Throttle body service?

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My 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 liter Hemi recieved a throttle body service with cleaner for $74.00.I have 32,700 on the clock.What does this service really do?I admitt the truck is much more quicker even thought I think I got rooked.This was not part of the 30,000 mile service.I use good gasoline and mostly highway.Joe
 
Cleaning the throttle body every 30k is a great idea, but for $74? You could've easily done that yourself. Don't feel bad though, I'd imagine you got this from the stealership and many times they jip people...it's a pricey lesson we've all learned at some point :)

Next time just get a can of throttle body cleaner for $2, disconnect the intake hose from the throttle body, work the throttle valve back and forth and spray it in there...thoroughly wipe it up with shop towels to get all the carbon out.
 
Throttle body service is good. I do it on a regular basis. But you can do it yourself for the cost of a can of cleaner, which is uner $5. I'm guessing that for $74 they also cleaned the injectors at the rail.
 
Yeah, that's a bit much for the work they performed. Typical dealership gimmick. $74 is a lot considering how easy it is to do.

Usually what they do is clean the throttle chamber and the butterfly valve. They use special cleaners that supposedly protect the metal in there. So I've been told. Dirt and grime can accumulate in there, especially if you drive in a dusty/dirty environment, but I wouldn't expect that much contamination in 33,000 miles. Did you get a new air filter out of the deal?
 
You can indeed need the service before 30k, especially if you use discount gasolines which typically scrimp on additives. The carbon buildup can prevent the butterfly from opening and closing properly, plus giving you a poor injector spray pattern.
 
How hard is it to remove the throtle body on your Cherokee ?

On all the cars that I have ever owned, I remove the TB and clean out all the oily grime with a rag.
 
Iam about to do a thottle body cleaning on my wifes Lincoln this weekend, its having these weird idling issues at the red lights when you stop in drive. I talked to our company mechanic, he told me this a common problem on 4.6s, and he gave me directions on how to do it. He claims its best to remove the throttle body from the car and thoughly clean it along with another doo dad next to it. I think Iam also going to clean the MAF sensor, carefully, I bought this MAF cleaner made by CRC, on her car you can clearly see the resistor wires so Iam going to just give them some light sprays and call it good, I hear they are extremely fragil. The mechanic also told me not to use carb cleaner and to make sure I got thottle body cleaner for fuel injected vehicles(Non chlorated), which I did again CRC. The car only has 65,000 miles on it, but I pulled the intake hose back and it looks black and dirty inside the throat, it gets dark so early, I figure Ill tackle it on a day I can put it all back together, the same day.
 
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
He claims its best to remove the throttle body from the car and thoughly clean it


He is right. The only way to clean the throttle body properly is by removing it. You can shoot all the intake cleaner you want through it from the intake side and the backside of the butterfly valves etc will still be covered with resin-like deposits. Remove the TB, spray it with carb or brake cleaner and scrub it with a toothbrush (wife's) without soaking the TPS and whatever sensor may be attached. Don't forget to install a new throttle body gasket.
 
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
Iam about to do a thottle body cleaning on my wifes Lincoln this weekend, its having these weird idling issues at the red lights when you stop in drive.

May be caused by an aversion to the color red.
LOL.gif


Check ICV if so equipped. Also check for vaccum leaks.
 
Obviously you have to use a cleaner that won't damage sensitive components. In case of my car's TB, there is only the TPS on the TB and you can easily avoid spraying it. The MAF is far, far away from the TB.
 
The quality of gas you use has nothing to do with it. Fuel is injected at the valve and never sees the throttle body. The gunk built up is dirt getting past the air cleaner. Maybe some oil vapors after shut down get to the throttle body, but it is mainly dirt.
 
Originally Posted By: MrCritical
You can indeed need the service before 30k, especially if you use discount gasolines which typically scrimp on additives. The carbon buildup can prevent the butterfly from opening and closing properly, plus giving you a poor injector spray pattern.


I don't believe gasoline has a whole lot to with what the stuff that builds up on the butterfly which comes from the PCV valve and the EGR valve.
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman
The only way to clean the throttle body properly is by removing it. You can shoot all the intake cleaner you want through it from the intake side and the backside of the butterfly valves etc will still be covered with resin-like deposits.


Maybe it depends on the size of the throttle body. I can easily get a rag wrapped around my finger to wipe the backside of the butterfly valve clean on my cars.
 
Originally Posted By: another Todd
The quality of gas you use has nothing to do with it. Fuel is injected at the valve and never sees the throttle body. The gunk built up is dirt getting past the air cleaner. Maybe some oil vapors after shut down get to the throttle body, but it is mainly dirt.


I didn't say gas had anything to do with it. The gunk in my car's TB is mostly from the PCV system. PCV fumes get sucked out of the lower plenum and into the TB, while actual oil residue gets sucked via a small vacuum tube from the plenum bottom through a port behind the primary TB butterfly valve into the TB in an effort to recycle that junk through the IM into the combustion chamber.
 
Originally Posted By: brianl703
Originally Posted By: moribundman
The only way to clean the throttle body properly is by removing it. You can shoot all the intake cleaner you want through it from the intake side and the backside of the butterfly valves etc will still be covered with resin-like deposits.


Maybe it depends on the size of the throttle body. I can easily get a rag wrapped around my finger to wipe the backside of the butterfly valve clean on my cars.


I guess your TB is easily accessible or you're Gumby with spindly, girlish fingers.
 
When I do my TB I'm taking the TB off the engine and taking the sensors off the TB.

The procured costs will be the price of a TB gasket and a can of cleaner.
 
+1 Merkava

And if you really want to get cheap, buy a roll of high temp gasket material, and cut your own. My roll has lasted many TB cleanings (about every 10,000 miles or so).

Carb cleaner is typically not recommended because it is too strong. Atleast on my Nissan, the butterfly has some protective coating that supposedly helps prevent deposits from sticking. Carb cleaner will remove this coating, whereas TB cleaner won't. Carb cleaner may also be too harsh for some "plastic" bushings. Of course, these things will be manufacturer dependent.

Dave
 
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