Stillen_I30

and used up only 1/3 of the can. I merely removed the ribbed hose between throttle body and maf sensor, and it was quite hard to see behind the plate. process was slightly difficult as the car would not remain on with the hose off...and i had a friend flooring the car and starting it every 10 seconds (as it would die continuously). The engine sounded REALLY weird while i was spraying that stuff in there, and revving it. I reattached the hose, and the check engine light has been on for the last two days as a result of cleaning. havent had the chance to check out the code yet, thinking its the egr code (as someone else previously reported this same incidence). Did anyone elses engine die without the hose, and keep dying when spraying a little, starting, revving, and then die again? I didnt notice much of a performance increase, should i empty out the entire 12 oz bottle into there continuously starting, revving and allowing engine to run horribly?

Toolrocks

iTrader: (1)

Yikes!!! I would do a search on Throttle Body cleaning and read the posts. You allowed air into your engine that wasn't filtered and you also may have damaged your IA something or other valve. (it affects your idle). Good luck, hope it's nothing major. That engine light scares me.

got rice?

iTrader: (2)

I've posted before *not* to run the engine while cleaning the TB - it is not necessary. With the car off, you can have the throttle plate horizontal, spray in the cleaner, and use a toothbrush to scrub the area - repeat 5-10 times til it's clean.

Tai Mai Shu

I would reconsider using a toothbrush because the solvents may melt the bristles and then gum up the T/B, plus bristles can loosen up and get injested into the motor, although it probably won't harm it. Try using a cleaning brush made especially for automotive applications.

As far as the other post about the unfiltered air, the amount of time spent without the filter there won't damage the engine (unless you are doing it during a sandstorm or something).

NickStam

iTrader: (3)

ya, did u search before doing this? i don't recall leaving the car on.

BRIGBOY

got rice?

iTrader: (2)

I've cleaned countless throttle bodies; heck, I wrote the Tech article on the 300ZX forum. The cleaner is not going to do a thing to your toothbrush.

Stillen_I30

On the bottle of cleaner itself, it says to spray into the throttle body while working the butterfly valve...i believe the brand is Gumout? Please tell me this ISNT bad!

Stillen_I30

there was a beautiful thread that I had come across when doing the search a few nights before I did the TB cleaning. Many had replied, and I had combined what I learned from that thread with what was written on the label of the TB cleaner can...so NOBODY else sprays into it while the engine is on? what would the difference be anyway?

mzmtg

iTrader: (11)

The reason your engine wouldnt run and you got a check engine light is the MAF. You were trying to run the engine without having the intake air flow through the MAF. The engine uses the MAF to determine how much air the engine is getting, so it knows how much fuel to give.

No offense, but spend some time learning how your car works before you go taking it apart.

Stillen_I30

So I guess I'm the only one who seems to learn things by actually taking the car apart and realizing what I did right or wrong.

mzmtg

iTrader: (11)

No, but if you knew what a MAF did, you'd know that the engine wouldnt run without it. I'm justa tlkaing about basic stuff here.

Stillen_I30

not entirely true. i DID perform a search and found a few posts which reported cars working without the intake hoses attached. since this very hose runs between the mafs and the throttle body, there is no question that it cannot be possible (unless those people lied about it).

SLC I30t

iTrader: (1)

Well I hate to tell you this, but I'm learning from your mistake...
I think in my NON-mechanical mind, if it still runs, you didn't do anything to severe to it...

MR_Maxi

I usually run my car spray in the carb/throttle cleaner, then whilst still running I connect up my garden hose and give it a good flush.
I haven't had any problems with it. Also oil changes, after the oil has drained, stick ya hose in there and give it a good flush, performance increases are unbelievable !!!

nfafan

Did this a few weeks ago on the second car - directions on TB cleaner spray can says to spray, run, stop, and repeat until can empty.

Yes, car runs like crap with all the stuff disconnected to get to the TB. Unless you let some junk get drawn into the TB, no harm, no foul.

Eric L.

You are not supposed to run the car with the rubber hose to the TB detatched. While you can run the car between cleaner sprayings, you must reconnect the hoses each time (which is a pain!).


What I did was remove the TB hose, spray the TB with cleaner, scrub with a toothbrush, and wipe clean with a lintfree cloth. The white cloth turned black and brown after I was done! I did not notice any performance increase, but well, it gave me peace of mind.

emax02

iTrader: (1)

Yep, the best and safest way to clean your TOB is to actualy remove the TB. I personaly did not remove my TOB when I cleaned it, I had the car "OFF" when I did it and when I went to start the car it barely started, I had to crank the engine for about 30 seconds before it actualy kicked over, then a huge cloud of black smoke shot out the tail pipe . I guess all the TOB cleaner and carbon build up got all inside the engine. Well, point being you should really remove the TB because who knows if that gunk will make your engine unable to ever start again .

Toolrocks

iTrader: (1)

Have you had a chance to pull your codes yet?? Also, check that IACV. You may have lodged some gunk in their since it's downstream of your TB. I would suggest that if you end up having to investigate this further just remove the throttle body. It's very easy and you can also clean some of the intake right after the TB. That was the dirtiest part of my intake. ALso, it was the portion of the TB after the butterfly valve that was dirtiest. I don't think I could have cleaned it as well as I did if it were on the car. Hope your max is all right.

got rice?

iTrader: (2)

No, that's how everyone learns by getting in there and doing the job. Not everyone is a born genious (including myself )

You didn't do anything wrong by removing the piping and let the engine run, I'm just saying it'll work better if you leave the engine off while cleaning the TB. You need to open the throttle plate and make it horizontal so that you can get the spray in there and scrub the area behind the throttle plate. With the engine running, you can do that since the engine will bounce off the rev limiter LOL.

Ramius83

Also, why your engine wouldn't run while cleaning it. By disconnecting the MAF from the car, you know that big vacuum hose that connects to the plastic tubing? Well, without that, your car will shut off. I know that from personal experience since after I installed my CAI a LONG time ago, the stock vacuum hose wasn't long enough and came off while on the road. Let's say driving along and then loosing power steering, engine, etc. isn't fun. But that is why you had to constantly start the car and you now have an ECU code. So, that is ONE of the reasons why your engine was acting funny.