Clean your TB

[Tebore]

So I have almost 32,000k on my car and it's just over a year old. Over the Canadian Thanksgiving. I decided to wash my car, engine bay, air filter and clean my TB.

I wish I had taken before pics.

Warm up the engine by taking it on a nice drive. Take off the airbox and intake piping from the TB.

So basically turn your car to the ON position (last position before kicking in the starter) but make sure the engine is still off and use something to depress the accel pedal.

Grab a toothbrush, cloth and your favorite TB cleaner. Mine is GM's CLEENS it's an upper combustion chamber cleaner aerosol.

Make sure you coat in the cleaner then start scrubbing with the toothbrush. Wipe off the excess with the cloth.

Repeat until the TB is clean.

Reinstall the snorkel and airbox.

Remove the object depressing the pedal and start the car and go for a drive. You'll notice the throttle response is better.

Finally return your wife's toothbrush to where you found it.

Optional:
Now if you want to make sure your intake and valves are clean. With someone helping and the airbox/snorkel off. Make sure the engine is still warm.

You can use Seafoam but I like the GM Cleens product for this.

Start the engine with the intake off, have someone rev the engine to 2k RPM. Empty the rest of the GM Cleen's aerosol in to the TB you may see some smoke. Once the bottle is finished shut the engine off and let it sit for about 10-15 mins. After that go for a few WOT runs. You'll notice the car cough up some pretty nasty carbon. Mine actually had a misfire and a huge black cloud get coughed out. After that everything was fine and the car was more responsive.

[in10sive]

can you please post some pics of the steps - thanks for the write up - my car is nearing 30,000km and I would like to clean my TB

[gripphard]

Tebore, if I could add a couple things?

When cleaning the ETB, Do Not apply pressure to the valve & Open it.

The other is KIA has TSB 018 - THETA-2.0/2.4L ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY CLEANING PROCEDURE

This bulletin provides information on how to clean carbon deposits and/or residues from fuel additives accumulated in Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) assemblies on Theta-2.0L/2.4L engine equipped vehicles. Dirty throttle bodies can cause a variety of concerns and may result in MIL illumination as described below. Although ECU may compensate for changes in air flow with fuel trim adaptive logic adjustments, DTC’s may illuminate over time. Follow the instructions should the symptoms below arise.

After the cleaning is complete & if removed is reattached & torqued to specs. Step 7: Reset the learned ETC Throttle Valve Position in Engine System with use of GDS by going to

“System Option”.

Does the Theta ETB's need to be reset with GDS?

[Tebore]

For sure. DO NOT APPLY PRESSURE TO THE PLATE TO OPEN IT.

That's why I gave the instructions to open the butterfly with the accel pedal and key in the 'Run'/'On' (sorry I always forget which is the last position before the starter kicks in).

I've done ETB's before and you gotta use the pedal or a programmer.

Originally Posted by gripphard

Tebore, if I could add a couple things?

When cleaning the ETB, Do Not apply pressure to the valve & Open it.

The other is KIA has TSB 018 - THETA-2.0/2.4L ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY CLEANING PROCEDURE

This bulletin provides information on how to clean carbon deposits and/or residues from fuel additives accumulated in Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) assemblies on Theta-2.0L/2.4L engine equipped vehicles. Dirty throttle bodies can cause a variety of concerns and may result in MIL illumination as described below. Although ECU may compensate for changes in air flow with fuel trim adaptive logic adjustments, DTC’s may illuminate over time. Follow the instructions should the symptoms below arise.

After the cleaning is complete & if removed is reattached & torqued to specs. Step 7: Reset the learned ETC Throttle Valve Position in Engine System with use of GDS by going to

“System Option”.

Does the Theta ETB's need to be reset with GDS?

[gwildor]

Originally Posted by Tebore

Finally return your wife's toothbrush to where you found it.

HAHA I RoFlCoptered

[jimrich]

Hello:
re: ...open the butterfly with the accel pedal and key in the 'Run'/'On' (sorry I always forget which is the last position before the starter kicks in). I've done ETB's before and you gotta use the pedal or a programmer.

....I tried that "key to 'on' (but not running), gas pedal in WOT, trans in neutral and park" method but the throttle plate of my '07 Kia Optima ETB stays closed. I did clean up the ETB by taking it off the manifold but not disconnecting any wires. The car is running smoother now but I still wonder exactly how to open the throttle plate for cleaning.

re: The other is KIA has TSB 018 - THETA-2.0/2.4L ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY CLEANING PROCEDURE

....Where can I find this TSB to study the procedure?

Thanks for any responses to this,
Jim

[HellaWhiteKoup]

Originally Posted by jimrich

Hello:
re: ...open the butterfly with the accel pedal and key in the 'Run'/'On' (sorry I always forget which is the last position before the starter kicks in). I've done ETB's before and you gotta use the pedal or a programmer.

....I tried that "key to 'on' (but not running), gas pedal in WOT, trans in neutral and park" method but the throttle plate of my '07 Kia Optima ETB stays closed. I did clean up the ETB by taking it off the manifold but not disconnecting any wires. The car is running smoother now but I still wonder exactly how to open the throttle plate for cleaning.

re: The other is KIA has TSB 018 - THETA-2.0/2.4L ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY CLEANING PROCEDURE

....Where can I find this TSB to study the procedure?

Thanks for any responses to this,
Jim

Mate, the procedure provided is for Fortes only, not sure if the 07 Kia optima is any different, but the way I see it, try to start the car first, put it into 'D' (Drive), then turn off the car (DO NOT SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL OR PARK, sometimes theres a lock that prevents you from shifting into drive when the engine is off, you want it on DRIVE). then turn the key onto ON, and try WOT, this shuold work in most drive by wire cars.

[jimrich]

Originally Posted by HellaWhiteKoup

Mate, the procedure provided is for Fortes only, not sure if the 07 Kia optima is any different, but the way I see it, try to start the car first, put it into 'D' (Drive), then turn off the car (DO NOT SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL OR PARK, sometimes theres a lock that prevents you from shifting into drive when the engine is off, you want it on DRIVE). then turn the key onto ON, and try WOT, this shuold work in most drive by wire cars.

Thanks for providing the "missing" elements of the previous post by Tebore re: the trans in 'drive'. I saw a post elsewhere that adamantly states that the trans must be in 'neutral'. I tried your "trans in drive" method today but my '07 Kia optima throttle plate still remains closed so I ran the engine up to about 2000 RPM , blocked it there and sprayed some cleaner into the TB to (hopefully) remove any of the remaining carbon around the lip of the throttle plate. I examined the MAT sensor and found it to be spotlessly clean! I spayed it with some rubbing alcohol anyway and reassembled. The car performs very well now.

[HellaWhiteKoup]

Glad it eventually worked out, Im not sure why it wont open up, but then again, I do have a manual and have no idea how automatics work these days, I hate electronic throttles now, bring back them cables!!

[corytate]

weird. I cleaned mine just by pushing the plate, as I did dozens of subarus at work, and have no problems in the 10k+ miles since.

[Piercey]

Hey, I wanted to clean everything under the hood, engine and all that stuff, Ive seen videos on youtube of people spraying them with cleaners and then spraying the whole thing with a hose after, but first they all covered up the electronic parts, i was wondering if you could help me out showing me which parts i cannot spray water onto, i have a 2011 forte koup sx, thanks.

[corytate]

Originally Posted by Piercey

Hey, I wanted to clean everything under the hood, engine and all that stuff, Ive seen videos on youtube of people spraying them with cleaners and then spraying the whole thing with a hose after, but first they all covered up the electronic parts, i was wondering if you could help me out showing me which parts i cannot spray water onto, i have a 2011 forte koup sx, thanks.

i finally degreased my engine bay for the first time ever the other day.
I just sprayed degreaser on everything and the pressure washed it off. Just (obviously) try not to spray a shit load of water into the intake. there isn't much in the way of exposed electronics in our engine bay that'll be damaged by a little bit of water.

[HellaWhiteKoup]

Originally Posted by corytate

i finally degreased my engine bay for the first time ever the other day.
I just sprayed degreaser on everything and the pressure washed it off. Just (obviously) try not to spray a shit load of water into the intake. there isn't much in the way of exposed electronics in our engine bay that'll be damaged by a little bit of water.

DO NOT SPRAY PESSURIZED WATER IN THE ENGINE BAY.

contrary to popular belief, this will lead to shorter life on your vehicle.

Just like washing a car, power washing it with a pressurized water will still not get rid of the dirt and grime, you have to use some elbow grease and get into it, i suggest just spraying everything with degreaser and wipe it up with a clean towel and then use a hose, under LOW pressure and slowly rinse of the excess degreaser.

AVOID: the alternator, battery, fuse box, air intake, ABS sensor, ECU.

[Piercey]

thanks for the info, but i dont know a whole lot about cars..this is my first one, i was kind of hoping for a detailed picture of what to avoid spraying and anything else i should know..thanks.

[KoupEsEcks]

This did not work for my Koup either. My throttle body will not open with any of the described methods above. Any suggestions?