Cleaning the throttle valve - when and how should it be done?

What causes throttle valve contamination?

On different cars, the remote control unit has different design options. Sometimes contamination is due to design features. For example, some VAG electronic diaphragms require regular cleaning, regardless of the conditions of use. This is important to understand when operating a car in order to get optimal dynamics and no dips when you press the gas pedal.

The main causes of clogged throttle valve:

• use of bad fuel - if gasoline contains various impurities, they stick to the throttle assemblies and gradually disable it;
• bad fuel filter - if the fuel filter is replaced very rarely, or the filter does not clean the fuel for other reasons, clogging of the fuel protection becomes a matter of time;
• dust entering the fuel supply system - the air filter can also allow various particles to pass through, which becomes a real problem for the normal operation of the throttle valve;
• malfunction of the crankcase gas filter - this device on many engines needs regular cleaning or replacement, otherwise problems cannot be ruled out.

These are the main reasons for possible clogging of the throttle valve. It should be borne in mind that such reasons do not depend on the make and age of the car. The damper can become clogged even on a new car if the filtration of fuel or air when supplied to the engine is carried out with violations of the technological process. Otherwise, clogging and other malfunctions of the remote control may be a consequence of a malfunction of this unit.

When is it necessary to clean the throttle valve on a car?

There is no regularity to this procedure. Practice shows that service at a station during the warranty period most often does not affect the operation of this unit. If the driver follows simple rules for operating the vehicle, he will not have any problems with the operation of the main engine systems and fuel equipment. Therefore, there is no frequency of cleaning the throttle assembly, like, say, changing oil or filters. However, there are a number of signs that may indicate the need to perform this task.

The main reasons for cleaning are as follows:

• at low speeds the engine begins to twitch, this is due to a lack of air, which occurs due to a clogged throttle assembly and a reduced flow of the air mixture;
• traction decreases - in general, the car may begin to pull poorly at speeds up to 2000-2500 rpm, this is due to the fact that the throttle has violated the ratio of components when preparing the mixture;
• Gasoline consumption has increased by 5-15% for no other reason; this can also be caused by excessive leanness of the mixture, which the computer compensates for by more actively supplying fuel to the combustion system;
• starting the engine has become difficult, but there are no other reasons for this, the throttle does not often affect engine starting, but in case of serious contamination, starting is possible only when the gas pedal is pressed;
• The speed is not set in one position, at idle the tachometer needle oscillates, there is the effect of a slow start from first gear at low speeds, and jerking at the beginning of movement.

Of course, all these symptoms have other explanations. In particular, we can assume that the car's jerking during acceleration is associated with the sensor system, and not with the throttle. But you need to gradually eliminate all options in order to remove this unpleasant effect. Don't discount clutch wear either. If this unit is faulty, the car will jerk while driving, lose power, and reduce comfort at low speeds and when starting off. Therefore, it is important to first carry out a comprehensive diagnosis and understand what exactly needs repair in your car.

Operating principle of the throttle valve

Basic elements of the throttle valve

How does the driver control engine speed? By pressing the gas, he opens the throttle, increasing the diameter of the space through which the engine is supplied with air. The more air enters the engine, the more fuel the engine ECU (computer) supplies, while maintaining the required air/gasoline ratio. The large mass of the air-fuel mixture leads to an instant increase in speed (and power, respectively).

Why do you need to clean the throttle body?

Checking operation after cleaning

So, the throttle valve is a kind of “breathing organ” of the engine. Along with the air from the environment, dust gets into it, which managed to bypass the air filter.

The engine also contains a system such as a crankcase gas recirculation system. Gases accumulate in the crankcase, consisting of oil dust, exhaust gases, and fuel that has not had time to burn in the cylinders.

In accordance with modern environmental requirements, the designers decided to send these gases back to the cylinders for the purpose of afterburning them. The gases pass through the oil separator, but a small percentage of the oil still remains in them. Their path to the cylinders lies through the throttle valve.

Dust settling

This is where the oil dust mixes with regular dust . This black, sticky mass settles in the throttle working space, through which air flows into the engine.

The resulting layer affects the diameter, and therefore the throughput of the throttle . This affects the operation of the engine, its response to sudden pressing of the gas pedal. In addition, the oily mixture can get into the IAC, which adversely affects the idle speed. Therefore, it is necessary to clean the throttle from unwanted formations inside it.

How to clean the throttle yourself?

You need to understand that purely mechanical cleaning for a modern car is unlikely to help improve the situation. There is a very high probability that your car after 2006 has learning electronics, which itself opens the damper when it is dirty at a certain angle greater than with the factory settings. After cleaning, you need to reset these parameters to factory settings, and also check the readings of the throttle position sensor. This will help avoid increased or floating speeds after cleaning.

It is worth considering the following features of the cleaning procedure:

• it is necessary to remove the air supply pipes, as well as the ventilation of crankcase gases, looking at the condition of the parts that are exposed to you, in order to avoid further troubles and build a work plan;
• Next, you need to understand exactly how you want to clean the throttle - you can do this without removing the device or with dismantling it, the second option is much more effective, but will take more time;
• for cleaning, you should purchase a carburetor cleaner in advance, and also find a soft rag, and if you remove the device, you can even clean it with a solvent and a soft brush;
• do not forget to use gloves and safety glasses, and you should also wear a respirator, since the carburetor cleaner in the bottle is under pressure and scatters in all directions when working;
• It is also worth determining the type of throttle before cleaning, since if there is an idle speed sensor in the throttle assembly, cleaning will be much more difficult, in which case the equipment will need to be removed.

After proper cleaning, installation and testing of equipment follows. It is necessary to systematically test the device at all speed ranges in order to understand its operating characteristics under load and at idle speed. You may have to configure the equipment, set the speed, and set the damper to zero using the TPS sensor. Sometimes, after completing work, it is necessary to connect computer diagnostic equipment to reset a number of settings. In this case, you have a direct route to the service station.

Sequence of application

Holding the air duct of the throttle body, shake the can and then evenly spray the throttle body cleaner inside the air duct. To remove dirt, use the brush with care. The cleaning process is repeated until the inside of the case is clean (it is recommended to use a hand-held flashlight).

When working with the product, care must be taken to ensure that the thin plastic spray does not fall into the throttle valve hole. The surface is periodically wiped with clean paper towels. They also remove aerosol residues.

After assembling the damper, the engine may start worse than usual. The reason is that the remaining cleaning fluid may have entered the intake manifold, where it will begin to be burned. In worst cases, white smoke may even appear in the exhaust gases. This is fine; after restarting, the described phenomena disappear.

What difficulties may arise during cleaning?

If you have never done this work, then difficulties may arise already at the stage of selecting materials. You cannot buy cheap flushing fluids; this will lead to unpleasant consequences, failure of sensors that may be installed in your car behind the throttle. Also, injecting untested fluids can damage combustion chamber parts, cleaning it only partially. But these are special cases that sometimes occur when most stages of this process are performed ineptly.

The following situations occur more frequently:

• when washing, the dirt is only partially cleared, which aggravates problems with idling and the quality of preparation of fuel fluid for the combustion chambers of the car; it is important to remove the dirt completely;
• due to malfunctions of the crankcase ventilation system or EGR, the throttle quickly becomes clogged again, which leads to the same problems already in the second week of operation of the machine;
• when cleaning, the assembly was carried out incorrectly, which causes air leaks in the system, because of this the machine can behave completely unpredictably and present the owner with a variety of problems;
• there are difficulties with the fuel supply that were not noticed while working with the throttle assembly, because of this the car drives poorly, and cleaning does not do anything and does not improve the driving situation;
• the engine is very worn out, cleaning gives only a temporary result, and then all the symptoms return; here it is not necessary to clean the throttle, but to prepare for a major overhaul of the engine.

These are the kind of troubles that can happen if the performer does not fully understand what needs to be done with the car during the cleaning process. The main mistake of many inexperienced performers will be the lack of software control. Most cars have electronics that control the throttle and can open it slightly if there is excessive contamination. But the electronics do not learn in the opposite direction, so the throttle will always be slightly open, which will cause increased consumption and other unpleasant phenomena with the car.

What do you need to know to order damper cleaning?

Even professional cleaning does not always give the effects that the owner expects from it. It is necessary to approach the issue of selecting a performer qualitatively. Private craftsmen in garages are not always able to do the job adequately. The problems are often standard - there is no way to diagnose the sensors on the computer and find out the real cause of the problems. In this case, the throttle will be cleaned even in a situation where it was unnecessary. Before cleaning the damper, you need to understand whether it is really to blame for all the troubles.

To order a service, it is important to remember the following features:

• it is important to know at least some reviews and recommendations about the master, since there are performers on the market for car repair services who do not understand at all what needs to be done with the car;
• you should take the car to a service station, and not just to a garage, since only a service station can carry out normal diagnostics and check the condition of all components of the fuel equipment;
• it is important that the technician uses expensive and high-quality liquids to clean the throttle assembly, otherwise the cleaning will not be able to please you for a long time with its advantages in car operation;
• the time frame for completing this work is 1-2 hours on standard budget cars, so too high a price is not always justified, you can look for affordable prices, but you shouldn’t save too much;
• for cars with a complex injection system, it is important to take a comprehensive approach to solving the problem, so the technician must have experience working specifically with your car and the required modification.

If you do not clean a dirty throttle for a long time, the consequences will be unpleasant. Gradually, the valve will become completely clogged and will work extremely poorly. This will lead to increased consumption, decreased traction, greater engine wear and other troubles. It is important to carry out repairs in a timely manner so as not to replace the entire damper assembly in the future, which is usually quite expensive. There is no point in cleaning a unit that is already physically worn out. In this case, it makes sense to immediately buy a new damper and not experiment with service procedures that will bring nothing anyway.

We invite you to watch a video about the damper and its maintenance:

Let's sum it up

Modern fuel-injected cars do not often require cleaning the fuel system. But sometimes this procedure is still necessary. Usually the first serious cleaning occurs after 100,000 km. But the more worn out the engine is, the more often you have to contact specialists for cleaning. This procedure will not cause huge expenses and is unlikely to entail complex repairs. Therefore, you can safely turn to specialists and get comprehensive solutions that will help you operate your car normally.

In most cases, cleaning is needed by those motorists who operate the car mainly in the city and do not turn the engine to high speeds. The throttle also gets dirty from bad gasoline. If you have not changed the air filter for a long time, then it is quite natural that the car will choke at low speeds, not receiving the required amount of air. All this also affects the condition of the throttle assembly. It is best to first go for diagnostics and find out the problem, and then solve the problems that have already been found. Have you ever cleaned the throttle body on your car?

What may indicate increased soot

The driver must know what signs can be used to identify a malfunction or malfunction of the unit. These include:

• Unstable, intermittent operation of the power unit. The car jerks at speeds less than 20 km/h;
• The idle speed “floats”, the power unit stalls;
• Possible freezing of engine speed;
• Dips in engine speed until a complete stop;
• The engine is difficult to start.

In this regard, the question arises of how to clean the throttle valve and what products to use. So, everything in order. There are two ways to resolve the issue. Clean the throttle valve yourself or contact a service station.

On a note. When carrying out cleaning, you should know that the process in question is recommended to be performed after the vehicle has traveled more than 100 thousand km.

In exceptional cases, cleaning of the unit is carried out when the vehicle has been driven after 30 thousand km. In order not to create confusion and vacillation in this matter, you should adhere to the manufacturer’s recommendations.