90 accord, manual, fresh alt and battery. After replacing the alt a few months ago I took the car out for a drive and it wouldn't idle, it would drop down below normal idle and just die. Thinking it may just be the low battery causing an excessive drain I drove it around a while longer and the problem seemed to go away. Fast forward to a couple days ago when the battery shat itself (~5 years old), I replaced the battery and again the car doesn't want to idle. It starts strong and runs perfectly until you let it idle after warming up and then it just dies.

I adjusted the idle screw so that it idles fine now (maybe a little higher than normal), but I'm wondering what would make it go from idling fine to not idling at all and running perfectly fine otherwise. I had to fiddle around with my working 92 accord in order to figure out which way to turn the idle screw to increase the idle speed and in doing so disconnected the IAC plug following the instructions in the Haynes manual. When I plugged it back in on my 92 there was a very noticable woosh of air and a change in the idle/rpm of the motor. When I disconnected and then eventually reconnected the IAC on the 90 there really wasn't much of any difference in the sound or idle/rpm of the motor. Could this point to a problem with the IAC?

 

Yes.

 

try cleaning the IAC mesh filter out, two bolts and the screen pops out...use a q-tip with 2 squirts of throttle body cleaner.

 

Thanks, I'll check it out tomorrow after work.

 

Well, I cleaned out the IAC screen, which was indeed pretty clogged up. I then decided to check the air filter for funsies (note, this isn't MY car, I hardly ever drive it)...

 

Well that's, um, special. Appears as though you've displaced a family of mice or chipmunks that used to throroughly enjoy that car's air box.

 

Looks fine to me... just whack it a few times on the pavement, then take a vaccum cleaner to the pleats and it's good as new.

Although I guess you could actually but a new one for $8

 

haha, that is pretty funny...tell them to get a k&n filter now h: