Auxiliary Air Valve DIY Maintenance

The auxiliary air valve or air control valve is an important part of your vehicle that tends to get covered with a lot of carbon buildup. When it's completely covered in carbon, your idle will end up suffering for it.

You will lose control of your idle, such that your auto might stall at a low RPM or go idle at a high RPM. It's madness to the highest degree that can make your beloved ride practically unfit to be driven.

You should therefore make it a point to clean the idle auxiliary valve regularly or else you might end up needing to install a new one. Take note however that only certain valve models can be cleaned at all. 

Auxiliary Air Valve Cleanup and Repair 101

  • What You Will Need: For your auxiliary air valve cleanup, you will need a ¼-inch ratchet, a set of ¼-inch sockets, a screwdriver, and a carburetor cleaner. If cleanup fails and your auxiliary air valve has proven to be impossible to salvage, then you should also purchase an auxiliary air valve replacement. From there, look for the valve of your engine. It's typically found on the intake side of the motor. It can also be found near the air conditioner valve. When it's taken out of the car, it's a mechanical octopus mostly made up of pipes and hoses.
  • Valve Access and Removal: On the back of the air control valve there's an electrical plug. Remove that using your screwdriver while taking care not to break the plastic tang connecting the sensor to the wire harness. It's what keeps the harness from vibrating off of the sensor to the point of misalignment. From there, remove the bolts and screws holding the valve onto the block. You can clean your valve from there with your carburetor cleaner, which is a special spray.
  • How to Clean the Valve: The valve should be pointed downward first. From there, spray with your carburetor cleaner the pointed end of the valve. After application, wipe it clean completely. Make sure the cleaner doesn't drip into the housing. Keep spraying and wiping until you've removed all of the stuck carbon. However, if this still doesn't work and your unit is still idling improperly then you might have no choice but to replace the unit altogether.
  • How to Replace the Valve: Order a new auxiliary air valve unit off of the Internet or at your local auto parts shop. As per usual, pick one that's compatible to the make and model of your vehicle. If it's a generic unit, make sure it's at least OE-standard. Just completely remove your old carbon-filled valve and put in your new one by reattaching the unit to the wiring harness and going about installation in reverse order of removal. Put the valve back to its proper harness and placement right near the engine's intake side.

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