Need Help - High Idle

[LightningRodOfHate]

I brought my car home from the shop a couple days ago and the day I picked it up, it was running perfectly. The very next day, I started the engine, and it's idling at 3000 rpms. I drove it 20 miles and it is still idling at 3k. I called the mechanic, who unfortunately is 50 miles away from my house, and they told me that high idle is usually due to a vaccuum leak, faulty MAF, PCV , or IACV. Being that I just got it from them, I seriously doubt a vaccuum leak, but I checked out everything I could and found nothing.

I then tried:
With car off, disconnect the MAF. Start engine... It turned over, hesitantly, and then did fire up and immediately rev'ed up to 3k RPMs again... Reconnect MAF...

Same steps as MAF, but testing IACV. Exact same results with the high RPMs....

If I disconnect the IACV, wouldn't that cause at least a CHANGE in the idle speed? And since there was no change at all, does that mean the IACV is faulty? Is there any way I can test the IACV with it OFF the engine? I got sun burned like crazy yesterday messing with all this stuff only to realize, I don't really know what I'm doing other than following hints and guides I've found online...

PS: I HATE the location of my IACV... I don't have a 'swivel' connector for my sockets, so I had to pull off the manifold to get to it... What a pain...

Anyway, I need help figuring out how to test my IACV and if it is good, then I'll need more help troubleshooting my high idle... What's more is... I have a wife and 2 kids depending on me to get this fixed so I can get a job AND.... we don't have any money to spend on mechanics or expensive parts....

[LightningRodOfHate]

I should also mention, in case it matters:

The car had been in storage for 2 years before going to the shop, so this is the first time the engine has really been run for more than a couple seconds of testing. Maybe letting her open up on the freeway caused a valve to get stuck open or even break?

[LightningRodOfHate]

Another note:
The day I got the car, it over heated. Turned out to be just a little hole in a heater hose. Replaced for $3 and it stayed cool the for the rest of the day. Maybe some coolant spray did something bad?

Also feels like the clutch is too tight. The car slows to a stop on its own in neutral. It did just get new brakes, but those are 'warped in' already and respond well (no sticking or tightness), so it's not the brakes slowing me down.

Also, it has started to become unresponsive in 5th gear and sluggish in 4th gear. It'll maintain a higher speed in 5th, but won't accelerate.


Last night, I disconnected the manifold and IACV, brought the IACV in the house, tested the inner spring with a screwdriver (just to make sure it was flexible). When I put everything back together today and fired it up, I got the idle to drop to 800rpms. Then I shut it off, clamped down any loose connections, and poof, it started idling high again. I played with all the hoses and wires I touched the first time around, but can't get anything to change.

My sister suggested checking the thermostat. What do you guys think I should check for?

[LightningRodOfHate]

It's over-heating again... I had pulled out the heater hoses connecting engine to heater core on the firewall, inspected, and resinstalled making sure everything was really tight. After 5 minutes on the road, I have so much steam, I can't tell where it's coming from and don't wanna die of toxic fume inhalation trying to figure it out...

[Klits562]

your idle is probably from the iacv i had a customer today in a rv with 3000rpm idle and it was theyre iacv try getting a new one
as for your overheating fill the rad up with a 50/50 mix start the car up leave the hood open grab some sun screen a chair and some beers and wait for something to start steaming so you know were its leaking from. Keep an eye on the water pump the radiator, rad cap, or hoses.

[LightningRodOfHate]

grab some sun screen a chair and some beers and wait for something to start steaming

Sounds like the absolute best time diagnosing a car problem I am ever going to have for my entire life... Awesome idea! :P

BTW:
I checked the suction on my IACV (found a hose connecting to it that I could access while it's connected and car is running), suction was good. When I plugged the hole, the engine idle dropped a LOT... Does this confirm the IACV is at fault, or does it confirm the opposite?

[LightningRodOfHate]

All fixed!!

No idea how I fixed the high idle.. It just went away on its own after fixing the over heating... I did exactly like Klits562 said (minus the beer, not that I had a choice...) and I found 2 separate heater hose leaks and 1 small coolant line branching off that wasn't even clamped down!!!

I replaced the 2 heater hoses and clamped down the 3rd and no more over heating! Zoomed down the highway, revving through all the gears, and she FLEW like the wind! Went home, left it idling and inspected closely.... Bone dry!!

Magically.. the idle has returned to normal too. If the car is moving forward with my foot on the gas and clutch completely engaged, then I release the gas and push in the clutch, it will stay idling around 1500-2000 rpms. However, a slight tap on the accelerator and poof, it drops to 800 rpms EVERY time.

I'm back in business