Throttle Body Cleaning Question

5019 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by vedled, Jun 12, 2008

vedled

Discussion Starter · May 28, 2008

First of all, i'm a car-tard so please be nice and don't flame me for such a simple question. I did search multiple times but just couldn't find the answer to my low level question even though people have already asked for a how-to on throttle body cleaning. I can change my oil, change my air filter, and that kind of thing but i'm in no way a mechanic. Anyways, i've got an 03 GTS, MT, 40K miles, totally stock. Bought it in November so since then i've been trying to do the normal maintenance to make sure everything is in check and ensure the car is running the way it should. I want to clean the throttle body since i've seen it's a common thing for them to get gunked up and rob mpg (4.20 a gallon is just ridiculous). I've also got some minor things going on where my rpms will drop to about 400 and then bounce back up to 600 when i push in the clutch sometimes and some hesitation with my AC on. Hoping this will help these things as this has been one of the biggest suggestions in other posts about these issues.

I understand the process of actually cleaning the throttle body but i'm just wondering how to take the intake off without breaking something. I see the clamp down by the MAF and the clamp on the throttle body that need loosening. Now, there is a little hose that comes off to the left and i'm assuming that just pulls off. There's also piping that goes off to the right up by the throttle body that i'm not sure about. Do i just take off the little hose in the middle, loosen the two clamps, and lift the intake up and to the right or do i pull it off that piping that goes off to the right and take the intake all the way out to get at the throttle body for cleaning? If so, does the main pipe just pull off of that pipe or is there something else i have to do? Just don't wanna break shit if you know what i'm sayin. Thanks for everyone's help.

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stilltime

· #2 · May 28, 2008

vedled said:
some hesitation with my AC on.

All cars do this, it just isn't as noticable in some. There is an A/C clutch that, when turned on, requires engine power (as a supercharger would) to power it. You can feel it kick on when cruising at a stable RPM.

You should just have to undo the clamp at the throttle body and move the intake tube out of the way. If you take the clamp off by the MAF, just be careful and make sure you unplug the harness and install it the exact same way as you took it out, not cocked to the side or anything.

Don't underestimate yourself, just getting in there and doing it you will learn so much more.

Chris.

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skinnyGT

· #3 · May 28, 2008

you have 40K miles.. i wouldnt bother cleaning it

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IAmTheSTIG

· #4 · May 28, 2008

What octane fuel are you using?

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MarkSpyder

· #5 · May 28, 2008

skinnyGT said:
you have 40K miles.. i wouldnt bother cleaning it

agreed but its nice to see him trying to learn how to take care of his car :yesway:

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rc_maniac

· #6 · May 28, 2008

vedled said:
There's also piping that goes off to the right up by the throttle body that i'm not sure about. Do i just take off the little hose in the middle, loosen the two clamps, and lift the intake up and to the right or do i pull it off that piping that goes off to the right and take the intake all the way out to get at the throttle body for cleaning? If so, does the main pipe just pull off of that pipe or is there something else i have to do? Just don't wanna break shit if you know what i'm sayin. Thanks for everyone's help.

I think what you are referring to is the baffle that comes off the intake pipe in the back by the firewall. That chamber is part of the pipe and should not be removed from it. When you take out the intake pipe, that chamber will come with it. Also note, under the intake pipe there is a hook molded into it that the fuel lines are zip tied to. You will have to unhook them when you start to lift out the intake pipe.

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vedled

Discussion Starter · #7 · May 28, 2008

I'm using Mobil 93 octane. I realize i only have 40k miles but it's a 5 year old car and the thing is that 95% of the mileage is city driving. I have a 3 mile drive to work and i rarely ever hit 5th gear. The previous owner lived in Jersey and Philly so i'm sure it was the same situation for them, hence the low miles. Also, there was a 9 month gap between when the previous owner sold it and i bought it. I mainly just want to clean the throttle body for maintenance purposes though. When i initially test drove the car, it was sort of misfiring at about 4k or 5k rpms. Ended up being the MAF which they replaced before i bought the car.

In any event, it looks like i'll just pull the intake off of the throttle body and pull it to the side without messing with the other stuff. I was just confused over what you're calling the baffle and thought it was attached to something so i wouldn't be able to just pull it to the side. I think the service manual calls it a resonator (if i'm looking at the diagram right).

I realize that it's normal for the AC to cause a loss of power so i'm not really expecting anything there. My main annoyance is the idle dropping. For example, when i come down my hill in 3rd gear, i come up to the stop sign, push in the clutch and watch the tach drop to 400 rpms then bounce up to 700 and then go down to 600 where it stays. I can hear/feel the car studder at that point and the headlights will even dim and then brighten back up. It's not like i'm pushing the clutch in at high rpms or anything either...maybe 1500. i've had it drop to 0 and then up to 1000 on at least one occasion but that was with the AC on. Like i said though, the cleaning idea is more of a pro-active approach to maintenance with hopes that it might help/cure some of these annoyances. Thanks for your time guys. I'll let you know how i make out this weekend and if you have any suggestion about that idling deal, i'd love to hear them.

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vedled

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 28, 2008

Oh yeah, should i disconnect the neg terminal of my battery to reset the ecu when doing this or not worry about it?

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MarkSpyder

· #9 · May 29, 2008

Yes, its called a resonator.

Yes, you should disconnect the battery anytime you are working around wiring or connectors (TB and intake both have electronic sensors).

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CloudINC00

· #10 · May 29, 2008

vedled said:
Oh yeah, should i disconnect the neg terminal of my battery to reset the ecu when doing this or not worry about it?

Don't be surprised to see that the car acts differently after you remove the neg terminal and replace it when you're done. This is normal, it's the car "re-learning" functions. The most noticeable delay is usually in the shifting for us autos, but you have a MT.

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vedled

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jun 12, 2008

Hey guys...just an update on this situation. Took my car over to an old friend's place tonight. He races corvettes and has a hydraulic lift in his garage so i took the car out to have him help me put the SG mix in my tranny and to do the TB cleaning. Been having the grinding issue even after the dealership replaced 2nd gear and the syncro under warranty. Anyways, i didn't have a whole lot of confidence that cleaning the TB would do a whole lot for my idle problem but in the process of hosing the TB down with the cleaner, all kinds of black crap was pouring out and you could see the carbon deposits were disappearing around the throttle plate. Long story short, the new response time is ridiculous and it's like i have a new car...MAJOR difference. No more idling problems when approaching stop signs or red lights and the car puts out a nice, smooth purr. I guess we'll find out what happens with my mpg. Even better than that, shifting is like butter now. it's amazing to me the difference the transmission fluid makes. I used 2 quarts of Redline MTL and 1 quart of BG Synchroshift II.

Anyways, i feel like i'm driving a brand new car with nothing but smiles. Thanks to all for the help and support.

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