SYMPTOMS OF A DIRTY THROTTLE
purpose
The purpose of the throttle body is to control the amount of air coming into the engine. As you press down on the gas pedal, the throttle plate opens up allowing more air into the engine.
location
In modern cars today with fuel injection, the throttle is located by following the air intake into the engine.
If you have an older car with a carburetor, then it’s going to be located underneath it.
Throttles can start getting dirty at around 60,000 to 80,000 miles. So if your car is around this range, make sure to look out for these symptoms.
Symptoms
engine light
The first symptom you might be experiencing with a dirty throttle body is having a check engine light on. An engine code known for this cause is P0121.
Ensure you can access your car's diagnostic codes by acquiring an OBD2 scanner here.
Rough idle
The second symptom of a dirty throttle body is a rough idle. When your car is idling, the throttle is open just a tad bit to let air inside the engine for combustion. If there’s carbon buildup around the edges of the throttle plate, the air-fuel ratio starts to suffer due to restrictions of the airflow, which results in vibrations. If you have a drive-by-wire throttle body (electronic throttle body), in some situations the ECM will open up the throttle plate gap to compensate for the lack of airflow.
poor mpg
The third symptom of a dirty throttle is poor gas mileage. When the ECM commands the throttle plate to open up more during idle, there should be more air coming in, which results in the ECM commanding more fuel. If you have a drive-by cable throttle body your gas mileage could suffer due to the carbon build-up, leading to an incorrect air-fuel ratio, causing an inefficient burn. This is the reason why you’re going to the gas station more often.
bad acceleration
The fourth symptom you might be experiencing with your car is delayed acceleration. In some situations, there can be so much carbon buildup around the throttle plate that it can cause it to stick. A sticky throttle plate can be the reason why your car has acceleration issues.
If you want to save money, you can clean the throttle body instead of buying a new one. Make sure to use the cleaning chemical that says throttle body cleaner on it. You can purchase the cleaning chemical here.
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