All petrol engines have a throttle valve. The throttle body controls the amount of air entering the engine. Without oxygen the engine cannot run. The throttle body is therefore an important part of most gasoline engines. Typically, the throttle body is located between the air filter and the intake manifold.
The accelerator pedal plays an important role in this process. The further you press the accelerator, the more air is let through. This ensures more powerful combustion in the cylinders and therefore affects the engine's power.
In diesel engines, a throttle valve has a different function than in petrol engines. With a diesel engine, the throttle valve is usually fully open while running. Once the throttle valve closes, there is no more airflow and the engine shuts off. Another name for this is “throttle valve”. In addition, the throttle valve can help with the operation of the EGR valve.
Symptoms of dirty throttle body
There are three possible causes of a defective or malfunctioning throttle body:
- Internal pollution
- Vacuum leaks
- An improperly adjusted throttle position sensor
A dirty throttle body is the most common cause. The throttle body has to deal with various vapors and gases coming from the engine. This can cause the throttle body to become contaminated, with all its consequences. You can clean a throttle body with a throttle valve cleaner. We will come back to this at the bottom of this blog.
The symptoms below may indicate a dirty throttle body:
- The engine is experiencing a loss of power
- Fuel consumption increases
- The engine will stutter
- The engine fault light comes on
- The engine no longer accelerates well
- The speed fluctuates
These symptoms do not always necessarily mean that the throttle body is dirty. It may also happen that the problem is only discovered by a garage during a major service or MOT inspection. A mechanic can see if there are problems with the throttle body during a check.
Prevent dirty throttle body
You can help prevent contamination in the throttle body by not only making short trips. If you drive mainly short distances with a diesel engine, the engine will not warm up properly. This can cause incomplete combustion, causing more internal contamination in the throttle body.
You can also prevent pollution by taking preventive measures Lindemann Fuel System Cleaner or Lindemann Diesel Boost to be added at every refueling. One 400 ml bottle of Diesel Boost is good for 100 liters of diesel fuel. Using this additive creates cleaner combustion and can limit internal contamination. The Lindemann Fuel System Cleaner is suitable for petrol engines and is good for 400 liters of petrol.
Cost of having the throttle body cleaned
If you recognize the above symptoms of a dirty throttle body, you can choose to have your throttle body cleaned by a professional. At that time the throttle body is disassembled, cleaned and reassembled. After cleaning, the throttle body often works normally again and the car no longer suffers from the symptoms mentioned.
If the throttle body is seriously dirty or damaged, it may be necessary to replace the part. Depending on the type of throttle body and brand, the costs can be quite high. You can also install a new throttle body yourself, but the engine may then have an increased idle speed. In that case, the throttle body must be relearned or the throttle position sensor must be adjusted correctly. It is best to have this done by a professional.
Clean throttle body with additive
Want to clean your throttle body yourself with an additive? Then it is best to choose the Lindemann Service Cleaner Benzine. This throttle valve cleaner is suitable for cleaning the throttle body and can easily be added to the fuel system.
The Lindemann Service Cleaner Benzine is a powerful one gasoline cleaner which cleans the entire fuel system, including the valves, injectors, pistons and throttle body. A 400 ml bottle is good for one refill.
You can buy the Service Cleaner Benzine via our webshop. You can immediately add the product to your shopping cart via the “Order Direct” button. Would you like to read more information first? Then view the product page.
We hope that this has provided an answer to your question. As a token of appreciation for reading the blog, we have made the discount code below available to you.
Click on “Order Directly” and receive an extra 5% discount with the discount code: DPPBLOG5
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