Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
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CLEANING THE THROTTLE
BODY
Over time, dirt will start to build up in the
throttle body, which can cause rough idle and other
driveability issues, not to mention poor fuel
economy. If you look into the throat of the
throttle body, A, you’ll see a ring of dirt, B,
around the throttle blade, C (refer to Figure
1). This area of dirt extends through the back
side of the housing. The easiest way to clean the
throttle body is to remove it from the engine and
do the cleaning on your workbench.
You’ll find that removing the throttle body housing
is pretty straightforward. First, remove the
electrical connectors (there will be two or three),
the throttle cable, then remove the throttle
position sensor, which is probably mounted with two
screws. Then, remove the housing, which is usually
secured by two bolts.
The cleaning agent that you should use is Mopar
Throttle Body Cleaner, P/N 04897156AA, or an
equivalent product. With the housing on the
workbench, turn it over and spray the back side of
the throttle blade, D, and the housing with the
cleaner, E, as shown in Figure 2.
In Figure 3, a rag, F, is used to clean the
surfaces of the throttle body blade and housing.
Spray the inlet side of the housing, too, and clean
it in the same manner. Open the throttle blade, G,
and, using a small brush, H, clean the ring of dirt
(see Figure 4). After you’ve finished
cleaning the housing thoroughly, spray it, J, with
the cleaner, K, to remove all traces of dirt, as
shown in Figure 5. Dry the housing with a
clean rag. Use compressed air if you have an air
compressor.
After you’ve cleaned and dried the housing,
reinstall it in the engine. Be sure that the
electrical connections are snapped into place
securely. Also, some engines use a traditional
paper gasket. If this is the case, the gasket must
be replaced. Many engines, though, use a neoprene
gasket, which can be reused. Just be sure the
gasket and the mating surfaces are clean. Dirty
fuel injectors can also be a source of driveability
problems and poor fuel economy. As seen in
Figure 6, dirt accumulates near the pintle
valve, L. This can inhibit the fuel spray and
affect the spray pattern of the fuel.
Mopar Fuel Injector Cleaner, P/N 04318007 can be
used to clean these dirty injectors. As shown in
Figure 7, pour the cleaner, M, into the gas
tank. Then, the fuel injectors are cleaned while
you drive.
The last task to perform to clean your fuel system
is checking the air filter. The air filter, N,
shown in Figure 8, has a considerable build
up of dirt, P. This filter should be replaced. An
engine needs to breathe easily in order to perform
at maximum efficiency and this is accomplished with
a clean filter.
Courtesy of Mopar Magazine
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