At some point of driving, every car owner has wondered about what RPM should my car idle at? This is a serious question that you should know especially if you want to keep up with the maintenance and performance of your vehicle.
Before anything, the idling of a car simply means when the engine is working but the car is not in motion such as when most of the drivers are at a traffic signal. You might have heard that idling a car is not a good practice for the environment and health.
Typically, the car engine idles at 600 to 800 or 650 RPM (Revolutions per Minute) but older engines would likely go up to 1200 RPM or beyond that.
What’s important is if the car engine still revs up during idle while being warmed up, it indicates some problem in the engine.
Having said that, each car specification, internal manufacturing, and working is different from the other so it’s best to check the car manual to find out what’s normal for your car. Every car has a different RPMs range.
What is RMP in a Car?
Before diving deep into the article, let’s sort out what is RMP in a car and what does it mean when a car is idle in view of RMP. The Revolutions per Minute is the spinning of the car crankshaft in the engine.
It tells you how fast the crankshaft is spinning in the engine. The gauge (tachometer) in the car tells you about the status. The tachometer is right next to the speedometer. So if the gauge on the dashboard adds 1000, then 1 becomes 1000, 5 becomes 5000, so on and so forth.
When you accelerate the car the gauge goes up as a normal approach and the gauge will come down as you decelerate the vehicle.
In short, the tachometer has a single-digit number on it that starts at 1 and goes till the count of 3. When you read 3 on the gauge, it means the RMPs are 3,000 and all the numbers are multiplied by 1,000 to find the RPM rating
What Are the Signs of Idle Speed Issues
- Surging RPMs: Not all cars have the tachometer for which you have to pay heed to the engine sound. If the sound of the engine is running higher/faster than normal, get it checked.
- Contradiction with OEM Standards: The RPM range is dedicated for each vehicle and every automobile maker set is accordingly. So when the RPMs readings are higher or lower than the recommended automaker range it’s a sign of idle speed.
- Jumpy Acceleration: another issue that you may face is the jumping acceleration. If you have to break more to maintain the harnesses at lower speed it’s a problem.
- Stalling Engine: The stalling of the engine is less likely to happen but nor rare. When you notice the engine start to sputter or shudder it’s a sign but the stalling of the engine is the worst issue due to poor speed issues.
Reasons for Incorrect Idle Speed
1. Poor Spark Plugs
The poor spark plug that fail to ignite the air-fuel moisture in the combustion chamber are bad in any way. For instance when the spark plug gets contaminated the RMPs of the engine can be off making the stalling issue an obvious factor.
2. Defective Throttle Position Sensor
In engine speed the position and alignment of the throttle sensor matters a lot. The sensor should be workable at the specific specification. But when the sensor is malfunctioning or dirty, you will notice a change in the RPMs which later come up as lower/higher RPMs.
3. Malfunctioning Computer
Another reason for incorrect idle speed is a problem in the computer. The computer checks the sensors and their performance in balance.
So when the computer is out of order, the switches, valves and sensors will become problematic as well. Usually the computer will not malfunction, but in some cases it can. Sometimes you just need to reprogram or update it.
4. Bad air filter
The air filter in any machinery must be clean otherwise you have to face numerous issues related to circulation. Same goes for engine air filters. The clogged and dirty air filter won’t get proper air to mix with fuel and the RPMs will certainly get the effect.
5. Vacuum Leakage
The vacuum leakage comes followed by the higher idle engine speeding. So the vacuum leakage should always be mindful of. The oxygen sensor will detect this issue and usually the CEL will come on right away.
6. Defective Idle Air Control Valve (ICV)
Most cars have idle air control valves that work to keep up with the RPMs. When carbon accumulates in the value it fails to work the ideal way and causes failure that promotes rough idle.
FAQs
How should I set the Idle RPM in my car?
Cars that use throttle cables you can adjust the idle speed by turning the screw adjustment on the throttle body or the carburetor. But in many cars there is an electric throttle body. So you just need to set the diagnostic computer.
In case of high/ low RPMs, then you only need to fix the issue without dealing with the idle speed.
Is high idle dangerous for cars?
In general, the idling of the car will not damage the engine right away. However, in the long run it can cause damage and impact the durability as well. The high idle means higher fuel consumption which is a problem with car engines.
My car is idle at 500 RPM, should I worry?
The idling of a car at 500 RPM is not a worrying sign, but you have to be a bit careful. Since each car has its own idle RPM range, your car manual should tell you the best answer to this question. If your car is idling rough or if the engine is fluctuating too much then it’s a worrying sign.