Throttle Body Cleaning

[Middlebh]

What is the easiest way to clean the throttle body ad Massive Air Flow on a 2011 M37X?

[Frog]

My advice is don’t. It can cause so many problems.

[Ilya]

I have the same advice but mine is a little more exact: don't remove them. If you want to wipe them (TBs) down and gently lift the butterfly valve, that's fine. But removing them you can upset them, etc.

[Larz]

I have never cleaned the throttle bodies on my car (HR engine = 2 intakes). Those are quite sensitive and just manipulating them incorrectly can result in the need for a reset. I believe the dealer has a set price to clean injectors and the throttle body and I am sure it's over priced as well.
I have cleaned my MAF sensors twice in as many years. You must disconnect and remove them completely from the intake hose to clean them and they do NOT need cleaning very often. I' do mine maybe once per year. You MUST use MAF cleaner - no substitutes! If the can is not labelled specifically "MAF CLEANER" - do NOT use it and do NOT listen to anyone who tells you different. Same advise for the throttle body. Use ONLY "Throttle Body and Air Intake Cleaner".
After removing the MAF, simply spray a few times from about 10-12 inches away. Let the MAF dry in open, clean air (indoors) for an hour or two. Then reinstall and reconnect. I also disconnect my battery before I remove the MAF - not sure if it's required but I do.

[Q451990]

I cleaned our old G35's TB once or twice. From what I've read, the big mistake on servo actuated / drive-by-wire throttle bodies is to never open the valve by hand. In my case I removed it and cleaned the back side of it with brake parts cleaner - specifically the SuperTech stuff from Walmart. I kept the actuator up, to prevent fluid from pooling and possibly entering the motor. You'll need to do the throttle relearn procedure after reinstalling it. I seem to remember clearing a code or two with my OBD scanner as well. All of that may be avoidable if you never turn the key on during the process, but I don't remember for sure.

I recently ordered a few cans of Toyota (gasp!) branded throttle plate cleaner for the low price of $2 per can shipped off of eBay. I haven't tried it yet, but I hope it works at least as well as the brake parts cleaner. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-Toyota ... 2749.l2649

I've also removed the MAF and misted it with brake parts cleaner to clean it too. This is probably a "YMMV" type of deal, but the beauty of brake parts cleaner is that it evaporates quickly and leaves no residue. As long as whatever you're spraying will hold up to it, it's a great cleaner.

[reggiebrown40]

Disclaimer: I am not a mechanic. Follow any advice at your own risk.

Probably a bad idea to clean sensitive parts with brake cleaner in my opinion. If it can eat through rust it will probably damage the MAF sensor. Use the cleaner designed for the task.

Middlebh - I cleaned both throttle bodies by hand without removing them from the car. I used throttle body cleaner for the throttle bodies and MAF cleaner for the MAF sensors. You can get both cleaners as a 2-fer package from Amazon or anyplace else relatively cheap. I had rough idling issues prior to the cleaning. After the cleaning my car ran much better and idled properly. That being said - the next time I do this I will probably remove both throttle bodies from the car and do an in-depth cleaning to make sure the entire part is cleaned thoroughly and to ensure no damage is done to the parts. The re-learn process shown for the M35/M45 should apply to our models as well and appears easy enough to do. Anything I can do on my own without having to make a trip to the dealer is time well spent.

[cliffyk]

The throttle body bore and butterfly on most modern EFI engines are coated with an anti-fouling, Teflon like, polymer (which often looks like "fouling" around the perimeter of the butterfly and its sealing surface in the TB bore) and should not be cleaned unless known to be fouled--even then they should be cleaned gently--do NOT try to scrub off all the "black stuff" as you will most likely be scrubbing off the anti-fouling coating and plunge yourself into a cycle of TB sticking and cleaning.

A lot of the perceived/alleged need to clean throttle bodies is conventional wisdom left over from the days of early EFI (especially TBI models, which fell out of fashion in the mid-80s) and carbureted fuel systems. Carburetors had to be cleaned and rebuilt every 25k to 40k miles, sometimes less--I had a '73 240Z that for top performance required carburetor rebuilds at 20k intervals--and once-a-week synchronization.

I have seen numerous Mustang TBs ruined by overzealous "cleaning".

I have never in the existence of MAFs found a need to clean one unless fouled due to an airbox leak, damaged or over-oiled "performance" air filter.

MY bottomline here is that unless you have a driveability or performance problem definitively linked to the TB or MAF--stick to the "old saw"; if it ain't broke don't fix it...

[Frog]

Like I said don’t do it. Let the dealer do it if you think I have a problem.

[EdBwoy]

I am also on camp NO, don't do it, and if you are having symptoms that make you feel it necessary, let the dealership handle it and take the risk for you.

But if you are determined to do it, here are a few pointers I have shared in the past on HOW:

...
For the throttle body, no special tricks except remember to not open the valve all the way. In fact, interfere with it as little as possible.
Remove the throttle body. Get throttle body cleaner or carb & choke cleaner and spray both sides of the plate. The body itself will be easy to clean, but you want to wipe the plate without necessarily opening it. Put a finger to prevent it from opening as you wipe it, or just spray and let the chemicals do their magic. I use paper towels and usually I soak one well enough and slide it past the plate, which opens the plate just so slightly so I can clean the contact surface of the plate and the body.
I still have never damaged a TB by cleaning it.
You might need a gasket handy, just in case you damage yours on the way out. And hopefully yours is not too gunked up that you need an idle air relearn after cleaning it.
...

This quote reiterates what cliffyk said above - inadvertently damaging parts with the innocent intention of doing something good.

I agree.
One caution for the MAF sensor is to do it dead cold. I'm talking about letting the car sit overnight, not even driving it around to reposition it in your garage.

Although I don't encourage anyone to do this, I have cleaned a fair number of Nissan throttle bodies and never ruined them. Battery connected/disconnected, TB mounted/unmounted, ... as long as you don't excessively open the butterfly and play with it. The only reason you need to open the butterfly is to access a thin strip of gunk where the plate meets the TB bore. Typically I wet a napkin with the cleaner and slide it under the plate and it does the job well, or you could use a Q-tip (cotton bud, my non-Americans) to clean as far as you can in a throttle plate closing direction then go to the other side and use the Q-tip gently as well.

However, proper procedure after removing the TB is to replace the gasket. Then there's a slim chance you'd have to do the Idle Air Relearn procedure.

Non-stick cooking pans and Teflon (PTFE)
Here's something I don't see spoken about often. Most throttle plates I have dealt with will have a coating around the hinge, most probably Teflon to help keep the plate motion smooth. Most times, these cleaners will make that coating disappear.
Is that catastrophic? Most probably not right away, but the lack of Teflon makes it that much easier to gunk up and the throttle to stick... ya know, like a non-stick cooking pan with the PTFE scraped off.


My opinion is that this is not necessary, and as EniGmA points out, it skews unfavorably on the potential harm-benefit spectrum based on many user-testimonies.

[mybemore]

I think I damaged my throttle body. I tried to clean my throttle body with toothbrush and cleaner and now it's idling very rough and RPM's go up and down. What to do?

[Frog]

Go to the dealer, spend $500, get new one.

[EdBwoy]

I think I damaged my throttle body. I tried to clean my throttle body with toothbrush and cleaner and now it's idling very rough and RPM's go up and down. What to do?

The first thing I'd go for is to try doing the Idle Air Volume Relearn. You can find the procedure in the EC section of your FSM (factory service manual).
If you find it tricky to do, a dealer can do it for you for a fee. They will also be able to determine if it is damaged and needs replacement.

FYI, there are some unknowns with your post:

• What vehicle is this for
• How many miles?
• Why did you feel the need to clean the throttle body?
• What kind of cleaner did you use?
• How did you clean it - open the butterfly valve and scrub away?
• Where was the vehicle idling at before?
• What range is it idling at now?