just a thought.. the surging idle could easily be related to not having a line hooked up from your intake to the engine.

 

From your description, air is getting by the throttle plate in closed position and throttle plate fit or pivot bushings may be the problem. Idle should be barely sustainable w/ IACV disconnected and 550 +/- 50 rpm setting.

good luck

 

When I disconnect it the engine does sound like it really wants to die but it just seems that the RPM's could be lower. Would spraying carb cleaner around the actual throttle body or intake manifold gasket area show if there was a leak in that area? Also do you suggest liquid gasket? Thank you.

And Phantom699 what do you mean a line hooked up to my intake to my engine? Everything is hooked up as the schematics displays it to be. And all hoses have pressure except the air boost valve.

 

If you spray throttle body cleaner on throttle plate bushings and idle changes (w/ air intake duct connected), the bushing are worn. You may be able to wobble the shaft a bit. If yes, this would confirm worn bushings.

Be sure you are reading RPM gauge correctly. The first mark is 500 rpm, the smaller intermediate mark is 750 rpm. Some have incorrectly interpreted the first mark as 0 rpms.

Idle w/o IACV connected should be at or just above 1st mark.

good luck

 

ok i found the culprit. so when i would push the throttle plate toward the driver side closed it would lower in rpms and stop doing the surging idle. and the throttle cable has a tiny bit of slack. so i followed the tv cable (is that what its called?), to the transmission. so i tightened the two nuts there and made it as tight as possible from the spring arm thing. any suggestions? can i replace it? it looks old and may need replacing.

 

If you can find some source of excessive friction preventing the throttle from closing completely, that might be it.
- dirty/corroded transmission cable (throttle to trans)?
- dirty/corroded throttle cable (from gas pedal)?
- gunk in the throttle shaft & spring?

 

so i figure that the lack of tension on the cable from the transmission and that little spring arm by the radiator fan is whats causing the surging idle. I tightened that part and the surging idle went away. but when in park if i hit the gas it comes back. so that would be that cable correct? what is it called? it looks like its cracked near that location too. like the cable sheathing is cracked on the cable going from the tranny to the throttle body.

 

I think you are talking about the "throttle control cable" - check the auto trans section of the manual and you will/should see a section for this (14-151 in the one I have for a 4th gen). There are some metal "clamps" on the cable that fit into "holders"/brackets.

 

You may have a rusty throttle control cable, or possibly missing control lever return spring. Spring mounts on the pivot point of the throttle control lever at the transmission and provides return force to return to idle position.

Adjustments of tension in throttle control cable may provide undesirable AT shift points. There should be a little free play and throttle plate and AT throttle control lever should begin to move together.

AT section of honda shop manual shows parts, and adjustment procedure.

good luck

 

I just want to start off and thank everybody who has helped me. I would have no idea what to do after a certain point if it weren't for your guys help.
I followed the adjustment of the throttle control cable to the honda specs. It's a little tighter than I want so I"ll be making incremental changed but I wouldn't have even known where to find that in the haynes manual if you guys didn't help me pinpoint that out. I am very grateful right now.