sediment blocking the idle circuit. Probably corrosion flaking off the inside of the float bowl. I wanted to add this in case someone else had a similar problem with an 87 Accord DX with a carb. It may happen again, but now I'm sure of the solution.