Estimated time : 45 minutes
modern electronic fuel-injection systems are some of the most trouble-free systems in your vehicle. however, if your vehicle has accumulated more than 75,000 miles, there is some everyday fuel-injection-system alimony that should be considered. The two most park car alimony jobs are fuel-injector cleaning and throttle-body clean. Cleaning fuel injectors is broadly not a do-it-yourself project, but you can clean the accelerator body on your fomite with park tools and specify spray cleaners .
While throttle-body scavenge is good hindrance car sustenance, it should besides help engine drivability. In fact, if you ‘ve noticed a approximate idle, stumbling initial acceleration or even stalling – all when the engine is fully warmed up – a dirty accelerator body could be the perpetrator. Once you look inside a strangle soundbox, you will credibly be surprised at the crap, mumble and varnish that have accumulated there over prison term .
Setup
Park your vehicle outside in a illuminated, level area. Because throttle-body cleaners are volatile, we do not recommend doing this problem indoors.
Locate the strangle soundbox under the hood in the engine compartment. here are some hints on what to look for :
-
The throttle body is located between the air cleaner and the intake
manifold of the engine. - Most throttle bodies are made of aluminum.
-
The throttle body is connected to the gas pedal of your vehicle with a
linkage or flexible cable, which moves the throttle shaft when the gas
pedal is depressed. (If you’re having difficulty locating the throttle
body, ask a helper to press the accelerator, with the engine off, so
you can see the movement of the throttle shaft.)
once you have located your vehicle ‘s accelerator body, look at how it is attached to the air-intake tube. sometimes accelerator bodies are attached with special fasteners called Torx-head screws. If so, you will need Torx bits or Torx screwdrivers to remove these fasteners. More normally, a flat-blade or Phillips-head screwdriver should do the magic trick .
There may be one or more electrical wires that connect to the accelerator body. Do not disturb these ; for purposes of this project, you should not need to disconnect any of these terminals.
Read more: How To Do a Smokey Eye
While we constantly recommend that you follow all appropriate condom precautions for these DIY projects, be extra cautious with this undertaking. Do not smoke when you are working on your vehicle, wear all recommended skin and center protection and be mindful that you are dealing with a flammable spray clean .
Tools
-
Screwdrivers, Torx bits or Torx screwdrivers or combination or socket
wrenches, depending on the fasteners used to connect the throttle body
to the intake “plumbing.” -
Toothbrush or small, soft parts-cleaning brush. Note: Some auto parts
stores sell specific throttle-body cleaning brushes. Some throttle
bodies have special coatings that can be marred by hard-bristle
brushes. - Eye protection.
- Flashlight.
Materials
-
Throttle-body cleaner. This should be available at your auto parts
supply store or auto dealership parts department. Do not use carburetor
cleaner. - Household oil
- Cotton swabs
- Paper towels
- Rubber gloves
The job
Park your car outside with enough of outer space to work around each side of the engine compartment .
-
Step 1:
As a safety precaution, disconnect the ground terminal (negative) of
your vehicle’s battery. -
Step 2:
Locate and label any small hoses that attach to the throttle body or to
the air ducts that you must remove to gain access to the throttle body.
You can either use masking tape and mark each hose and coupling, or buy
specific labeling tape that helps you remember which hose goes with
which nozzle/coupling. -
Step 3:
Remove the air duct that attaches to the throttle body. Be very careful
to avoid disconnecting any electrical wires or terminals. The air duct
to the throttle body is usually held in place with some type of hose
clamp, which can be loosened with a screwdriver, Torx-head wrench,
Allen wrench or other hand tool. Sometimes the air duct is pressed into
place and can be removed with some gentle twist and pull movements. In
some cases, both sides of the throttle body are connected to air ducts
by means of hose clamps; in this case, you only need to remove one side
to expose the throttle body for cleaning. -
Step 4:
If you are unable to remove the air ducts to expose the throttle body,
stop and do not attempt this project. Let a professional technician
handle the job. -
Step 5:
Remove just enough air ducting to expose the throttle body. Be careful
not to damage any gaskets that may be present. There are many different
types of throttle bodies; some even have two throttle blades (one may
work with the traction-control system). Some recent models even use an
electronic throttle control, sometimes called “drive by wire.” With all
of these differences, though, you will still likely expose a throttle
body very similar in appearance to the one shown here. -
Step 6:
If you have not already done so, put on rubber gloves and eye
protection. Once the throttle body is exposed, spray the throttle-body
cleaner inside the air duct, and use the brushes to gently dislodge the
dirt, gum and varnish that are present. Note: Be very careful not to
let the thin, plastic spray nozzle (or anything else!) fall into the
throttle-body opening. Periodically wipe the residue clean with the
paper towels. -
Step 7:
Repeat this process until all the interior surfaces are clean to bare
metal. Use the flashlight to get a good look at your progress. -
Step 8:
Before replacing the throttle-body ducts, put a drop of household
general-purpose oil on the shafts of the throttle shaft where it enters
the throttle body. Use a small cotton swab, and don’t overdo it – just
a small drop of oil will help keep the throttle blade rotating
smoothly. One drop should be fine. -
Step 9:
Use more paper towels to clean up any residue and liquid that may have
spilled onto the engine or surrounding components. -
Step 10:
Reinstall the throttle-body ducts, tightening the hose clamps to the
same level of tightness as before. In other words, consider how much
force you used to loosen the fastener, and try to tighten the same
amount. -
Step 11:
Once you have reattached everything and removed any tools or materials
from under the hood, reattach the battery and start the engine. You may
notice an initial stumble or even an initial rough idle as the cleaner
fluid and residue that may have entered the intake manifold are burned
off. In the worst cases, you may even notice a whiff of white exhaust
smoke. In addition, many times the engine control computer must
“relearn” some parameters after a battery is disconnected. This is
normal. -
Step 12:
Let the engine idle for a minute or two. Then take your vehicle for a
test drive. Depending upon the amount of dirt, gum and varnish that was
in your vehicle’s throttle body, you may or may not notice a difference
in drivability and performance, but remember: this is a preventative
maintenance effort to improve the long-term reliability of your
vehicle.
Cleanup
Clean and return all of your wrenches and early tools. properly dispose of the use newspaper towels and rubber eraser gloves. Store the remaining throttle-body blank for another day.