Mild engine miss when idling?

2000 MERCURY VILLAGER

84,927 MILES • 3.3L • V6 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC

PILOTBILL

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Hello 2CarPros,

I have a question for you. I have the vehicle listed above (van) with A/C. Here in the past couple of months, when I stop at a stop-sign or stop-light, while sitting still the car has a mild miss, but if I have the A/C running, then there is no missing at all. I have checked the spark plug wires, spark plugs, throttle body, and air filter. Any ideas on what I should check now?

Thank you,
Bill Hewitt

Aug 9, 2022 at 8:38 AM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

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110,175 POSTS

Bill,

Based on your description, my first thoughts are that there could be dirt/corrosion where the idle air control valve (IAC) mounts to the throttle body.

The Idle Air Control (IAC) valve adjusts the amount of air allowed into the engine at idle conditions and during rapid engine deceleration. This adjustment is controlled by the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The PCM increases the duty cycle based on different inputs such as RPM, load, and others. Since the AC places a load on the engine, at idle, the PCM adjusts the amount of air entering the engine.

Here is what I recommend. Remove the IAC and inspect inside where it mounts to the throttle body. Check to see if there are any restrictions. Also, here is a link that explains how to service the IAC:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/idle-air-control-valve-service

If you look at the attachments below, I included the directions for the removal and replacement of the IAC.

Let me know what you find or if you have other questions.

Take care,

Joe

See pics below.

Images (Click to enlarge)

Aug 9, 2022 at 12:51 PM