How to Clean an Electronic Throttle Body Safely 

Love the Christian music in the background! I've been catching bits and pieces in your vids!

Just want to give you a shout out. I've watched and used many of your videos since I bought a 2009 F-150 last year. I'm retired Navy and was an aircraft mechanic for 20 years. Your videos have been a blessing to me and have saved me a ton of money. I've always worked on my own cars and trucks but the knowledge in getting from your videos is huge. I don't think people understand what it takes for you to put these out as far as time and effort goes. So thank you so very much Sir. Bravo Zulu, a Navy term meaning Job Well Done.

So gratifying hearing the spray and seeing the black carbon gunk slowly melt. Mesmerizing!

I made the mistake of trying to clean mine while it was still energized and managed to damage it, causing it to idle worse, stall and hunt, had to get a replacement one and now this one is showing similar symptoms years later I know how to clean it properly thanks to your video

Is it safe to use a regular toothbrush to clean?

Brian, I also try to keep the motor/gearset towards the upper side in an effort to not allow the solvent into them. As usual another great video.

Where's the video showing how to take it off and putting it back on? Thanks

Myth busters should've d tested the "chopped finger" legend!

Thanks for the video, I had to do this in an auto parts store parking lot while on vacation with my family. The truck would die every time it came to a stop. I watched the video real quick, went in and bought some tools & cleaner and got it cleaned. The truck has ran fine since then!

Always hit it from the front also, and then the back again.

FordTechMakuloco I remove the throttle body because it is easier to clean. Thanks for the warning on the energized motor and gear reduction.

Excellent demonstrational video. Straight to the point and not ten minutes of needless yaking. Thank you! I'm Not putting other peoples videos down, but when you need the how to and not the other stuff this is the type video you want. The only down side? It's a FORD! Just kiddin' keep up the good work. Thanks. :)

So satisfying to see something dirty being cleaned. 😉

I'm lucky it tore the skin off my finger 09 avalanche beware !!🙏

Thanks for the video! I just cleaned my 2010 ford fusion's throttle body and it is way more responsive and idles great. It only took 30 minutes and thanks for showing me the right way to clean it. Didn't cut my finger off or damage the throttle body. :)

POWER RESTORED! 2009 F150 5.4L 3v - 180,000 miles. I cleaned the TB per these instructions and performed a relearn from the other video. During the first test drive, the throttle seemed like it was sticking. Like it was in cruise control. When I came to a stop, it was surging back and forth between 700rpm and almost 2000. I could shut off the engine, restart, and it would idle great, very smooth. As soon as I gave any throttle, it would start surging again. I rechecked my fittings and plugs. Started back up, idle was good until I touched the pedal. It still surged but was diminished some. But it was like it was still trying to figure out the idle. So I barely taped the throttle, it would rev and hold for a moment then come back down to a smooth idle. Did another shut off and restart. Then it was idling perfect even when I revved the engine; it came back down to normal idle. Did another test drive, WOW! Significantly noticeable power increase. Now onto the induction service. I could see down into the intake manifold, and it was quite dirty. THANK YOU, FordTeckMakuloco!

Once the cleaning is complete, I also put a drop or two of oil (3 in 1 oil, etc) in both pivot points of the butterfly and work the oil in a bit, then wipe down any excess. It helps to keep that moving joint lubricated and moisture/ice free.

Thank you so much for your vids I'm learning new things. By the way loved the back ground music 👍🌞

8+ million views for a reason. It's the best video on RU-vid for cleaning your ETB.

I did the same but my throttle body start acting weird, my car is santafee 2016 3.3. I did relearn procedure but also no success. Any other suggestion?

You saved my fingers!

Thanks for the video bro. Background music during the video playing: Sanctus Real - Lead Me...lovely song

Ford is such a pain. They engineered these cars to literally be a PAIN.

Your video helped me understand why I should have the throttle body service done that my service provider recommended. Thank you. Very interesting to watch!

Great vid. QUESTION : I was told to hold the throttle body with the motor topside when cleaning to avoid the cleaner and carbon guck from running down the throttle shaft and into the motor and gears. (Causing failures). Any experience with that, or is there a shaft seal? Also I use a soft bristle tooth brush, gets in there easier.

Could you just remove the negative battery cable, instead of taking the throttle body off the car to eliminate the chance of damage? Thank you.

Great video. Throttle body is clean, Mustang is running well again, and I still have all of my fingers. Thanks for the guidance.

I went through high water here in New Orleans Saturday and now my electronic throttle control light is on running bad and hardly any power .. gonna give it s shot n change it myself

Heard on a lot of videos one shouldnt manually move the throttle body flaps on an electronic throttle body cos that could damage it, whats your take on that ?

Things dealerships say so you bring it to them for service.

I cleaned mine with carb/intake cleaner before watching this video, what will happen to my throttle body? it was very dirty but it didn't have any coked on carbon like in this video. But when I sprayed carb cleaner, thick black liquid flowed and there was loads of it. I read that the throttle body valve itself has some kind of covering on it? My car seems to be running fine after cleaning it anyway but my problem wasn't the valve it was a breather pipe the whole time.

So I get this straight, you CAN move the blade when it is NOT energized correct? No fear of damage to motors or gears? I did move the plate on one of my cars when energized and I think it f-ed up my TB. And now I am concerned that I was sticking my fingers in there. You are a wonderful resource.

I agree with it all; except, your using a rag to finish it. Rags and paper towels, etc, can leave things that should not be sucked into the plenum; toothbrush okay IF it's very clean. Best to just let it dry on its own. Throttle Body and Mass Air Flow drys very fast. For whatever it's worth.

Once again, another helpful and informative video. Thank you for all the great information on your channel.

Wow. Never knew that these could actuate with key off. Makes sense when you mentioned the ice breaker strategy. Thanks for posting this Brian. They fingers you may have saved could be mine!

Great video. At $50 for a replacement throttle body, I decided to just replace it in my 2009 Escape Hybrid w 120k miles. Your other video detailing those steps helped significantly. Great work!

Does moving the plate manually when disconnected not ruin it? I’ve seen on so many different places saying not to move it because it could break, even when disconnected

Tooth brush works bests..:)

Is the MOPAR cleaner ok to use on a Ford throttle body? It is available locally, everything else is currently out of stock. Thanks.

For my 2009 Jeep Compas 2.4L, my ETC (Electronic Throttle Conttol) light has come on from time-to-time, each time the Compass went into "limp mode". It's driving fine now, but yesterday, it went into limp mode for about 20 minutes, where before it did it for a second or two. The throttle body is about $230. Just wondering if that was the problem or maybe something else. A garage to do a dashboard light diagnostic would cost over $100 which I'd like to avoid. Maybe I should just take out the existing throttle body and clean it up first before doing anything else? Not sure what else to do.

BTW, excellent video. You probably saved me a hospital visit. But when you put it back on, do you have to have it re-learned? Does it relearn on it's own or do you have to bring it to a mechanic who has a computer to re-learn it? Can we do it ourselves, and if so, any special equipment needed?

I forgot to put the connection back on after I cleaned it 😠

What is the proper torque spec for the 4 mounting bolts ?

Hello sir I have hyundai accent crdi 2004 model My car going only 80 to 85 engine ok what a problem in my car

Thank you for the video! I've heard if you poke the valve while it's in the car, it could possibly necessitate a reprogramming of the computer. Assuming I disconnect the whole thing, without touching the valve, and pull it out of the car like you did, would THAT require one to have to do any computer reset or programming? Sorry if this is a dumb question. I know only enough to be dangerous! I have a 2013 Jeep JK. Thanks to anybody who knows.

Any tech school advises against moving the plate at all. Even when disconnected. Those gears inside are cheap as hell and I've seen perfectly good throttle bodies ruined this way. I always spray em down really well and try best to clean em without moving the butterflies at all. Just my experience.

Thank you so much for this video. My 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid was randomly shutting off, even on the freeway, for months. I was able to gain access and clean the throttle body without removing it from the car. So easy. I have gone another 15,000 miles since with no problem. Thank you again!

I have a 2011 f150. I disconnected the battery, when I connected it again it started idling rough. I would press on the gas and as the truck went down on the rpms it would want to shut off. I “tried” to move my truck from the parking spot and it shut off. I cleaned the MAF sensor and it kind of work. I was wondering if this could help it back to normal

Nice video. I've seen people clean them while still mounted but have never thought that was a good idea. I know the spray evaporates, but all that gunk could run down into your engine, right?? Not to mention pieces of cloth, brush bristles, etc. They are so easy to take off (at least on my vehicle) that it never seemed wise to do it while installed.

Came across this video again… I like to watch your videos even when I’m not working on my vehicles. I wish I would’ve watched this one before I messed with my Expedition throttle body. I am aware of the potential to disrupt the motor/ butterfly position. However, I foolishly have done this on vehicles with no repercussions… until that one dreaded day. Let me tell you it was a horrible drive from work back to the place I was staying. Was working out of town, but had the right tools to get it done. I won’t EVER do that again.

thanks again for clear concise no-fuss vid. Question: no issues moving throttle plate while disconnected ... and is it acceptable to disconnect TB without disconnecting battery to remove/clean/replace?

I've got ETC light showing up on my ford territory 2008, is it because it needs cleaning?

great video, the dealer wanted to changed it; can it be cleaned without changing? thanks.

Good stuff to know! Thanks for your great video. I 've seen a bunch that never mention the electronic throttle pitfalls... I'm wondering if anyone can answer my question. In the process of getting to the root of fuel trim problems, I was going to clean the throttle body. When I opened it up, however, I discovered that it was clean as new, no exaggeration. The car has 43000 miles on it. I have run techron through the car on a semi-regular basis, and my previous tank of gas I ran the complete fuel system cleaner through it. But I don't understand how that would affect the throttle body. Also, what about the possibility of a stuck PCV valve keeping it from getting dirty? Though I would expect that would throw a code, which my computer has never thrown. thanks

quite dirty throttle, mine BMW E60 after 260.000 km had a little bit dirt only on the edges of the flap.

Thanks for this, I'd been concerned about cleaning my electronic throttle body as I didnt want to mess up the timing of the motor. I'll simply disconnect and crack on!

Hi, how do I remove the throttle body on a 2003 Explorer with the 4.6l. ?

I like the fact you used Mopar throttle body cleaner on a ford

how can carbon build up really affect air flow its a big old hole after all what does it matter to air if its dirty looking

I have error P3106. can you help me with this code? ... Thank a lot.

code 1309 camshaft sensor on new engine do I keep adjusting it to get the sensor to set correct..... check engine light on

👍 Great video. Thank you 🙏

I followed these steps and also cleaned MAP and MAS and reset the codes and recalibrated the PCM/ETB. Everything went great for 48 hours and I kicked a P2111 error referring to the throttle actuator control stuck open. That's the motor on the side of the ETB that nobody talks about. Is that cleanable?

I've heard there's a special coating inside the Throttle body and should never be cleaned . I have a 2006 F150 4.2 is there any truth to this?

Is it possible to just diconnect the terminal and clean it without removing it?

Pondering. Have to replace the sensor on it, maybe best to just replace whole unit? Why clean and replace after 150k miles?

Great video, but just unplug the electrical connector, you didn't have to remove it entirely :o

I cleaned my electronic throttle body, still connected before knowing this. 🤦🏻‍♂️ now it makes a ticking noise from it. Can that be fixed, or did I just ruin my throttle body?

Talking to my dodge hemi expert, and he said they recommend NOT using carb cleaner for this. They recommend brake cleaner. Sounds like it was exclusive to 5.7 hemis, but i didn't ask for an explanation.Used the brake cleaner, and it worked fine. Just be super careful not to get any even near the electronics! Thanks for clearing up the myth about moving the butterfly valve when it's on the bench. A lot people on their videos are painstakingly trying to clean it up without touching the plate. Lol.... Gawd....... it's agonizing to watch, when you know they could move it without hurting anything. As you said, connected is a different story!! Thanks! .

I have an '08 F-150 4.6L V8 with over 120,000 miles. I'm trying to get my fuel mileage back up. What all should I replace/clean to help with this issue? Thanks in advance for any help.

for safety reasons I always cut the wires with a jigsaw.

Great video, very informative, I have a 2004 mazda 6, 6 cylinder and I am planning on cleaning throttle body as you show in video. I have a couple of questions, does tb need gaskets and approximately how long would it take complete entire job from taking off tb to putting it back on after cleaning. Thanks.

One video on youtube claimed that if you turned the key and pressed on the gas pedal (not starting the vehicle) the throttle body would open and you could spray it down and clean the inner part that way. Will that work?

anyone noticed a little puddle of oil inside of the intake manifold, while cleaning throttle body? I think I have some issue with PCV on my Fiesta...

My 2006 F150 4x4 stalled a few times after starting up on a cold day and then driving for 10 min after I did this it never happened again 😃

Any concern for knocking the butterfly out of "calibration"?

Have a 2005 Honda Civic that is rough when idle. Sometimes more than others.. Replaced all mounts because they did not look so good but still rough in idle. Someone tells me that the throttle body can be the cause. It's an electronic throttle. Is it OK to move the butterfly door the clean as long as if is disconnected without causing any motor time problem? Thanks.

How do I know whether my throttle body needs to be replaced or just cleaned like in this video?

Once taken off do you have to reprogram it or no ?

I love how this video turned morbid all of a sudden when mentioning chopping fingers off. 😨

I fucked up and used carb cleaner but wiped down immediately with a rag and q tips. How bad is this? wish i saw your video before :( im used to old chevys

I heard that the Ford throttle body has a coating and they recommend very specific throttle body cleaner. So, is CRC or Chemtool throttle body cleaner acceptable and if using a brush is recommended? I have a 98 Mercury Mountaineer 4.0L V6 SOHC and since I have a throttle cable, does that mean I don't have to worry about having to relearn the programming? Your other video you talked about having to reprogram even if the battery has been replaced. I recently replaced the battery and did not see or felt any difference. I guess you have to relearn only if you have an electronic throttle body and since i have a cable it doesn't apply?

Would be interesting to take a "donor" throttle that you didn't mind harming, and energize it with a twig or something in there. Maybe this is a good test for the Mythbusters?

I have a 2010 Toyota matrix xrs, not sure what the problem is but I was told that my throttle needs to be clean up. What happens is that every time I'm on a red stop light my car starts shaking. Can you show me how to clean my throttle. Thanks Edgar

I have a 2013 Chrysler 200 my throttle body light came on and car would not accelerate do you think if I cleaned it it would work properly or needs to be replaced? I did the "key dance" and that light and the engine light both went off and car worked fine for a couple days then did it right back again.

; so here I was thinking “I don’t need no mechanic for this, I got it” it was all fun and games till I dropped the 8mm socket tip in the engine bay. Now I can’t find it. Fml

Is that Praise 106.5 playing on the radio by any chance?

I cleaned mine while still installed moved the butterfly valve based on bad advice and my car has been struggling since I can only go 3k RPM and sometimes it won't start after I've driven for a bit. I have a replacement throttle body coming soon and hope will solve the problem.

do we need to replace the gasket when we take it off?

I'm gonna use my brother's toothbrush

tech makuloco thanks sooomuch for all your videos

If its a ford or lincoln and I need a repair video, you are the first I go to. Thank you for your videos.

So I took mine off and cleaned it on my 13 F-150 eco. Now I have on the dash displaying the yellow wrench, service advance trac and hill assist fault. Did I blow a fuse or something?

I heard operating the electronic throttle body by hand disturbs its calibration. I assume that's when the throttle body is attached to the vehicle. It's safe to operate the butterfly by hand, and it won't have any effect on its calibration. Is my understanding correct?

I got a stupid question. Im the proud owner of a 21 mustang gt with 50k miles bine stock. 1st thing i did was put a JLT oil catch can and now i wanna clean it How do you de-energise the TB? Simply unplugging it and taking if off the car orrrr is there a wait time you need befor3 you can fully open the blade from taking it off the car? Thanx in advance

Hi my friend from Cyprus.I have a major problem with my 1998 pajero pinin throttle body.pls help me.Be4 a few days i gave my car to my michanic to fixed the low rpm.so he said to me that he clean the throttle...now the rpm is very confused.when i start the car is 2.000rpm for 5-10 seconds.then is normal 800-900 rpm.after 2-3 minutes the car gone grazy and the rpm go to 2.000 and stays and i have to stop the engine....pls help me what i have to do...pls help.thanks.(sorry for my english.)

Does it needs a sealant rubber or ìt can be directly fixed by tighting the main screws only ...thanks for your cooperation

last time i cleaned my 2012 honda accord throttle body i have a question it is normal for the plate to be a.little open?? is not fully closed or stay

Thank you for clearing this electronic info on the throttle. I hope to clean mine on my Rav4 2005. Any added info for my rav 4 2005 is greatly appreciated.

Berry good videos thank you I'm follower