Many times, problems start occurring after cleaning the throttle body, which can badly affect the performance of the vehicle’s engine. The throttle body is one of the main parts of a gasoline internal combustion engine.
The throttle body is the component that controls the acceleration of the engine. Therefore, the throttle body is cleaned from time to time. But sometimes, after cleaning the throttle body, you may face a variety of problems that can seriously affect the acceleration and performance of the engine. In this article, we will learn in detail about the problems after cleaning the throttle body.
What Is A Throttle Body
The throttle body is an important component of the internal combustion engine, which is connected to the engine’s air intake manifold and controls the flow of air into the engine’s internal combustion chamber.
The throttle body is operated from the acceleration pedal by a wire or sensor, and the actuator controls the flow of air into the air intake according to pedal pressure. Therefore, the throttle body plays an important role in controlling the power and efficiency of the engine.
Problems After Cleaning Throttle Body
The most common problem after cleaning the throttle body is unstable engine RPM and the check engine light illuminating. Additionally, other problems may include jerking during acceleration, hesitation in acceleration, reduced engine power, or high fuel consumption.
Let us learn about these problems in detail so that you never face this type of problem after throttle body cleaning.
1. Warning Check Engine Light
In vehicles with modern technology, the main symptom of any sensor or electrical fault is the illumination of the check engine light in the cluster meter. If you have a broken or misadjusted throttle position sensor when cleaning the throttle body, the throttle body is unable to report valve position or gives an incorrect reading. Due to this, the ECM of the vehicle first indicates the check engine light as a warning.
2. Jerks During Acceleration
In electronic vehicles, if the throttle body sensor wiring is damaged while cleaning the throttle body, the throttle position sensor will be unable to send valve position to the vehicle’s ECM.
Which can result in jerking of the engine during acceleration. because the throttle position sensor is unable to inform the ECM of the valve position of the throttle body during acceleration. The ECM is unable to determine the correct ratio of air and fuel in the engine’s fuel mixture, which causes the engine to jerk during acceleration.
3. Rough Idle Issue
Reinstalling the throttle body after cleaning it can result in a vacuum leak and poor engine airflow. Due to which the engine RPM starts decreasing or increasing suddenly when the engine is running at idle or the engine starts over-accelerating many times.
4. Acceleration Hesitation
Often, after cleaning the throttle position, the engine begins to hesitate during acceleration. Sometimes the valve position sensor may be corroded or the sensor adjustment may be incorrect, causing the throttle position sensor to not inform the ECM of the actual position of the valve in the throttle body.
As a result, the ECM is unable to determine the correct ratio of air and fuel in the fuel mixture for the engine. Fuel is not supplied to the engine as required for acceleration, and the engine hesitates during acceleration.
5. Loss of Engine Power
If reinstalled after cleaning the throttle body, a leak problem and sensor related problem is observed in the throttle body, with the position sensor being unable to inform the ECM of the actual position of the valves on the throttle body. This causes the ECM to not be able to supply fuel according to engine speed. Due to this, a decrease in the power performance of the engine can be felt. Due to the poor fuel-air ratio and low volume, fuel combustion is disrupted in the internal combustion chamber of the engine.
6. More Fuel Consumption
In many cases, reinstallation after cleaning the throttle body may result in a number of throttle body-related problems. Due to this, the air flow to the engine may be obstructed, and the acceleration and power of the engine will decrease, causing the engine to consume more fuel.
Why Do Problems Occur After Cleaning The Throttle Body
Possible causes of problems after cleaning the throttle body may be a damaged throttle position sensor, damaged wiring, incorrect setting of the TPS sensor, vacuum leakage, or debris buildup.
1. Damaged Throttle Position Sensor
Sometimes, if the sensor is not taken care of when cleaning the throttle body, the throttle body sensor may be damaged or the sensor may be incorrectly adjusted. Because of this, an imbalance of acceleration and power can be seen in the engine.
2. Damaged Wiring
When cleaning the throttle body of an electronic vehicle or removing it from the engine, the wiring may become frayed, causing the throttle body sensor to be unable to open the valve according to the accelerator pedal position and not send a valve keypostive signal to the ECM.
3. Incorrect Setting of Throttle Position Sensor
If you are cleaning the sensor by disassembling the throttle body, its adjustment may be incorrect when reinstalling the sensor, which may cause the sensor to be unable to sense the valve position of the throttle body. The throttle body valve position is incorrectly signalled to the ECM, and the ECM may disturb the engine’s fuel mixture ratio.
4. Vacuum Leak
If the throttle is opened and reinstalled after cleaning, there may be a vacuum leak from the throttle body, which can severely affect engine acceleration and power.
5. Debris Builds Up in Throttle Body
Sometimes the throttle body can get clogged with debris in its valves or sensors when reinstalled after cleaning. This accumulated debris can badly affect the functioning of the throttle body, and the throttle body valve becomes unable to control the flow of air into the engine.
How To Fix Problems After Cleaning Throttle Body?
In most cases, engine-high idle problems can occur after cleaning the throttle body. To fix this, you should check these reasons.
Check for leaks in the air intake system and throttle.
When reinstalling the throttle body, make sure that the throttle body is seated correctly.
Check for leaks in the intake system.
Check the throttle body sensor and make sure it is working properly.
Check the air control valve to make sure it is working properly.
Also check the air mass flow sensor and make sure it is working properly.
After that, you check the trouble code with OBD scanner and solve according to the problem.
How Does The Throttle Body Work?
The throttle body is usually a housing containing an actuator valve, which is opened or closed by the accelerator pedal to control the flow of air into the engine. The throttle valve is controlled by a cable or sensor connected to the accelerator pedal. Depending on the engine type, the accelerator pedal cable or sensor is mounted.
When the accelerator pedal is pressed by the driver, the cable pulls up or the sensor sends a signal to the throttle body sensor, causing the throttle body valve to open and allow air to enter the engine according to the position of the accelerator pedal.
According to the position of the throttle valve, the correct ratio of air and fuel ignites combustion in the engine, producing more power. Conversely, when the accelerator pedal is released, the throttle body valve closes, and the amount of air entering the engine is reduced, slowing fuel delivery to the engine and reducing engine power.
Often, the valve of the engine throttle body of an electronic vehicle is controlled by an electronic motor instead of a cable, and the accelerator pedal sensor and throttle body sensor play an important role in its functioning.
What Happens When You Clean The Throttle Body?
Throttle body cleaning is performed to remove buildup, carbon deposits, and grime, thereby improving air flow and ensuring the proper fuel-air mixture for the ECU to operate the engine efficiently, thereby improving engine performance and fuel efficiency. But if the throttle body is not reinstalled carefully after cleaning, it can cause a vacuum leak, causing engine-high idle problems.
How Much Does Throttle Body Cleaning Cost?
On average, the cost to have a throttle body removed and cleaned by a vehicle mechanic can range from $150 to $250, with the mechanic removing the throttle body from the engine and cleaning it with a cleaner solution.
But its cleaning cost may be more or less dependent on the model of the vehicle and the location of the mechanic. If you have the experience to clean it yourself without removing it, you will only have to pay to purchase the throttle body cleaner.
FAQ’s
Q. Is it worth cleaning the throttle body?
Yes, throttle-body cleaning is a good preventative for high engine performance. If you are experiencing rough idle, rough initial acceleration, or rough idle in your vehicle, a dirty throttle body may be the cause. Therefore, to get rid of these problems, the first thing to consider is cleaning the throttle body.
My name is Banty Paul and I am an experienced car mechanic with over 13 years of expertise in the automotive industry. I am currently running an auto repair garage. Along with this I am also the founder of a blog Autorepairszone.com where I am passionate about sharing my automotive knowledge through blogging and my aim is to provide accurate and useful information to car owners to keep their vehicles in perfect condition.
