philgates

Just wondering if i should clean the throttle body of my 03 CLS with 25K miles on it. I have been noticing the RMPs dip kinda low and then kick up when i have been coming to a stop. I have a Comptech IceBox and I'm wondering if maybe some of the filter oil worked its way up and latched onto the throttle plate.

If i do need to clean the throttle body, does any one know if Acura uses a protective coating on the throttle body bore to help reduce dirt buildup?

Thanks in advance
Phil

NiteQwill

When I took my TB out a few days ago to install the Thermoblok, I noticed how dirty it was... I only have 15K on my car.

That being said, I could see your concern.

It doesn't hurt to do so, it's very easy to remove and clean the TB.

BTW, I don't know of any protective coating in the TB.

NiteQwill

I used TB Cleaner from any autoparts store. One thing I definitely noticed is that the throttle wasn't "sticky" like it was beforehand.

koreancl

how do you pull apart the throttle body from the icebocx

phipark

unscrew the hose clamp?

philgates

does any one know if Acura uses a protective coating on the throttle body bore to help reduce dirt buildup?

derelict

Tons of people on this forum have the same problem. If it's TB related, that would be a great thing to know for sure.

oldschoolcl

I believe it's the nature of the engine. If it lunges a little at a stop, that's just a power surge once the cooling fan shuts off. You shouldnt' need to do anything at all untill 30k+.

Edddie

No

Edddie

What?

Power surge? Lunging?

A clean TB helps in a lot of areas. This topic has been discussed before.

philgates

Has anyone ever tryed Gumout® Air Intake & Throttle Body Cleaner For Fuel-Injected Engines? I picked up a can but havnt used it yet....

ou sig

thats what I used when I cleaned out my TB and Intake manafold and EGR port when I put on my thermoblock spacers. I was very surprised how dirty all 3 were, now the car runs very smooth and idles like a new car.

Smitty

do you plan on taking off the TB off the car and cleaning it?...

philgates

no it says to spray the stuff on the throttle plate and then run the car for a min, then spray the plate again and run it again....do that untill the bottle is empty. It also says to spray it while the engine is running but i dont think the CL will start with out the intake tube on the throttle body/

Smitty

sure it will.. the only thing is that it will not be filtered air.

philgates

i thought i would get alot of alarms in the ecu if i took the pipe off and started it cause of some sensors......Would that happen?

ou sig

nope, wont do anything at all. You can actually drive like that as long as you want, you will just run the risk of sucking up some crap into your engine. So it is just fine to run it w/o any air filter for a few minutes

philgates

excellent, so ill spray the can into the TB like the directions said.....

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

No matter what anyone says, I will never spray anything into the engine while it's running.

I cleaned my throttle body while I was installing the spacer kit. It was dirty and definitely sticking (38k miles).

If you want to take it off and clean it, then here's what you do --

Take off the intake from the secondary throttle body (on most TL's, for VSA/TCS, the one away from the engine). The secondary throttble should be clean, since EGR is routed after that, into the primary throttle body (the one that you actually control with the gas pedal).

Take off all the hoses and harnesses from the TB assembly, and unbolt it from the intake manifold. Just remember where all the hoses and the harnesses go. The harnesses are of different shapes, so it's kind of hard to mess it up. Also take off the throttle cables. They are rested into a spot, and are easy to take out. One of the hoses is coolant input hose, so you will have coolant coming out. Per the spacer kit instructions, I would recommend using a bolt to plug it. It works great.

Once everything's unhooked, the throttle body assembly will come out. Separate the two throttle bodies, and clean the one closer to the engine. The EGR is routed after the secondary, and into the primary (closer to the engine). That's the main reason it sticks, for the same reason that EGR insufficient flow happens. The gunk just builds up everywhere.

Once everything's clean, just reverse the procedure and reassemble everything. If you lose a lot of coolant for any reason, make sure to refill and let the air out of the system. But if you have a bolt ready, then you will only lose a few drips.

andyjl

this is a stupid question, but does the CL-P also have a throttle body (i'm assuming it does) or is it just on the type-s, my car's acceleration feels sluggish and my pedal feels all stiff too, maybe it is my throttle body that is dirty?

CBR1100XX

So was there a gasket that needed to be replaced behind the TB?

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

All fuel injected cars have a throttle body.

Depending on the mileage, your throttle body could be dirty and sticking, and it sounds like it is based on your description. It's a one-hour job at the most, so if you are bored on the weekend, I would recommend looking into it.

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

You could replace it if you wanted to, if you're just cleaning the TB. With the spacer kit, it comes with new gaskets.

Once you remove the plastic engine cover, you will see a green gasket between the intake manifold and the throttle body.

RUF87

Generally speaking . . . spraying a cleaner in to the TB is no different than spraying a cleaner in to a carborator . . .

That said, the only issue I've ever heard of that would make this a is if the manufacturer says otherwise. The case here may be that some TBs may have a special coating inside them around the moving parts/sensors and the cleaner could remove/damage the film.

My recommendation is to check with an Acura tech before cleaning the TB with either method.

my based from my days as a mechanic.

Ruf

andyjl

would most mechanics know how to do the cleaning of the TB or would it be just best to take it to an acura dealer and have them clean it out? if i should take it to acura, how much do you think it would cost?

ou sig

any mechanic could do it, but you really should save yourself the money and do it yourself - it is kinda fun and VERY easy to do with simple hand tools.

andyjl

yea i would do it myself, but i have no idea where it is and i don't know what the heck those parts the other guy was explaining when he was telling how to take it out and all that stuff.

philgates

The gumout stuff said its safe to use on TBs with protective coatings...but maybe ill just take the TB apart.

RUF87

That's good to know.

Ruf

philgates

Here is gumout's description

"The air intake and throttle body cleaner won't remove protective coatings from throttle valves and manifolds but will lubricate them and add special corrosion protection, while eliminating deposit build-up."

Pure Adrenaline

iTrader: (2)

I used brake cleaner. Shoot me.

Chopsie

Chopsie

Also I find this thread interesting because of the issue I was having during the winter months when I had the CLS. RPM's were dipping low upon coming to a stop. This was orginally thought to be the IACV (Idle Air Control valve)..I took it to the dealer adn told them what it might be, and they changed the EGR valve, still happened. Also another diagnosis I was told was "winter gas" since this was not happening in the summer months.

Those two may still be the case for someone having a similar problem. However, i do think the Thermoblock spacers have shed some light on the importance of the throttle boddy cleaning, as it may have had something to do with the problem I was having and the fact that people are saying how "dirty" theirs are at such low mileages (20-30k).