Cleaning Idle Control Valves

[Onne]

Hello all

The Benz is struggling to idle (sometimes!) on both petrol and gas.
It feels like it is hunting a bit.

My diagnoses is that the IACV is dirty.
It is easy enough to get to, but what is the best method to clean it?

Can I semi-submerge (keeping all electrics dry) it in some brake cleaner/carb cleaner?
What is the best way to get rid of stubborn carbon deposits?


Have a W126:

[willowandmikey]

I used some carb cleaner on my xr2i which worked a treat

[taurus]

I use Quicksilver Powertune - made for powerboat engines. It's like carb cleaner on steroids. It's the best thing I've found for cleaning ICVs and throttle bodies. If you don't have a boat chandlers near you then buy it on ebay.

[dodgerover]

Brake or carb cleaner, the electronics are away from where you will be cleaning anyway so you are unlikely to damage anything.

[steveo3002]

any solvent seems to work , carb cleaner /petrol etc

some folk leave the wires on so its still buzzing and dunk it in a jar of solvent ** take care if you do this**

[ChasR]

Mar 5, 2014 21:57:49 GMT steveo3002 said:

any solvent seems to work , carb cleaner /petrol etc

some folk leave the wires on so its still buzzing and dunk it in a jar of solvent ** take care if you do this**

C'mon, no nuns or kittens will die with this kind of thing though .

Carb cleaner and rinsing has always worked well for me on other cars with an iffy ICV. I am trying to think what the ICV look likes on a K Jetronic car now!.

[steveo3002]

yeah ive never killed any kittens with that method , but just saying like

kjet ones are usualy a tube with a leccy plug on one end...just dunk it in a jar with the wires on and ign on for a bit

[Onne]

Cheers chaps, I'll get some cleaner of sorts and give that a go. The ICV is 200k miles old after all!

[Jizmondo Scrotmondo]

I soaked min overnight in petrol.