The last time I was at the car dealership they suggested that I have my throttle body and intake plenum cleaned. I already did the throttle body myself with the instructions on Motorvate.ca but cleaning the plenum as well?

 

From what I've read, when some of the guys installed their VI's, there was a lot of carbon in the intake chambers on the block. This lead me to say that the plenum probably looks as bad or worse than the throttlebody before cleaning.

 

http://members.***.net/94miatam/carbon.html

 

Miata tsb on the issue. good reading

http://miata.net/garage/tsb/s004_93.html

 

Where is the equivalent "Purge control vacuum" port on the maxima, as shown on the miata in that web page?

 

Anyone feel using this Top Engine Cleaner by GM and following the above procedure on miata.net is a bad thing? I'd like to do it.

 

read carefully:


If you pour the cleaner in too quick, you hydrolock your engine. I think i'll let a pro take care of this one.....hmmmm, destroy engine, or deal with a dirty plenum.........

 

hahaha yes that would be bad! Buuuut if you have a timer, and use a slow drip with a very small hose so that u dont exceed 1/2 the can in 90 seconds...i think it would be ok...has anyone done this procedure with their maxima??

I did spray TB cleaner into the intake while blipping the throttle, but it didnt clean much (no colored smoke out tail pipe). I've got almost 100k miles so I doubt it was because the intake manifold was clean.

 

Anyone used the Top Engine Cleaner??

 

ok i was told by a mechanic on how to clean the trottle body, I need to know if this is the way to go. He told me to get some carburetor cleaner, get to the trottle body however I can and get someone to press down the accelerator while I pour in the cleaner. Once im all done, press down the accelerator while I turn on the car b/c it will be flooded.

I have an auto max 1996 gle.

 

I didn't do any TB cleaning yet, but planning to do it saturday.When you said "blipping the throttle" does that mean that the engine is running while spraying the tb cleaner? I am planning to follow motorvate procedure.It does not say I can open or push the plate or butterfly so that I can spray past plate or the opposite side of the plate or right to the intake body. I am afraid if I push the plate to open , I might break the mechanism that open and close the plate . I'm a newbie ,I need help . thanks.........

 

What I did helps to clean the intake runners, not just the TB. You should first clean the TB following the motorvate.ca directions. Then after its all reassembled: loosen the clamp that holds the black accordian tube to the TB. Pry back a small opening at the top and slide the hose from teh can of TB cleaner in there. Your engine should be warm and running. Start to spray the TB cleaner in there. The engine will want to stall, so gently give it a little gas with your finger by pushing on the crescent that the throttle cable connects to. You'll get the idea of where to push it to. Don't rev crazy high, just keep it from stalling. Spray about half of the can in there. Afterwards, drive around for about 5 miles.

 

don't push the plate itself, move it by moving the "lever" that the throttle cable attaches to.

 

If you pull the intake off totally, the MAF won't get a reading
and the car will stall. But, yeah, you could slide the nozzle in a small gap, as long as there's air being pulled.
You can blip the engine with the throttle cable.

 

So does anyone have experience using Top Engine cleaner ???

 

just take it off and make it easier

 

taking the entire MAF and hosing off so you can spray the TB lets you clean that out well. However, the instructions I provided allow you to spray the TB cleaner while the engine is running and thus allowing it to penetrate into the upper intake manifold and clean much deeper down than you would w/out the engine running.

 

As far as TB cleaning and not upper plenum cleaning, I do it about every 2-3 months and its very noticeable. First I take off my intake so the throttle body is completel exposed(while car is turned off) and spray in the throttle body while using a toothbrush as well as moving the plate opend and closed. Usually a sh!tload of dirt pours out through the throttle body or gets blown into the plenum. After a good cleaning with car off, i hook everything back up.... disconnect the crankshaft breather hose, put the tiny hose attachment that comes with throttle body cleaner between my fingers through the crankshaft intake tract forming a seal, and have my friends rev the hell out of it while i keep a constant spray. Ive noticed huge amounts of black smoke that come out from this and a much more responsive throttle. Maybe most of you do this, but this way it doesnt cause any MAF problems by having a exposed area. In fast and furious terms, i use the throttle body cleaner like a dry nawwwws system through the crankshaft breather exstenion off my intake.

 

Don't use carb cleaner, get specific throttle body cleaner, like STP or chevron's. Carb cleaner will do something bad to your intake manifold. I don't remeber what, but it will, it's been discussed before.


All you people who are thinking of spraying it in your enigne with the MAF off, DON'T DO IT!!!! IT will give you a CEL, and cause your car to run like **** because the ECU thinks you have no MAF sensor. I'm talking from experience here.

just follow motorvate.ca's instructions and you'll be fine.

please don't ever make a comparison like that again.

 

There are 3 hoses that come off the piping between the MAF and throttle body. I assume ONE of these is the crankshaft breather hose, but I'm not sure which. Let me know so I can spray some TB cleaner into there =)

 

i used carb cleaner and i havn't had 1 problem. what it is supposed to do? it seems like the exactly same use.

 

I took off the entire plastic intake, exposing the aluminum (silver-looking) throttle body plate. I used the pennzoil gumout??? (eh...been drinkin...forget exactly) throttle body cleaner. It wasn't for carbs.

Anywho, I ran the engine, sprayed into the intake, (had to race a lil to keep it from choking). No problems. What the hell are you talking about fearthegecko
(throwing a MAF code)? Of course it will, it ain't connected. So reset the ECU. It ain't gonna be a life-changing experience if you throw a MAF code.

I've had a couple friends loosing that little plastic straw into the intake (the straw you attach to the can of TB cleaner). So don't use it. Just be careful spraying, or you may have a fun time trying to douse yourself with water putting out flames.

 

im still confused wth is the plenum, and how to clean it, im gonna clean my TB again this week, its been a while, when i tried last time to spray it with the car running straight into the TB it kept stalling , so best way for me is when cars off with a toothbrush to reach in there good

 

95seMax, there are 2 types of cleaning. You can do what you just said OR

you can do what I said earlier. You can even do both.

both of these methods will work and do different things.

 

If i remember correctly, there is a coating of sealant, or like a protective coating of some sort in the manifold, and carb cleaner eats this away. I'm not sure if that's exactly it, if i could search i could give you an exact answer, but i remember a lot of people advising against using carb cleaner, and advocating using strictly intake cleaner.

poof! you just answered your own question.


you're right, but i'm one of those people who believe in the strict philosphy of "why make more work for yourself".

 

Excuse my ignorance.... what does ECU stands for .. its location and how do you reset it ...thanks

 

At the top of the 4th gen Forum there are threads that say Important in red. Read these: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....threadid=72447 and http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....hreadid=104931

They should help answer all your questions

 

You shouldnt have to worry about throwing a CEL because if you are working on your car, you should have the battery disconnected...
so there really is no way to throw a cel and well if your still worrying about it, the battery is disconnected so your pretty much doing a hard ECU reset