The throttle valve is clogged. Throttle cleaning. Choose a cleaner. Basic cleaning rules

Clogging of the fuel system and gasoline supply lines to the engine is one of the most common causes of incomprehensible behavior of the power unit. Such a situation causes increased fuel consumption and other unpleasant moments in the operation of the car. Therefore, for the owner of a car, there is only one right decision in such a situation - to clean the fuel system. In particular, sometimes you have to clean the throttle with your own hands or with the help of specialists in the service. If you decide to give this work to professionals, you will have to pay a lot of money.

But independent work without experience can rarely lead to a successful result. Therefore, today we will consider the process and subtleties of cleaning the damper with our own hands. There are certain nuances in this mechanism that must be taken into account already at the disassembly stage, as well as directly during washing. We warn you that a lot of work will have to be done. If you are not ready to do manual labor with a car, then it is better to give the job to an automotive service for execution.

How do you know when it's time to clean your throttle body?

Cleaning of fuel mechanisms is required in cars under Russian operating conditions almost annually. Of course, it all depends on the brand of car, type of engine and fuel system, throttle version. For example, on modern machines, the damper is electronic, so it cannot be cleaned directly on the engine. Yes, and on older machines that use a mechanical valve with a cable, it would be better to completely remove the block. The first indicators that it is time to clean the damper are as follows:

• the speed of the car began to float, there was instability in the operation of the power unit;
• after starting the engine began to stall from time to time, this had never happened before;
• with a sharp decrease in speed, a hole is formed in the operation of the unit, due to which the engine also stalls;
• fuel consumption has increased by 15-20 percent of the passport, the growth can be sharp or smooth;
• the power of the machine has decreased, the dynamics of the engine has decreased significantly and continues to fall;
• engine behavior has become unpredictable, it is difficult to guess the reaction to pressing the gas pedal.

All these features can also occur if the damper is clean. Such problems could cause other problems in the fuel system or directly in the engine. However, in most cases, when such troubles appear, it is the throttle valve, as well as the idle valve, that is the culprit of all problems. By the way, we also recommend cleaning the idle speed along with the throttle valve, this can be done in a few minutes.

DIY throttle body cleaning process

Before you start working on the car, you need to buy some materials and fixtures. You will need a liquid for cleaning carburetors, which can be of any manufacturer - this is not so important for this task. Also, rubber gloves will not be superfluous for you to keep the skin of your hands intact. You can also buy a hard brush and rags to wipe the mechanism.

Also, get the necessary tools to complete all the work. To disassemble, you will often have to remove the plastic cover located on top of the engine, as well as unscrew the idle valve. Dismantling the damper unit itself is desirable, but not always necessary. For these purposes, sets of heads are most often used. The basic sequence of processes for cleaning the damper is as follows:

• remove the plastic cover that closes the damper and prevents you from visually assessing its condition;
• remove the electrical contact from the idle valve to avoid automatic triggering;
• unscrew the valve itself and clean it with the purchased fluid, leave it on the engine after cleaning;
• if you have a car with an electronic throttle, it is best to remove the throttle body;
• otherwise, you can do without removal, but you will have to clean it carefully enough;
• using a tube, apply a little liquid to the seat of the idle valve;
• after a few minutes, wipe the liquid, evaluate the result of your work and carry out the procedure again;
• then spray liquid directly onto the shutter, but do not spray too much;
• after cleaning, wipe everything dry with a cloth and make sure that there are no dirt residues.

With the help of such a simple procedure, you can easily obtain the necessary conditions for the operation of the throttle. Interestingly, most car owners agree to pay quite a lot of money for this procedure, and cleaning is performed in a few tens of minutes. Therefore, you can safely perform this procedure in your own garage.

If, after cleaning, the car did not stop showing unpleasant features of the operation of the power unit, then the matter is not in the damper. You will have to resort to more effective methods of cleaning the fuel supply system, as well as contact a service center to diagnose problems. But the throttle and idle valve should be clean anyway. We suggest watching a video about cleaning the throttle body in one of the possible ways:

Summing up

The implementation of rather complex actions during self-service of a car requires concentration and the presence of a professional tool. However, today it is possible to do without the help of specialists and clean the throttle body and other mechanisms of your car without paying rather immodest checks. To do this, it is enough to purchase the necessary materials and perform simple, but accurate steps.

With this approach, you will be able to get the maximum benefits from your work and return the quality functioning of the power unit. If subtleties arise in the process, you can always seek advice or help from professionals. Therefore, pay large sums for the service only if you yourself cannot perform the necessary process. Have you ever cleaned the fuel system in your car yourself?

What is a throttle valve? This is the mechanism of the intake system, which is responsible for supplying air to form the fuel-air mixture. Most budget cars are equipped with an elementary damper with a mechanical drive. We will not talk about electronic dampers, it is quite difficult to understand the intricacies of their work, and with their own hands they can only be broken completely. We are talking about an elementary device, which can often be seen by removing the air filter housing.

However, sometimes the filter is on the side, then the throttle valve will have to be looked for somewhere between it and the intake manifold. But if you don’t find it there either, then either your car is carbureted, or you simply shouldn’t read further, but it’s better to pack up and go to a car service. Especially if the symptoms indicating the need for cleaning are present.

The most characteristic of them are unstable idling and periodic “hanging” of revolutions after releasing the gas pedal. Do not forget that not always the reason for the “rampant” idle speed lies in the throttle valve, it can also be in other elements of the fuel system or ignition. And yet, throttle cleanliness plays a very significant role in the operation of the power unit.

How does throttle condition affect idle speed? The fact is that there are usually two devices on the damper - a throttle position sensor (TPS) and an idle speed controller (IAC), which is often also called a sensor. These mechanisms allow not only to "give gas" when pressing the corresponding pedal, but also help to maintain optimal shaft speed, depending, for example, on the load on the on-board network. I say “help”, because if you unscrew, say, the power steering sensor, then when you turn the steering wheel, the idle speed will still jump, even if the throttle and idle speed control work flawlessly. Electronics, nowhere to go from it.

Why does the damper have to be cleaned periodically?

The fact is that the air entering it is far from laboratory sterility. There are solid suspensions in it, and dust - everything that the air filter did not hold (which we always change on time, don't we?) The vacuum in the intake manifold pulls all this dust into the engine, but not everything gets there, some of this rubbish settles on the throttle body and directly on its damper. This helps the oil suspension, which remains on the walls of the mechanism.

Where is she from? The fact is that there is a pipe coming out of the valve box cover into the throttle. And just there a small concentration of oil mist is always there. If the engine is already “tired”, and besides, it’s good (for example, piston rings are worn out), then there will always be more oil particles, which means that the throttle valve will be more actively contaminated. In advanced cases, the damper will become so overgrown with dust deposited on the oil film that the mechanism may periodically “stick”. And more often the cause of the malfunction will be just in the idle speed controller, which is installed on the throttle body. And here cleaning the device will become almost inevitable.

We all perfectly understand that in some services there are not very decent people (not in all, of course), who do not really want to work. And then they manage to wash the damper without removing it at all. Or - which happens more often - they do not touch the idle speed controller, which is why the work in fact turns out to be done, but the problem remains. Therefore, we will show how to do it correctly, and let it be a little longer, a little more difficult, but it will provide a good result.

To work, we need a minimum set of tools and materials (a screwdriver, a pair of wrenches, a brush and a regular cleaner that can be bought at any store), as well as asterisk heads. The latter is necessary only because, for example, we took the K7M engine, known to admirers. This motor is simple, its design does not contain any original solutions, so looking at how we clean the damper of this unit, you can learn how to do it on any other budget motor. So let's start the disassembly.

The main thing is accuracy!

While I was clapping my eyes and the shutter of the camera, the master of the Logan Shop car service, Alexei Teleshov, had already removed the air pipe. I think everyone can handle it. Then unscrew the air filter housing. We remove it as an assembly, you don’t need to get the element itself (unless you decide to change it at the same time). At the same time, we check the condition of the rubber seals through which the housing is attached to the motor. Over time, they dry out, and since the threads on the bolts are not cut to the head, even heroic strength and banal nonsense will not allow these seals to be tightened with a wrench. The backlash itself is not so terrible, but a good tightening guarantees the exclusion of air leakage into the throttle valve in addition to the air filter, and the rattle of the filter housing is also not the most pleasant thing in the world. After unscrewing the bolts, slightly raise the housing and disconnect the pipe from below, then remove the filter housing to the side. A throttle valve appears right in front of us.

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Please note: there is a rubber sealing ring between the filter housing and the damper. If it remains on the damper, we remove it and put it on the filter - it will be easier to put everything back together.

Since the motor does not stand at all, then on the damper we see a mechanical thrust that connects the damper itself with the gas cable through the rocking sector. She needs to be taken off. No strength and fanaticism: we just hook it up and take it to the side, after which it flies off the tip itself. Now disconnect the throttle position sensor and the idle speed control. Everything is simple here: we press the connectors and remove them from the sensors. If it doesn’t work right away, we are looking for which way to push and pull, excessive force is also useless here.

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In general, all today's work requires more accuracy than physical training. Now we bow our heads and look at the base of the throttle valve. And we see a fixing bracket there, which we immediately remove. Now you can pull out the damper itself. We are already well done, but only half.

Before washing the assembly, do not forget to close the hole in the intake manifold, you can use an ordinary clean rag or napkin: the dust that gets there will not bring any benefit to the motor.

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Now it's time to tweak the throttle a little. You need to remove the idle speed controller from it. To do this, unscrew the two screws and pull it out of the damper housing. And we are horrified: the tunnel under it is all in the raid! But we just got our hands dirty in order to get rid of this disgrace.

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You can wash anything, even with an ordinary brush and a carburetor cleaner. Just do not forget that there is also a rubber ring under the idle speed regulator, which should not be lost or soaked in gasoline or solvent so as not to destroy it.

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Technical maniacs and perfectionists clean the damper to a mirror finish. Please, no one will stop this. But we will not act too fanatically, and there is no point in this: outside it will still be covered in dust. Our first priority is to clean it from the inside. We strive to ensure that there is no trace at the point of contact between the damper and its body, as soon as this edge leaves, we consider the work completed.

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After cleaning, the entire damper must be dried. You can just leave it to lie down, but we use compressed air: it's faster. But if you take your time, then while the damper dries, you can do the idle speed controller. Here we are primarily concerned about the stem: it must be absolutely clean.

By the way, when flushing the damper, do not forget to thoroughly clean the well under the regulator, if there is plaque left there, the work efficiency will be very low.

After all the operations performed, the work is considered completed. More precisely, its dirty part. It's time to get down to the nicer, cleaner part of it, assembly.

We smear and do not rush

If it turned out to disassemble the assembly, then the assembly will not be difficult. We put the idle speed regulator in place and return the damper to where it was pulled out from (it should fall into the groove if it didn’t get there, but God didn’t offend by force, that is, there is a chance to go to the store for a new damper), we twist the bracket that secures it. Before installing the rod, it is advisable to lubricate the tips with any grease, at least lithol. We put the traction and check its progress with our hand: nothing should interfere with it, there should be no “nibbles” or jerks. We put on the ventilation pipe (from the bottom of the air filter housing, the one that was removed at the beginning of work), tighten the housing bolts. Last put on the air pipe.

Most domestic drivers are already accustomed to doing minor car repairs at home. Bleeding the brakes, changing the oil - no self-respecting motorist will deny himself the pleasure of “digging around” under the hood of his car. The same applies to such a simple operation as cleaning the throttle. How to do all the work correctly and what tools should be used, we will consider later in the article.

1 When you need to flush the throttle body

Initially, we should understand the design of the throttle valve and its principles of operation. This part is located in front of the intake manifold of the car and is responsible for the passage of air into it. Accordingly, the wider the damper is open, the more air passes into the engine of the machine. Next, the air mass is mixed with fuel and sent to the combustion chamber of the car. Thus, the more air is mixed with the fuel, the higher the power rating of the vehicle. By pressing the accelerator pedal, the driver directs. The gas pedal of the car is connected to the throttle valve with a special cable and works according to the mechanical principle. However, today on the market you can find cars equipped with a manual choke.

The throttle valve is one of the few parts that may be needed very rarely. The period of operation of the element is equal to the period of use of the vehicle itself. It is necessary to change the part only when it has received mechanical damage. Throttle valve flushing is required much more often. It is worth performing this operation approximately once every 6-12 months. Such a need is directly related to the ingress of all kinds of gases and dust from the crankcase protection onto the body and inside the part, as well as a large amount of oil from other parts of the machine.

The first signs that your car needs a throttle body cleaning are:

• unstable start of the engine of the machine;
• intermittent idling of the engine;
• the car often twitches when driving in initial gears;
• the machine “falls through” when operating with fast gear shifting.

Having discovered such behavior in your car, you should not immediately run to the nearest MOT to replace parts. All we need is to clean the existing throttle body. This operation is quite within the power of each owner of the car.

2 Throttle valve cleaning technique

3 How to flush the throttle

Cleaning the throttle body does not require special equipment. Aerosol is best for this. Liqui Moly. This tool perfectly removes dirt on the surface and inside the device. To wash the part, it is enough to treat it with an aerosol and leave for 15 minutes. After that, rinse off the detergent with a damp cloth and wipe dry.

Another good solution would be to use Carb Medic. It has a strong smell, so before cleaning the throttle body with this spray, it is worth putting on a protective mask. Next, carefully spray the part with the composition and leave for 30 minutes. After that, rinse with a damp cloth.

As we have seen, there is nothing complicated in flushing the throttle valve. The main desire. And your car will thank you with a good indicator of power and a pleasant driving process.

Among motorists, quite often there is a fashion for certain actions aimed at improving the performance of the car. For example, now everyone is actively starting to clean the throttle, service stations vying with each other offer their services, and the Internet is replete with advice on why, how and why this should be done. Let's see if this is necessary.

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Last but not least, poor engine starts and vibrations at idle should be blamed on the throttle. Especially if you did not look under the hood for the last 100-150 thousand kilometers. During this time, dust mixed with oil could accumulate on the throttle valve - oil in small quantities gets from the engine crankcase, and the air filter, clogged with dust, ceases to properly filter the air. As a result, the on-board computer can increase idle speed, which in turn leads to excessive fuel consumption.

The throttle valve can last a very long time without replacement, but it needs to be cleaned. This element is responsible for supplying air to the intake manifold, from where it enters the combustion chamber mixed with fuel. The driver controls the process of opening and closing the damper by pressing the gas pedal. Adhering dust and oil can cause this element to work poorly - the damper may not close completely. The following "symptoms" give the problem:

• the engine starts with problems;
• at idle, floating revolutions are noticeable;
• at low speeds, the car twitches;
• idle turns "fail", the car stalls.

You can even determine the degree of contamination visually. If there are no noticeable oil stains on the part, then the problem is different, but if the damper has lost its original metal color from adhering oil, then it's time to clean it.

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The cleaning process itself is quite simple. We release the throttle body from the corrugation, and we release the part from the cable with which it is connected to the gas pedal (in the case of a mechanical drive). To do this, you just need to press the pedal to the floor - the cable will loosen, and you can easily get rid of it. Then carefully disconnect the coolant hoses. Of course, all work must be carried out on a cooled car, otherwise you cannot avoid burns.

Having dealt with the hoses, remove the gasket in front of the throttle and the part itself. As a rule, it is fastened with two nuts. We start cleaning from the base of the intake manifold - for sure, a lot of dirt has also accumulated there. No special tools are needed for cleaning, a can of carbocleaner (carburetor cleaning fluid) and a clean cloth are enough.

Spray on the surface you want to clean and let it sit for a few minutes. Just do not overdo it - the cleaner is quite aggressive on the plastic and rubber components of the case.

Do not clean the damper with a metal brush - along with the dirt, you will also remove the protective coating, and also damage the seals along the throttle contour. It makes no sense to carry out this operation more than once per 100-150 thousand kilometers, unless you really like to dig under the hood. Many do not understand what cleaning gives precisely for the reason that the car did not need to clean the throttle at the time of service. As many drivers note, after the engine speed has risen significantly, this is a normal reaction of the car.

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As a rule, after such a run, not only the damper needs to be cleaned, but the air filter is already clogged with dust. So don't forget to replace it along the way. It would seem that everything is simple, but only if you are the owner of a car without an on-board computer.

The trouble is that as the damper becomes dirty, the computer could take part in correcting the idle speed controller (if the throttle is mechanical) or the position of the damper itself (if the part is electrical), thereby increasing idle speed. In this case, you will also have to work with the computer itself. No, you don't have to crack the code or reflash the system, we just point out to the onboard "brains" that we have already put the part in order, and the speed should be returned to its original values.

This is done quite simply, the main thing is to clearly follow the instructions. First, warm up the engine, and then turn off the car. We wait a few seconds and turn on the ignition again. Exactly three seconds later, five times in a row for five seconds, press the gas pedal all the way (try to be in time). Then we wait seven seconds and again press the pedal to the floor, this time we do not release it until the Check Engine light on the panel lights up. Hold the pedal and while the light blinks. We release the gas three seconds after it starts to burn constantly.

When you restart the engine, the idle will be exactly what it should be with a clean throttle. This procedure is far from suitable for all cars - if your "iron horse" did not react to the manipulations in any way, and the revolutions still exceed the permissible value, contact the service station, where they will reset the parameters.

The throttle valve is needed to supply air to the engine intake manifold. The second function is to control the volume of the air mixture. After a certain period of operation, it becomes clogged, which reduces the efficiency of the power unit. To solve this problem, you need clean throttle body which you can do yourself.

Signs of pollution

The main signs of deposit formation are changes in engine operation. However, this may not always be due to pollution. Sometimes the problem is caused by a sensor malfunction, drive failures, or incorrect on-board computer settings. Diagnostics is needed to identify the exact causes. Often throttle malfunction occurs due to two or more reasons.

Signs of clogging:

• There is no stable operation of the engine at "idle" speed, it stalls.
• The start-up time of the power unit is increasing.
• At speeds up to 20 km / h, while pressing the accelerator pedal, the car twitches.
• Dips in speed, up to a complete stop of work.

You need to visually inspect the damper. If there are no oil stains, coked build-up - the cause of incorrect functioning is not pollution. You need to do a full diagnosis.

Causes of clogging

The formation of build-up on the damper surface is an inevitable process. Its reason is the removal of crankcase gases, which is necessary for the normal operation of the lubrication system. As a result of this, part of the oil enters the throttle valve. Due to high temperatures, the oil layer solidifies, its gradual thickening.

An additional factor is that gas combustion products settle on the oil layer. A coked outgrowth is formed. It is impossible to reduce their influence, it is recommended to use good quality oil, with a minimum content of third-party impurities. You should also observe the frequency of its replacement.

Incorrect operation of the air filter is also one of the causes of clogging. Part of the dust and other elements enter the system. This leads to accelerated formation of a layer on the throttle valve. The way out is to monitor the condition of the air filter, change it taking into account the manufacturer's recommendations and actual operating conditions.

Throttle body self-cleaning

The damper can be cleaned without taking off it, but only as a preventive measure. This will not help to remove all contaminants, as there will be no full access to the unit. After stopping the engine, you need to wait 1-1.5 hours. Then dismantle the air duct. The throttle valve is in the closed position. A cleaner is applied to its surface. After it dries, open the valve manually and process the internal elements.

How often to clean depends on operating conditions. Removal of dirt without dismantling is done every 5-7 thousand km. run. With dismantling - 30-50 thousand km. But these are conditional indicators, the frequency is determined by the owner of the car after a visual inspection, the appearance of signs of pollution.

Withdrawal

Before removing the throttle valve, check that the engine is cold. Otherwise, there is a risk of burns. Work should be carried out in a well-lit area. This is necessary for convenient detachment of external nodes.

Procedure.

1. Remove the air duct.
2. Disconnect idle wires.
3. Disable throttle position sensor.
4. Disconnect hoses. It is advisable to muffle their pipes, for example, with spark plugs.
5. Removing the unit. To do this, unscrew 2 or 4 bolts. If the thread does not feed well, treat it with a lubricant.

It is necessary to remember the dismantling procedure so that after the work there are no difficulties with the installation. Fold up the individual elements.

Cleaning and installation

It is not recommended to use a container to completely submerge the unit. There are aerosol type products that can treat the outer and inner surfaces of the throttle body. Work is performed on a table or any other flat surface with good lighting. The room is ventilated, the temperature should not be lower than +5°C.

Stages of cleaning.

1. Treat the outer and inner surfaces.
2. Check for dirt, growths.
3. Mechanical processing only with dry rags.
4. If necessary, repeat the cleaning, waiting for the final drying of the surface.

Pay attention to the condition of the crankcase ventilation channel and the location of the needle. This is where most of the dirt accumulates. Additionally clean the idle speed controller. If the condition of these elements is unsatisfactory, there is a play in the movement of the needle, the entire unit needs to be replaced.

Before reinstallation, the condition of the gasket is checked. It should not have breaks, deformations. It is advisable to replace it with a new one. Installation is carried out in the reverse order, the reliability of the fastening of the connections is checked.

Funds

To remove dirt and growths, special tools are used. They are aerosol type, sold in cans. Conditionally divided into specialized and universal. The latter can be used to clean carburetors and other vehicle components.

Overview of funds, how to clean throttle valve at home:

• Johnsen 4720. Effectively cleans contaminated surfaces. The advantage is a convenient valve with which you can perform processing in hard-to-reach places.
• Hi gear. The composition includes anti-corrosion and lubricating components. They do not adversely affect the sensitive elements of the unit - an oxygen sensor, flexible pipes. However, the manufacturer does not always use a quality can.
• ЗМ 08867. Belongs to the category of universal means. One area of ​​application is carburetor cleaning. Advantage - in the composition there are catalytic converters.
• Mag 1 414. Effectively removes deposits, in addition to this function, it can neutralize organic plaque. Feature - large capacity.
• LIQUI MOLY DrosselKlappen-Reiniger (LM-5111). The manufacturer has developed a composition for cleaning the throttle from all types of contaminants.
• Mannol Carburetor Cleaner. Belongs to the category of universal means.
• ABRO Carb&Choke Cleaner (CC-220). Allows you to remove all types of deposits and growths on the surface. The disadvantage is the small capacity of the can of 220 ml.

The use of compounds not intended for this work can lead to damage to internal elements. Sometimes the above products are replaced by WD-40, acetone, or other solvents. The danger lies in the possible negative influence on the sensors and other sensitive components of the unit.

Possible mistakes

The first attempts to clean the throttle body do not always lead to the desired result. In some cases, they can impair the performance of that machine component. The way out is to order a service at a specialized service or study the whole process in detail, choose the right, effective means.

Possible errors when performing a cleanup:

• The frequency of processing is not observed. Frequent impacts can disrupt the operation of the damper.
• The use of coarse cloths or brushes will damage the surface.
• Removal of the molybdenum layer, which is necessary to reduce airflow resistance. The layer is often confused with oil coating.
• No throttle learning. This is needed to set the idle speed.
• After 30-40 thousand km. mileage cleaning is performed only with dismantling.

For effective removal of dirt and deposits, it is necessary to properly dismantle the unit, select the optimal composition and carry out work with minimal physical impact on the surface. The result of this will be durable operation of the throttle and the entire car.