What all can cause low idle air valve steps, besides a vacuum leak? I'v cleaned it twice recently, made sure it was screwed in good to the throttle body, harness in good as well, maybe it's going bad. I havent ruled out a vacuum leak yet, although there dont appear to be one, but I'd like to know some other possibilities.

 

how low is it? is your car stock?

 

You might consider checking the IAC electrically to be sure it can respond to the counts the computer is giving it.

Since the job of the IAC is to add air, low counts would mean that the engine is getting air from somewhere else. That is usually a vacuum leak.
At idle, you could plug off all the vacuum lines that come out of the manifold and throttle body to see if the counts change. Plug everything off (including the biggest vacuum user, the brake booster) at the same time and see what it does (don't drive). Even a throttle body gasket leak could cause a problem.

Is the car idling abnormally?

 

In drive, with the engine up to operating temp, the steps are like 3 steps, defenitly below 10 steps, should be between 20-40 right? What should it be in park? Yeah the car is pretty much stock. I checked the ohms and there 52ohms, TB gasket is new, and the TB is snug. It idles fairly good slightly rough, in drive when warm it's at 550rpm's. I'll try blocking off the intake ports and see if they change.

 

have you adjusted your throttle body lately?? cause the more you open the blades with the ADJ screw the lower your IAC counts will get

 

Thats a good idea, but I havent moved the stop screw, unless a previous owner did, but I cant see any light through the blades though.

 

yeah check the tb blade to be sure they arent cracked open. air can get in thru just about any place on the manifold including around it so maybe check to see if the manifold bolts havent worked out and opened up a vacuum leak somewhere.

 

I just redid the intake manifold leak, but the IAC steps were low even before. Thanks for the help so far.

 

I found that the fuel pressure regulator line and HVAC line were switched around, think that would cause low steps, I wouldnt think so because the fittings are basically in the same spot. Also the manifold bolts were somewhat loose but I dont think they were that loose to do that, this time I got em tight. I guess theres only one way to be sure and thats to scan it agian.

 

Those fittings have the same vacuum, so there should be no difference, there.

 

Are you saying the intake manifold to head bolts were not torqued down? Might explain it.

 

checked it again, before the steps were 3 in gear and 0 in park, now there 7 in gear, and 3 in park, only slightly better, sounded little better. In park the steps should go up though right, thats how the rpm's go up? I didnt block off the ports to see any changes yet.