Why does my car Idle high?

E

Express Tronics

New member
I have a 1995 Pontiac Grand Prix SE 3.1 L
Sometimes, very rarely, my car will idle at close to 3000 RPMs.

Possibly need a throttle sensor?
I usually do just turn off my car and turn it back on. But it happens once a week or once every few weeks.
 
Since it's very rare, try turning the engine off and restarting. If it goes back to normal, keep driving since it won't happen again for many months. When the problem gets bad enough so the repair garage can witness it, they will have a better chance of diagnosing the problem. Of course you can choose to replace the Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) if your a gambler and the payoff versus parts cost is reasonable to you.

Once a week is not "very rare". You could clean your throttle plate and bore as well as the Idle Air Control (IAC) valve yourself or have it done by a repair shop. It's a good thing to do anyways and should help your car whether it fixes the problem or not. See links below to do it yourself or price out a local garage to do it:

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/MotorOil/Car_Care/DIY/Cleaning_Engine_Throttle_Bodies.aspx

http://www.AutoMd.com
 
I think you answered your own question. Remove the tamper-proof Torx screws on the throttle body and replace the throttle position sensor. Carquest has a $12.00 set of Lisle (brand name) tamper-proof Torx tool bits to do this job. *Be very careful not to strip the heads of the screws off as the kids at GM put a drop of Lock-Tight on the screw threads. You can melt the Lock-Tight by using the flame from a propane torch. Don't worry about a gasoline explosion as the throttle-body does not have gasoline in it!

You can also remove the idle air control solenoid and clean it up with CRC Mass Air Flow Sensor Cleaner.

Tamper-proof Torx screws have a raised point in the center to keep guys like us going to a GM dealer. Regular Torx bits will not work!
 
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