Hello,
My IAC connector is funky. I merely disconnected it and reconnected it last year and all was well again w a proper idle. The idle started getting wonky again about a week ago so i repeated the dis and reconnection. However, this time a good idle lasted only a week. Looks like I need to adjust the pins on the IAC male end. However I'm somewhat hesitant to bend the pins for fear of making a mess of my IAC. Question is: How should I best make the pin adjustment to ensure positive contact. Or as usual, am I making more out of this as need be.

Marty
40 continuous years of Bricks

So today I cleaned the IAC. I could only remove the connector as the IAC was frozen to the two tubes that connect to it. I cleaned the male connector with a toothbrush and same for the female, gave it a quick squirt of brake cleaner and gobbed up some dielectric grease. For good measure I bent each of the male blades ever so slightly. Reconnected the connector and the idle was wonky. For the hell of it I disconnected the connector and reconnected it and it worked perfectly for a 10 mi jaunt.
During the time I was jerking around with this problem I ran the codes, retrieving not surprisingly 233, the IAC code. I erased the code. Only time will tell.
Marty

My approach is perhaps a little more gradual than Art's. I'd open up and throughly spray contact cleaner into both sides of the connector, even using a toothbrush to loosen any dried grease/dirt, until under good light and magnification it's spotless. I'd then pack the female contact end with dielectric (ignition) grease to keep moisture and oxidation out. Wipe a little grease around the inside the rubber lip for extra moisture protection. This procedure was actually called for in one of the old Volvo service TSBs for all fuel system connectors under the hood other than the O2 sensor. With the rubber boot pulled fully back, if the connector pins appear unevenly seated then push them from the back with a pointed tool. If you suspect the female sleeves are still not gripping well then, before trying to extract the connector and spread the grip tabs or pinch the sleeve as Art suggests, I usually try to push something like a thin jeweller's screwdriver alongside to deform the sleeve inward.
--
Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now

Male end? This connection can only be adjusted on the female (harness side) if by adjustment you mean to increase the contact force. To do that, you'd release the pin from the housing and re-tension the contact so that it hugs the pin on the IAC more tightly.

There's a procedure pros use called a terminal drag test, where a spare male pin (not sure where you'd find one) is tested in the female connector for its ability to hold it. Good thing I'm not 14 anymore.

I might just paint the terminals with some full-strength DeOxit (D100), but I can't imagine any adjustment to the IAC end of things for electrical contact.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

A worm in tap shoes? Talk about “click” bait!

Hi Art,
Good to hear from you. You're a stalwart! I think my problem does lie w the contact force of the pins rather than the release mechanism being loose. I suppose i should pull the IAC out altogether and follow Dave's instructions.

Sorry to be too late with my response. I was hoping to suggest you leave the IAC in place and use a mirror to examine its connector. Unfortunately I find my photo skills are stale.



If there's trouble with that connection it is more likely to be on the harness side. The most common reason is one of the two pins has pushed back because its retaining tang is damaged or just not seated. That mode is consistent with the intermittent nature you're maybe still experiencing, as the harness gets moved around by engine vibration.



To have a look you may need to work the rubber boot off and slide the vinyl sheathing back to feel the wires are firmly locked in place.



Then examine the gap that receives the IAC pins. Does it look tight?

To get at the pins themselves, they need to be released from the connector housing. As Dave mentions, a jeweler's or eyeglass screwdriver is plenty stiff enough to release the tang, but other tools work.



And there are "proper" tools too.











Sure, putting some grease in there to keep out the moisture is helpful. If you want to replace things, Dave Barton has a great catalog of parts.

https://www.prancingmoose.com/blackvinyl.html#EFIplugs

--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

"A study in the Washington Post says that women have better verbal skills than men. I just want to say to the authors of that study: "Duh." (Conan O'Brien)

Gee Whiz Art,
Didn't expect a treatise w pictures, but I should've known. I did get a good look at the the female "gaps" and they appeared reasonably close. I've gone another trouble free 100 miles w no IAC troub, so for now I guess I'm outta the woods.
Your thoughtful detail and pics are appreciated.
Marty