P0507: Idle air control system RPM higher than expected
An OBD-II trouble code meaning the engine is idling faster than the engine computer expects.
How to read it
P0507 is one of the standard OBD-II trouble codes stored when the check engine light comes on. SAE J2012, the standard that defines the codes, names it “Idle Air Control System RPM Higher Than Expected”; a generic list of OBD-II codes calls it “Idle Control System RPM Higher Than Expected”.
Also searched as: code P0507, P0507 code.
Code names follow SAE J2012. Manufacturers add codes of their own, and the same code can have several causes: the vehicle’s service information or a qualified mechanic can say what it means for a particular car.
What the monitor checks
The federal rule requires the system to detect a malfunction in any electronic engine component that feeds the engine computer or takes commands from it and affects emissions.
What the manual says to do
Ford’s F-150 manual says that if the indicator stays on, the vehicle should be serviced at the first available opportunity, and that continued driving with it on can mean higher emissions, lower fuel economy, rougher running and more costly repairs.
How the light goes out
Under the federal rule, the check engine light may go out once the fault has not come back during three trips in a row in which its monitor runs without finding it. The system may erase the stored code if the same code has not been registered again in at least 40 engine warm-up cycles.
Read next
- Next in OBD-II trouble codesP0521: Engine oil pressure sensor/switch range/performanceAn OBD-II trouble code meaning the signal from the oil pressure sensor or switch is outside the range the engine computer expects.
- The same shape in Accessibility symbolsClosed captioning symbol (CC)CC means closed captioning: the dialogue and other sounds of a programme shown as text on screen, which viewers can turn on or off. It is mainly for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
More OBD-II trouble codes
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with letters and numbers or squares and rectangles.
Sources
- SAE J2012: Diagnostic Trouble Code Definitions (2002), SAE J2012, April 2002 (technically equivalent to ISO/DIS 15031-6), SAE International; published by Public.Resource.Org on the Internet Archive, Appendix B (powertrain DTCs)
- Generic OBD-II Trouble Codes (scanned reference list), Internet Archive (item generic-and-honda-trouble-codes), P0xxx list
- 40 CFR 86.1806-05, On-board diagnostics (2012 edition), 40 CFR 86.1806-05, US Government Publishing Office (Code of Federal Regulations), § 86.1806-05(b) and (c)
- 2020 F-150 Owner's Manual, Ford Motor Company, Instrument Cluster; On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II)
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 27, 2026. How we research
Added .