The fuel meter body assembly is mounted to the lower portion of the intake manifold. The assembly performs the following functions:

Each fuel injector assembly is a solenoid-operated device, controlled by the VCM. The fuel injector assembly meters the pressurized fuel through a poppet nozzle (5) to a single engine cylinder.

The VCM energizes the injector solenoid, which opens an armature valve (3), allowing fuel to flow past the ball valve and through a fuel tube (1) to the poppet nozzle.

An increase in fuel pressure causes the poppet nozzle ball to open from its seat against the extension spring force. This allows the fuel to flow from the nozzle (at approximately 280 kPa (40 psi)).

De-energizing the injector solenoid (4) closes the armature. De-energizing also reduces the fuel pressure acting on the poppet nozzle ball. The extension spring closes the ball to the seat (2). The extension spring also checks the pressure between the ball and seat and the injector armature and fuel tube shutoff.

An injector poppet nozzle that is stuck partly open would cause a loss of pressure after the engine shut down. Consequently, the driver would notice long cranking times on some engines. Dieseling could also occur because the fuel injector could deliver some fuel to the engine after the driver turns the ignition to OFF. These components are diagnosed in The Injector Balance Test and The Injector Coil Test.

The fuel pressure regulator (1) is a diaphragm-operated cartridge relief valve with the fuel pump pressure on one side and the regulator spring pressure and intake manifold vacuum on the other. A retainer (2) holds the fuel pressure regulator.

The regulator's function is to maintain a constant pressure differential across the injectors at all times. The pressure regulator compensates for engine load by increasing the fuel pressure as engine vacuum drops.

If the pressure is too low, poor performance could result. If the pressure is too high, excessive odor may result. The Fuel System Diagnosis has information on diagnosing fuel pressure conditions.

The throttle body assembly is a downdraft design. The throttle body is mounted on the intake manifold plenum. The VCM uses the throttle body in order to control the air flow into the engine, thereby, controlling the engine output.

The throttle valve within the throttle body is opened by the driver through the accelerator controls. During the engine idle, the throttle valve is almost closed, and the Idle Air Control (IAC) valve handles the air flow control.

The throttle body also provides the location for mounting the Throttle Position (TP) sensor. The throttle body also senses changes in the engine vacuum due to the throttle valve position. The vacuum ports are located at, above, or below the throttle valve in order to generate the vacuum signals that are needed by the various components.

The purpose of the IAC valve assembly is to control the engine idle speed while preventing engine stalls due to changes in the engine load.

The IAC valve, mounted in the throttle body assembly, controls the bypass air around the throttle valve. By moving a conical valve known as a pintle IN toward the seat (in order to decrease the air flow), or OUT away from the seat (in order to increase the air flow), a controlled amount of air moves around the throttle valve.

If the engine speed is too low, more air is bypassed around the throttle valve in order to increase the RPM. If the engine speed is too high, less air is bypassed around the throttle valve in order to decrease the RPM.

The VCM moves the IAC valve in small steps, called counts which can be measured by using a scan tool connected to the Data Link Connector (DLC).

During idle, the proper position of the IAC valve is calculated by the VCM. This position is based on the battery voltage, the engine coolant temperature, the engine load, and the engine RPM. If the RPM drops below specification and the throttle valve is closed, the VCM senses a near stall condition, and then the VCM calculates a new valve position in order to prevent stalling.

If the IAC valve is disconnected and reconnected while the engine is running, the resulting idle RPM may be wrong. This will require the resetting of the IAC valve.

After running the engine, the IAC valve will reset when the ignition is turned OFF. The IAC valve should only be disconnected or connected with the ignition OFF.

If the VCM is without battery power for any reason, the programmed position of the IAC valve pintle is lost. The control module replaces the lost position with a default value. In order to return the IAC valve pintle to the correct position, see the Idle Learn Procedure.

The IAC valve affects the idle characteristics of the vehicle. A fully retracted valve allows too much air into the manifold causing a high idle speed. A valve which is stuck closed allows too little air in the manifold, causing a low idle speed. If the valve is stuck part way open, the idle may be rough, and the idle will not respond to the engine load changes.

The non-adjustable TP sensor is mounted on the throttle body assembly opposite the throttle lever. The TP sensor senses the throttle valve angle and relays that information to the VCM. Knowledge of throttle angle is one of the inputs needed by the VCM to generate the required injector control signals (pulses).