I recently bought a 1997 Honda accord 2dr 4cyl (non vtec) standard transmission. It have 140k on the car and last week the Check Engine Light came on after I was experiencing a roaming of the RPM's while idle from around 1-1.7k. On the way to my mechanic the next day the roaming changed while waiting at a light to a very slight, much quicker fluctuation (1 - 1.1k) and while driving the car was bucking in 1st and 2nd gear. The mechanic who is a very good friend of mine bled the radiator real quick, and it ran fine for the rest of the day, and no CEL. My mechanic told me if it came back on it was most likely the PCV and it was a cheap easy fix. The next day the roaming RPMs returned and the CEL came on again, but after 15 minutes of driving the RPM's stopped roaming at idle, no bucking returned and the car was running fine.

Today I brought it to the mechanic who told me the computer code was different this time (The code is listed below), and he thinks its the Idle air control motor. Which also he told me, his price he found for a new one was ridiculously high ($540). He told me if the cars not bucking and not running poorly to not stress, that I can't damage anything by running without replacing the part. I am looking for anyone who had similar problems, or know alternate fixes to the problem as I looked online, the cheapest a new part costs on the internet is around $220, which I also do not want to spend.

The code that came up on the computer today was:

P1509 IAC Valve Circuit Failure

Additional information, the car needs a new battery, I am getting a brand new AC Delco battery in 2 days (wednesday). I am broke, I bought the car cheap, and don't really have too much money to put into immediate repairs.

 

here, check out this post from the FAQ section.

https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-accord-1990-2002-2/cleaning-iacv-fitv-tb-1844067/

 

gotta love faqs

 

if cleaning it doesnt fix the problem then check the plug on it and keep tracing it back. if you cant fix it then try to pull one from a car at a junk yard its easy to replace.

 

i ordered one from ebay fo 60$ already cleaned and ready to install!! better check EBAY!!

 

Thanks for the responses, I have looked under my hood today to prepare for when the weather gets warmer. I haven't been a DIY guy with my cars but this one I was looking to start. On my 97 accord though, the IACV is behind the intake manifold, close to the cockpit. I don't see any way I can get back there to pull the hoses, clip, and unscrew the bolts other than removing the entire intake manifold itself somehow (theres about 3 inches to work with and reaching downward also raises another problem), and something tells me that may be too big of a job for me. Does anyone have any advice or ran into a similar situation while trying to remove their IACV to clean it?

Can i put the car up on a ramp and get to the hoses from the bottom up or will there be too much in the way?

 

its a pain in the rear, i had to do it on my 97 accord. the bolts are the easy part, the hard part was the hoses. i took the bolts off first and then the hoses. I also used a pair of vice grips with long noses on em. Make sure that you remember which hose goes where. Also make sure you do it when the engine is cold cause it could get a little hot laying on top of the motor. Then once you get it back together you can fix the hose clamps to make it easier to do again if you have to in the future. hope this helps

 

I have removed the throttle body first and then sprayed carb cleaner into the air channel of the IACV. Also put a piece of cloth in the intake manifold to prevent the carb cleaner leaking into the cylinders.
Each time you switch the contact to ON the IACV opens a bit so together with the carb cleaner this helps cleaning.

Not as good as a complete removal/installation of the IACV but I found it really helpful in solving idle speed control problems.