P0507 Idle Air Control System RPM Higher Than Expected

Investigate soon

The ECU has logged a fault on P0507. The definition below is the exact wording the standard uses for this code.

Can you drive it? The engine light will stay on and the car may run in a reduced-power mode. Read the freeze-frame data to see the conditions the fault was logged under.

The definition

P0507: Idle Air Control System RPM Higher Than Expected.

P0507 is a powertrain code (the engine or gearbox), defined by the SAE standard - it means the same thing on any make of car, and any generic OBD-II reader will decode it.

What to check first

Cheapest and fastest checks first:

Read the freeze-frame data stored with the fault - engine speed, load and temperature at the moment it logged tell you whether this happens cold, hot or under load.
Check the connector at the part for corrosion, and that it is fully seated.
Clear the code and see whether it returns, and under what conditions.

What actually causes this on a VAG

Idle speed is higher than commanded. On VAG engines this points at unmetered air rather than at the idle control itself.

Most likely causes, in order

A vacuum leak somewhere in the intake. Air entering downstream of the throttle raises idle without the ECU asking for it. The PCV system is the usual culprit on turbo engines.
The throttle body is dirty or needs re-adapting. Carbon on the throttle plate changes its effective closed position. Clean it, then run the throttle body adaptation - cleaning without re-adapting often leaves the fault in place.
A split or disconnected breather hose. The large crankcase hoses harden with heat and crack at the ends.

Worth knowing: After cleaning a throttle body on a VAG you must run the adaptation procedure. Skipping it is the most common reason the fault comes straight back.

Reading the code is the easy part

A code names the circuit that complained. What tells you why is watching the sensor behind it while the engine runs — and that is where a code reader stops and a diagnostic tool starts.

VAGPULSE reads every module in a VW, Audi, Skoda or SEAT — not just the engine — shows the live measuring blocks behind this fault, gives you the freeze-frame conditions it was logged under, and clears it once you have fixed it. It also does what a generic OBD reader cannot on a VAG: service resets, coding, adaptations, and Stage 1–3 flashing with your original file saved first.

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Prefer to work on your phone? The VAGPULSE Android app is a free download and its demo mode runs against a sample car with no hardware at all, so you can see exactly what it reads before spending anything. Reading your car with it needs the VAGPULSE cable, which comes with the licence.

Common questions

What does P0507 mean?

P0507 means Idle Air Control System RPM Higher Than Expected. It is logged when the ECU sees this circuit outside its expected operating window.

Can I drive with P0507?

The engine light will stay on and the car may run in a reduced-power mode. Read the freeze-frame data to see the conditions the fault was logged under.