Throttle body cleaning... DIY?? **updated: success!**

damieG82 · Last edited by damieG82 on Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:25 pm; edited 1 time in total

Wanted to know if I can clean the throttle body on my 323F Sport or if it's a job best left to a mechanic. If it is DIY, are any special tools needed? Rolling Eyes

Basically I think the TB needs a thorough cleaning because I'm experiencing these problems:
1) Idle speed drops significantly when A/C is switched on
2) Mildly rough idle throughout, but it's bad after cold start
3) Idle speed only increases for 3 to 5 seconds after a cold start, and then falls back to normal level... it doesn't stay increased til the engine heats up so naturally the whole car shakes up, and occasionally it cuts off.

The car was scanned so it's not an electronics/ sensor problem, and I changed the thermostat as a precaution but it made no difference.

Any help appreciated #Turn-l

ζђίΰД™ · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 1:50 pm Post subject:

I service my throttle myself with no problems, it's really a very simple procedure.

Don't clean the throttle on the Intake Manifold, it's best to uninstall it and remove the TPS Sensor before you clean it.

No special tools needed..
. Ratchet socket wrench
. 12mm socket & extension
. 1 tin of Amsoil Power Foam (IMO this works the best!)
. Old toothbrush & pieces of cloth
. Safety glasses, safety gloves

Here is an article walking you through the entire process..

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA...Throttle_Bodies.aspx?pg=1

If you have any doubts in your ability, it would be best if you let your mechanic handle it.

Enjoy! Mr. Green

red bwoy · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject:

well i clean mines on the car wynns throttle body cleaner allowsfor this works great i usually do mine right before an oil change incase some leaks by the rings an phorq up de oil

cinco · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 4:22 pm Post subject:

dont you need a new TB gasket or at least some silicone?
sometimes you can reuse the old gasket but put some silicone on it to ensure you get a good seal
it is pretty easy especially off the car give it a good soak in TB cleaner and scrub down with an old toothbrush

ζђίΰД™ · Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:40 pm Post subject:

damieG82 · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject:

Thanks everyone for the advice... I cleaned the TB today and thought I'd give everyone the run down of my experience.

I cleaned it still installed on the car... thought it was beyond my patience Embarassed

, and maybe my skill, to disconnect the fuel lines and X cable. I used Amsoil Foam Cleaner and a toothbrush as suggested and it cleaned up quite nicely... oh almost forgot, I jacked up the right side of the car so the cleaner and all the dirt would run out of the TB as opposed to going deeper into the manifold. I put a plastic bag with some paper towels inside it at the opening to catch the run off so it wouldn't get all over the engine.

I have to get a couple tools tho the take out the air control valve to clean it, so I'll be doing that by weekend.

Restarting after cleaning was a little scary... unlike other cars where the engine would just keep tumbling til it starts, it tumbled for a second or two then stopped altogether... as if the starter was sticking (altho it wasn't)... weird! Anyways, tried tumbling a couple more times then on the final go it kept tumbling continuously and started to 'catch' so I kept it tumbling (like over-starting) while mashing the X til the RPMs picked up. Then I did the usual hard revving to blow out any residue in the system.

Already there's significant difference in the idle quality and it's finally keeping the revs increased while the engine is cold. It's also pulling better and a lot more responsive when I test drove it after.

cinco · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 5:48 pm Post subject:

i would suggest you get a total fuel system cleaning then
get the injectors cleaned also there is no harm in doing that

rainman · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:03 pm Post subject:

well here is what i did when i cleaned my tb. the vehicle was a 2003 lancer, the symptoms were similar to the ones you described; low idle mostly and i was burning a little more gas than usual.

1) warm up your vehicle

2) remove air intake pipe, i had a short ram which i built myself so it was easy and my maf sensor was located on top of the intake manifold if yours isnt be very careful when youre removing it.

3) use yuh mother mop handle or similar item to push the accelerator pedal down to the floor. this should give you a clear view into your intake manifold.

4) using an old toothbrush spray some tb cleaner onto the bristles (i used carb cleaner because i was too cheap to buy tb cleaner)

5) gently scrub as far as you can without losing your toothbrush in the IM (trust me you dont want to do that) its just like brushing your teeth, up down and side to side.

6) use a clean cloth or rag (i used white because i ike to see how much gunk im taking out) and wipe the areas you scrubbed, you should do this at least 3 times to make sure you get all the gunk out.

7) scrub the top and bottom of the butterfly plate in the throttle body. wipe with clean rag.

8)this step is optional, i removed my idle stepper motor and used the compressed air and cleaned it out there was a lot of carbon on it.

9) remove yuh mother mop handle and start the car, it should hard start this is normal but keep your foot on the gas and you will have a nice mosquito eradicator (lots of white smoke out the exhaust) this will eventually burn out after a few minutes

10) optional, i changed my oil because i didnt want to risk any of the carb cleaner fumes seeping into the oil.

and that my good sir is my very ghetto procedure for cleaning my TB

damieG82 · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 9:24 pm Post subject:

Good stuff rainman... yea a whole lotta white smoke was coming out the exhaust. One neighbour even came outside cause she thought somebody's house was burning.

And the amount of gunk that came out leads me to believe that it wasn't cleaned in years... I only have the car going on a year now and the previous owner serviced it religiously at Laughlin's... I went once too and wasn't satisfied with their work (mind you when I went it was for them to clean injectors and TB... and I paid them almost $300) so I started going to Silverstar on Mucurapo Road. They're excellent but a bit pricey hence the reason I decided to clean the TB myself.

I love Mazda cars but admittedly they aren't the easiest to work on, hence the reason I need some additional tools to get to the air control valve/ idle motor bolts... I'm sure I'll find gunk like wow in there too Mad

Question to all: on average, how often should the TB be cleaned?

ghostbusters · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 11:23 pm Post subject:

so i heard, my mechanic keeps bitchin that mazdas are hard to work on, but he, being a honda man told me the other day that he thinks the newer mazdas to be very sophisticated and technologically advanced, he likes them, once we went engine huntin in d bamboo , he got confused, he wanted to know how a car with such high centre of gravity handles so well.

TurboDrive · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:49 am Post subject:

What i normally do is whilst cleaning the TB I reset the ecu. After I'm done I let it Idle for 10 minutes then I take it out for a spin. I don't rev it hard immediately after I restart. Worse yet if I do it with a cold engine. It's also a good idea clean the MAF sensor while you're at it.

ζђίΰД™ · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:15 am Post subject:

How do you reset the ECU?
Disconnect it for a few seconds then connect it back Question

Every 10,000km I clean all my sensors, fuel injectors, throttle and do a raidiator flush..

rainman · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:25 am Post subject:

TurboDrive · Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 8:23 pm Post subject:

^^^ Correct.