The last (and I do mean last) time I took my car to the dealer for a scheduled service, they mentioned that it had "carbonization on the throttle body" that needed their special ($90) carbon cleanup service. This special service would supposedly give me better performance, better gas mileage, blah blah blah.

It sounds like BS to me, but I figured I'd ask if anyone here had heard of such a thing and if there was any truth to it at all.

TIA

 

$5 CAN OF B-12.

 

Just take a few hours to disconnet the intake form the TB, then I just take off the TB from the intake manifold and clean it with your favorite cleaner/solvent. $90 in your pocket for more mods.

 

I'm kinda wondering if there's even anything there. There's nothing that looks like carbonization on the outside. It sounds kinda fishy to me. I mean, why would there be any carbonization on the throttle body to begin with?

 

 

how the hell does "carbonization" get on the TB anyway? air is going IN to the motor via the TB, not out so how does "carbonization" get on it? my B16 TB used to get black inside. maybe its just dirt :shrugs:

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but the carbonization is from oil that blows back through from your valve cover.

 

My point exactly...

It ain't like I wouldn't know how to clean it off if it were there. It just seems like a very unlikely problem and I was wondering if anyone had ever heard of such a thing (which the dealer claimed to be a common problem). And if anyone has heard of it, is there a cause and/or permanent solution?

I've looked at the outside and didn't see anything that looked like carbonization. I haven't bothered to disassemble and inspect partly because I don't want to waste my time and partly because I want to have some idea what I'm looking for before I spend the time.

 

if you havent already done so, remove your intake tube from the TB, and look inside on the "butterfly"(not sure of the exact correct term) and its probably got black crap around the outside.

good point on the blow back from the valve cover...I forgot about that tube that goes from the valve cover to the intake tube just before the TB

 

Simply put: your engine sucks air in, but due to the gas evap tube that is attached to your intake manifold (see that hose coming off the valve cover... the tiny little hose), you'll create carbon/crap deposit over time. Maybe the exact term for that hose is crank case vent tube??

I'm sure that it's not all carbon deposit, but that gunky stuff mixed with whatever the filter didn't catch collects around the butterfly valves on the TB. That's why on older cars, your throttle gets stuck, even if you push the pedal... butterfly valve is stuck. Or, sometimes it doesn't close fully, resulting in rough idle.

Depending on your A:F mixture, which depends on your mods & tuning, it's definitely possible to see some deposit.

 

Ryan - you beat me to it. damn it, I type too slow.

 

That makes sense. Thanks.