The frequency of throttle valve cleaning is closely related to personal driving habits and usage environment. Most cars can undergo throttle valve cleaning after driving over 20000 kilometers each time, while a small number of cars need to be cleaned after driving over 10000 kilometers. Nowadays, many cars have electronic throttle valves, which are more sensitive to carbon buildup. If there is too much carbon buildup, there will be malfunctions immediately. For example, idle shaking, throttle jerking, slow acceleration response, difficulty igniting, and even some cars will directly light up the fault light, resulting in carbon accumulation and malfunction, and have to be washed. Someone has said, don't clean it frequently, it will damage the throttle valve. Is this really the case? Today we will discuss the issue of cleaning the throttle valve.

 Washing out the throttle valve is not a problem that comes out of imagination, but rather a problem that does occur. However, it is not that the car broke down during cleaning. It will only appear after the vehicle has been in use for a period of time. I have encountered a situation where the throttle valve is broken and needs to be replaced. However, the car owner just had it cleaned recently, which is likely related to cleaning. Therefore, cleaning the throttle valve may be damaged. However, there are only a few cases where the throttle valve is washed out, and most of them will not be washed out. The main reason for washing out the throttle valve is improper operation, combined with the aging of the throttle valve.

  How did it break? It is due to the infiltration of cleaning agent into the interior of the throttle body, which has corroded the circuit board inside. The control for the opening and closing of the throttle valve is a baffle, which has a rotating shaft leading to the interior of the throttle body. The area where the shaft contacts the throttle body is the most prone to dirt and is also the least easy to clean. So, many people use cleaning agents to aim here and spray them all the time, spraying a large amount of cleaning agent, and then wiping with a cloth. The permeability of the throttle valve cleaning agent is relatively good, and if sprayed too much, it is easy to penetrate into the interior of the throttle body along the gap of this axis, corroding the internal components and causing damage to the entire throttle valve. In addition, if a hard object, such as a screwdriver, is used to scrape the carbon deposits on it, it is also easy to scratch the throttle valve, causing damage to the throttle valve. The most common ones are these two operations, which cause the throttle valve to malfunction.

  It is best to spray cleaning agent onto a cloth to clean the throttle valve. Use your hand to break off the throttle valve baffle, and then use a cloth to wipe it. Pay attention to the force, and if it cannot be cleaned at once, it should be wiped multiple times. It is also possible to spray the cleaning agent directly onto the throttle valve, but it is best not to spray too much on the root of the shaft, as a small amount of cleaning agent will not affect it. The damaged throttle valve is actually closely related to its own aging. The new throttle valve is well sealed, and even if there is a lot of cleaning agent sprayed, it is difficult to penetrate. Just like many rubber parts on the car, which were originally used well, they broke after just one disassembly. In addition, attention should be paid to the selection of cleaning agents. It is best to use specialized throttle valve cleaning agents. Other highly corrosive cleaning agents cannot be used as they will corrode the throttle valve.

So, using the correct cleaning agent and operating method will not damage the throttle valve, and improper operation may lead to damage. Finally, should the throttle valve be removed for cleaning or cleaned on top? Dismantling for cleaning is easier to operate and also easier to clean. If cleaning by oneself, it depends on the degree of dirt on the throttle valve and the complexity of dismantling the throttle valve. If the throttle valve is easy to remove, then remove it and wash it. If the position of the throttle is not good, it is not easy to remove, and the throttle is not particularly dirty, just wash it in the car. If it costs labor to clean in a repair shop, it is best to dismantle it and wash it, as this will make it cleaner.

From: WONDEE Autoparts 2023-8-21