Acura 3.0/3.2 V6 Idle Air Control Valve: Throttle Body Removal, Cleaning, and Replacement

Pull the plastic engine cover off the top of the throttle body. Disconnect the battery, then lift out the battery and its black plastic hold-down tray. This opens up room around the intake and, because power is now off, it also clears the ECU's learned idle values so the engine can relearn after the repair.

Loosen the clamps on the intake hose that feeds the throttle body. Screw-type clamps back off with a screwdriver; spring clamps release by squeezing the tabs with pliers — slide them back rather than removing them fully. A secondary air hose ties into the far side of the intake hose and is awkward to detach; leave it attached and simply prop the assembly toward the rear of the bay so it stays clear of your work.

Unplug the electrical connectors and detach the vacuum/breather hoses that tie into the throttle body so it can be freed from the engine. Note the routing of each line before you pull it — photographing the area first makes reassembly straightforward.

Remove the two screws that hold the throttle cable bracket to the throttle body. With the bracket loose you can set the cable assembly aside. The circular opening you will see on the throttle body is where the idle valve draws its air.

Two cables anchor into the spring-loaded throttle quadrant at the rear. Rotate the quadrant by hand to compress the spring and create slack, then slip each cable end out of its slot; if it resists, you have not opened the spring far enough. Note that this step is not always necessary — some owners reached the valve with the cables left attached — so only detach them if they are in your way.

Two coolant hoses feed the base of the valve: the upper one is the supply and the lower one is the return. Set a rag and a tray underneath first, because both lines will dribble coolant as they come off. Ease the clamps back and work the hoses free.

Four fasteners hold the throttle body to the intake manifold. The upper two are studs — spin off their 12mm nuts. The lower two are full bolts that back all the way out. With all four removed, draw the throttle body off the manifold. If it feels stuck to the manifold, work penetrant into the seam and rock it gently rather than prying hard.

Peel off the throttle body gasket. If it tears or leaves residue on the mating faces, shave the remnants away with a razor blade until both surfaces are clean and flat. Plan to fit a fresh gasket on reassembly.

Turn the throttle body over to expose the idle valve on the underside, held by two screws that face downward. Douse the screws with penetrating lubricant before touching them — they seize easily and a stripped head turns a simple job into a real problem. Back them out carefully; an impact driver or a Phillips socket on a ratchet gives the cleanest grip.

Inspect the two air passages the valve controls. If they are simply fouled with carbon, flush them with carburetor cleaner and refit the valve. Cleaning only helps when the problem is deposits; the valve pairs a mechanical rotor with a magnetically driven electric actuator, and if that actuator has failed no amount of cleaning will restore idle control. In that case install a complete new valve. Do not attempt to split the valve's own two halves — they are held by special five-point Honda screws, are not sold separately, and opening them serves no repair purpose.

Bolt the valve back to the throttle body in its correct orientation — fitting it reversed lets coolant be pulled into the intake, which produces a large cloud of white exhaust smoke on startup. Fit a new throttle body gasket, then reverse the removal sequence: mount the throttle body, torque the nuts and bolts, reconnect the coolant lines, cables, vacuum hoses, and connectors, and refit the intake ductwork. Top up and bleed the coolant, reinstall the battery, and reconnect it. Start the engine, let it idle to relearn, and confirm the idle has settled.