Throttle body cleaning/ maintenance

Here is the video on youtube available covering all details if you like to watch:

Throttle bodies are essential part of today's vehicles. All the air sucked by engine passes through throttle body. Somewhere I read that while a regular gas engine is operating, to burn 1 litter of gas it needs 10,000 litters of air! Such quantity of air passes through throttle body!
Air contains dust and other pollution partials. Off course there is air filter installed in all vehicles but keep in mind that there is no such perfect filter exists in the universe. The filter has its function limitation. The limitation is off course the smallest size of particles a filter can block or restrict. The smaller particles which are out of the filtration range of an air filter are passed through the filter. Some particles are entered in the engine with air and some are accumulated in the throttle body. With passage of time the accumulation becomes denser and denser. Time comes when these particles restricts small air passages as well as some mechanical parts like idle air control values moving parts. They create restriction in the normal motion of such parts. Result is poor performance, stalling at low rpm and rough idling. Such a problem is felt in the beginning when one is switching on air conditioner. When it becomes more worst with passage of time, the problem appears while one is stopping car at red signal or in traffic jams. Then the owner of the car start thinking that something worst is happening with his or her car. In such a situation the people who used old carbureted cars especially starts tuning the idle air control limit screw or bolt located outside the throttle body. Off course their such action can't solve the idling problem because such an action is not accepted in modern fuel injected cars. They need proper throttle body maintenance. The throttle body cleaning or maintenance is not very difficult to perform. One DIY person with little technical knowledge and a few necessary tools can perform such a maintenance. There are step by step procedures if one follows it is hopping that he or she will be able to perform such a maintenance or cleaning job with success and will give new life to his or her car. Problem with under tree mechanics is they are not performing such a job with enough care hence there is little chance of success then if the job is carried out by them. Even sometimes I see the professional mechanics are blinding throttle body holes with rags and cloths if they become contaminated. In such a way they kill the function of  a throttle body due to their ignorance and they put owner of a car in new troubles instead of solving existing troubles.
If your car had touched the road for four or five years and you are feeling rough idling problems, chances are there that your car needs a throttle body maintenance. Don't feel any hesitation for taking such a maintenance in consideration. Sure this maintenance will increase the performance of your car and will solve your car most idling problems. Some people think they are using car with care or they are using good quality gas available so their car don't need such maintenance. This is not reality because if you see the above statement carefully, you will get the answer that there is no relation of fuel quality or careful operation with such maintenance need. Instead this maintenance depends upon the usage of a car. For sure if one is purchasing a car, he or she purchases it for use and not let stop it in the parking lot. So if a car is used in routine, it will sure need such maintenance.

Throttle body cleaning procedure:

First located the throttle body in your car. There will be a black color air tube attached to it. Also the other end of the throttle body will be attached to air intake. In older model cars there will be a mechanical linkage attached to it in which the gas pedal cable's wire will be attached. In the newer models known as drive by wire design, an electrical connector will be attached to it in place of mechanical linkage and gas pedal cable. Sure there will be some other electrical connections and cables will be attached for IAC values and TPS sensor. By this way you will locate it. This is your luck then in which place your car make and model throttle body is located. Sometimes it is very easily accessible and in some models it needs much more other stuff to remove to access it. But in any case you will remove so many items like air filter box, air intake tube, battery and electrical connections. The throttle body itself will be fasten with three or more nuts and bolts with the air intake manifold. These bolts could be regular hex type or in some models ellen key type or in some models they could be torx bit type. What ever type is used, you need same type tool to open them.

While the throttle body is out of car, prepare for opening different parts of the throttle body by opening fasteners using appropriate tools. Better if you take some photos of the assembly before disassembling anything. It will prevent future pain if anything may go wrong if you forget any part during reassembly.

After removing idle air control valve actuator motor electrical part, the IAC valve shaft and magnet will expose and you could inspect it by rotating it. If you feel restriction while moving the shaft of the IAC valve, you will have a dirty and clogged IAC valve which needs a thorough cleaning.

Using an impact screw driver and an ordinary screw driver you can then open three or sometimes more fasteners to remove the IAC valve assembly. After removing the IAC valve assembly it will be exposed for cleaning.

Once the IAC assembly removed, the IAC valve will be exposed and you will better see the interior condition of the valve by inspecting it. Now is the time for cleaning it.

Wash the IAC valve using any solvent like regular gas or what ever solvent of your choice.

Remove as much gunk as possible by washing, using a brush or by tapping the IAC value inside the solvent pan. Take your time cleaning the IAC valve and make its shaft rotation very much free.

Wash the rest of the throttle body as well. Wash all air openings and remove all gunk from it.

Use your tools like screw driver and rag to remove gunk from the throttle body openings and throttle plate.

After cleaning throttle body assemble every thank back with care not to miss any part, any gasket and any screw. After assembling it fix it back on the car and start the car. At first start up the car engine will rev at high rpm like 1200 and after a few moments it will reduce down to its normal idling rpm like 650 or 700 rpm. Switch on the air conditioner and test that the rpm will vary little and then stable again in a moment to the normal 650 or 700. If it is doing all well, you did the job with success and precision. If not then recheck all your work and find out the mistake you made or further check the electrical system of the car that your IAC is commanding by ECU or not. Repair accordingly.

Some cars make and models need a bidirectional scan tool to register the throttle body cleaning or maintenance in the car ECU. In such a case do the scan tool procedure and follow the onscreen instructions and do accordingly. Some car makes and models need certain key cycles to adapt its ECU with a cleaned throttle body to bring the idle rpm to an acceptable range.

After successful maintenance of the throttle body it is expected that it will stay with you for further 4 to 5 years doing proper operation and proper idling.

Here is my youtube channel url which is pointing to the video tutorial if you like all the above procedure in video tutorial. Here is the url.

Here is another video on my youtube channel avail to cover all these details:
Click below thumbnail to watch the detailed video.