P0507: Idle control system RPM higher than expected
The engine idles faster than the engine computer is aiming for, and it can’t bring the speed down.
Updated
What P0507 means
At idle, the engine computer sets a target speed and controls the air that gets past the closed throttle to hold it: with an idle air control valve on older engines, or with the electronic throttle on newer ones.
When the engine idles faster than the target and the computer can’t bring it down, it stores P0507. The opposite, an idle that’s too slow, is P0506.
Read My Car’s live data shows the engine speed, so you can see the idle speed directly.
Can I keep driving?
Check soon
Probably OK to drive short-term, but have it checked soon. Fuel use or emissions may be worse.
General guidance based on the code alone, not on the car’s actual condition. If in doubt, stop and ask a mechanic.
A high idle can make a car with an automatic gearbox creep harder at a standstill, so keep a firm foot on the brake.
Symptoms
- The idle speed is higher than usual, or rises and falls.
- With an automatic gearbox, the car pulls harder in gear when stopped.
Common causes
- Vacuum or intake air leak. Extra air gets into the engine past the throttle, so it speeds up.
- Dirty throttle body. Carbon around the throttle plate upsets how the computer controls the idle air.
- Dirty or sticking idle air control valve. On engines that have one, a valve that sticks open lets in too much air.
Typical fixes
- Check for vacuum leaks with the engine idling: hoses, the intake and the crankcase ventilation (PCV).
- Have the throttle body and, if there is one, the idle air control valve cleaned.
- After cleaning or replacing parts, some cars need an idle relearn procedure. The service information for your car describes it.
- Clear the code and check the idle speed in live data.
Questions
Can I drive with P0507?
Probably for a short time, but have it checked soon: the app’s advice is that fuel use or emissions may be worse.
Can cleaning the throttle body fix P0507?
It can, if carbon build-up is the cause. Rule out vacuum leaks as well, and on some cars run the idle relearn procedure afterwards.