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A throttle body is an important part of every car, controlling the air intake needed for combustion.
A perfectly working throttle body results in optimal performance and fuel efficiency. However, a faulty one can lead to a range of issues such as poor fuel economy, high idle slow acceleration, and much more.
If you are new to the word “throttle system or throttle body”, then it’s natural to have questions like
what does the throttle body do? What are some bad throttle body symptoms? what is throttle body service? Can I do throttle body service at home? If yes, then what type of throttle body cleaners must I use?
This guide will help you get answers to all these questions.
What Is A Car Throttle System?
Let’s start off with the basics: the throttle definition. The car throttle is basically the process of controlling how much air flows into the combustion chamber of your car.
Where Is The Throttle System Located?
The location of the throttle system on cars varies from engine to engine.
Cars that have carbureted engines will have their throttle system in the carburetor.
Whereas cars with fuel injected engines will have their throttle system in the air filter and intake manifold.
What Is the Throttle System Made Up Of?
The throttle system is particularly made up of many components such as;
Gas or accelerator pedal: Through this gas pedal driver gives the input of the desired push needed.
Pedal position sensor: This sensor is placed in the gas pedal itself. It tells the ECU how much force was exerted on the pedal.
ECU: ECU is the brain of the whole throttle system. It gathers data from the sensors and controls the opening and closing of the valve.
Throttle body: It is the central part of the whole system. Controls the amount of air that flows in. It consists of a motor and a butterfly-shaped valve.
Throttle Actuator motor: This is a motor inside the throttle body. Open and close the butterfly valve.
Wiring and electrical connections: These connections are important to ensure proper communication between all the parts.
What Is A Throttle Body
Now that you understand the car’s throttle system let’s focus on the throttle body and its function.
So, what is a throttle body on a car? It plays a crucial role in the throttle system. In simple terms, think of it as a car’s lung. why? Because it performs the same function just as our lungs, for cars. It controls the air that flows in the engine. Just like our lungs control the air we breathe in.
What Does The Throttle Body Do?
A throttle body is an important component in generating the power that makes the car move back and forth. This little guy sits between our heads (in front) and monitors how much gas we press on during those long drives or even at stop lights, where you sit and chat with yourself while waiting for the traffic light to go green again.
When you press the gas pedal, the pedal position sensor signals the ECU how much pressure is applied.
Based on the pressure, the ECU commands the Motor to rotate the butterfly valve.
So the harder you press the pedal, the wider the valve will open and more air will flow in.
The air then combines with the fuel, and the engine burns it to produce power.
Similarly, If you take your foot away from the gas pedal, the throttle body closes, reducing the amount of air to flow and slowing down the engine, helping your car to decelerate.
Throttle bodies go through a lot of wear and tear because they are continuously regulating airflow within the engine. As air passes, it is common for the dirt and grime to accumulate over time. Therefore, always look for bad throttle body symptoms and get them fixed as soon as possible.
What Are Some Of The Dirty Throttle Body Symptoms?
Throttles can start getting dirty at around 60 to 80,000 miles. So, if your car is around this range, look out for these bad throttle body symptoms.
Grime Build Up
The air-fuel flow within your engine will be decreased by the accumulation of dirt and grime, which creates a rough surface. The carbon deposits cause unevenness in this area, which can also disrupt it completely!
Poor Fuel Economy
Ensure your car is running on fuel and not just waiting for it. Put a full tank of gas into the vehicle, then note how many miles you drive before checking again with this gauge to see if there’s been any change in performance or efficiency since last time; a 10-15% difference might mean some debris has built up inside one component which will affect the overall driving experience as well!
Poor or High Idle
Another way you might know if there’s dirt in the system or some other obstruction, for that matter, would be by checking out your idle speed; it should always stay at around 1-3k RPM when idling perfectly normally. Otherwise, abnormal fluctuations will happen, which can sometimes lead to stalling issues with vehicles equipped with air intake systems like this particular type does without any extra parts added onto them – but those could also arise from driving habits such as accelerating hard while stopped rather than slowly creeping forward!
Airflow Disruptions
The throttle body is part of the air intake system and can get clogged with dirt, which will cause airflow problems. An incorrectly adjusted stop may also be causing this issue to occur! This leads to accelerated gas consumption because there’s less surface area available for engine compression when it enters at high velocities instead of low ones due to both delays caused by these two components working against each other.
Check Engine Light
If the throttle body‘s performance is not up to par, this will alert your electronic throttle control as there are many reasons why it could happen, like dirt or carbon buildup on a component that should automatically be cleaned before use.
Some of the codes that your engine might show include
-P1121
-P1122
-P1123
-P1124
-P0300 (random misfires)
Uneven or Slow Acceleration
When you press down on the accelerator pedal, this increases airflow and prompts fuel injection into your engine. If there are dirt particles or coking near where it meets with the airbox, then the car won’t be able to pick up power from combustion as efficiently, which could make driving feel slower than usual or introduce bursts of uneven acceleration.
These were some of the signs of a dirty throttle body. If you experience any of these symptoms in your car, you should immediately go for a thorough throttle body cleaning.
What To Do When You Have A Bad throttle Body?
If you suspect any of the bad throttle body symptoms, here’s what you need to do.
Use OBD-II scanner :
Use an OBD-II scanner to decode the trouble codes. This is a small device that you plug into your OBD-II port. You can find this port usually beneath your car’s steering wheel.
This can help you pinpoint the problem your car is having and tell you exactly what is wrong.
Look for dirt and carbon buildup.
The next thing you can do is check your engine or throttle system for any visible dirt or carbon buildup.
If the buildup is minor, a thorough throttle body can solve the problem.
However, if the issue is severe and the throttle body is damaged beyond repair, then replacement is necessary.
Most of the time, cleaning the throttle body thoroughly can solve the problem.
How To Clean Throttle Body?
Knowing the symptoms of a dirty throttle body and learning how to clean the throttle body without any expert help can save you both time and money.
Follow these steps by Automobiles Expert for a quick and thorough throttle body cleaning:
Disconnect the Battery
Start off by disconnecting the negative terminal of your vehicle’s battery to avoid any electrical accidents.
You can find the negative terminal on the top of the battery. You can quickly identify the negative terminal with its “_” (negative) symbol.
Quick safety tip: clean the throttle body when the engine is cold. If it’s hot, let it cool down a bit and then start with the cleaning.
Remove the Air Duct:
There are always small hoses attached to the throttle system and air ducts, so carefully remove those air ducts or hoses. Ensure you have all the necessary tools on hand because it’s easy to break something without the right tools!
A quick tip: label all the hoses and air ducts attached to the throttle body while removing them so that it’s easier for you to reassemble your car’s throttle body assembly once you are done cleaning.
Clean Throttle Body
Once all the hoses and air ducts are detached, use a throttle body cleaner or a carburettor cleaner to remove all the dirt and grime.
Use a small, soft, bristled brush to wipe away the dirt.
A lot of auto part stores sell brushes specifically used for throttle body cleaning, but if you can not find any, then a toothbrush or any small soft bristle brush works equally well.
Use soft hands and strokes while cleaning the body so that you do not damage any gasket or throttle plate during the cleaning process.
A quick tip: clean the throttle body of your car at 121,000 km so that your car keeps running smoothly.
Reassemble the throttle body:
Once you are done cleaning the throttle body, reattach all the air ducts and hoses with the help of the labels you made initially.
Once you have placed all the ducts and hoses in the right place, reconnect the battery.
A quick tip: use a gasket sealant or silicone gasket maker to reseal the throttle body to the intake manifold; however, this is usually not that necessary
Test car’s engine:
Finally, test your car’s engine to make sure that everything is functioning properly. Turn on your car and leave it idle for a few minutes.
A minor stumbling and rough idle is expected, which usually happens because of the cleaner fluid and residue that falls in the intake manifold.
Following all these tips step by step you will end up with a clean throttle body and a smoother drive in the longer term.
Types Of Throttle Body Cleaner
If you wish to do the throttle body service at home, then it’s very important to know all the different types of throttle body cleaner you can use.
Some of the body cleaners are as follows:
Aerosol Throttle Body Cleaner:
These cleaners are easy to apply and typically come in spray cans. All you have to do is spray the cleaner on the throttle body. It will then dissolve the dirt and gunk, and you can easily remove the deposits.
Liquid Throttle Body Cleaner:
These cleaners are available in bottles and require manual application with a cloth or soft bristle brush.
These types of cleaners are ideal when you have to clean a specific part or area of the throttle system.
Foam Throttle Body Cleaner:
For areas that are hard to reach, use foam-based throttle body cleaner. They are known for their properties of expanding and clinging to surfaces that are otherwise hard to reach.
Eco-Friendly Throttle Body Cleaner:
If you wish to go for something less hard on the environment, go for Eco-friendly cleaners.
These types of throttle body cleaner are often biodegradable and free from many harsh chemicals.
While cleaning the throttle body at home is quicker and cheaper, at times, choosing professional cleaners over DIY cleaning is a better option.
When To Go For Professional Throttle Body Cleaning?
Professional throttle body cleaning is recommended when the throttle body has the following problems.
Severe buildup
Often, the buildup is so severe that cleaning at home isn’t enough. You need professional tools to remove the dirt.
Electrical issues
When the throttle body sensor or the Motor is malfunctioning, you need a professional to fix it.
Throttle recalibration
Components in the throttle system often lose their alignments with the car’s control system. Therefore, throttle recalibration is needed so that the throttles open and close at the same time; this requires tools that only professionals have there, for it is important to consult a professional for this.
How Much Does The Throttle Body Cleaning Cost?
Throttle body cleaning cost vary from cleaner to cleaner. The price can range from as low as $50 to as high as multiple hundred.
The pricing depends on how damaged and dirty your car’s throttle body is and if it’s located in a place that is difficult to access.
Oftentimes, the throttle body has been exposed to so much wear and tear and gunk that cleaning and repairing just won’t cut it. You would have to go for a full throttle body replacement.
How Much Does the Throttle Body Replacement Cost?
If you are looking to replace your throttle body with an auto part that can be found in most mainstream vehicles,
it will cost you somewhere around $70 to $1000
The throttle body replacement cost depends on a few factors, such as
Part cost:
The price you are quoted by the repair shops is the combination of the manufacturer-suggested retail price and the wholesaler’s price.
Labor costs:
The overall throttle body replacement cost also depends on what the auto repair shops charge for the labourers who will be replacing the throttle system in your car.
Diagnostic fees
Another factor that will affect the overall throttle body replacement cost is the diagnostic fee. Most of the time, your car starts hinting to you about the repairs in the form of weird noise and sub par performance, and you have no other choice but to take it to the repair shops to find out the problem. This diagnostic fee is actually separate from the actual repairs and can increase depending on how extensive the diagnostic is
Does A Throttle Body Replacement With A Larger One Make A Difference?
Yes, throttle body replacement with a larger throttle body has several benefits.
A better throttle response.
A bigger throttle system means the engine sucks in more air each time you press on the gas pedal. This increases your engine responsiveness, making your car accelerate more quickly and smoothly.
Increased Airflow.
Vehicles with higher horsepower require a higher volume of air to operate efficiently and fully.
A larger throttle body increases the surface area inside to take up more air, thus more airflow into the engine, supporting powerful combustions.
Improves the Engine bay Aesthetics
With all the performance benefits a larger throttle body brings, it also improves the look of your engine bay.
Aftermarket throttle bodies are often available in different sizes and styles. Many come with polished or anodized finishes which gives a sleek and professional look to your engine.
Conclusion
To conclude, a proper and thorough understanding of your car’s throttle system is important if you wish to prevent costly repairs in the near future.
If your car is showing bad throttle body symptoms, it is advised to quickly look for a throttle body cleaning service or, better, do a quick and thorough throttle body service at home with the help of the steps we have mentioned above.
Regular maintenance and proper cleaning will not only extend your car’s lifespan but also ensure smoother rides for years to come.
