Haynes manual says... " Do not attempt to clean the interior of the throttle body. The throttle body is designed to resist sludge accumulation and cleaning may impair the performance of the engine"
well my throttle body has sludge in it, on the engine side of the plate, do I try and clean it out? Wheres the dirt come from? the air filter is pretty clean, the MAF appears to be pretty clean, does it come from the inside, I have no oil loss, if any its a pretty small amount.
yes, don't clean the inside of the throttle body with just any ole cleaner. If you use an "industrial strenght" type cleaner, you will ruin the varnish and possibly clean it off of the throttle body all together (which you don't want). If you insist on washing it, go to your local parts store (or dealer) and get the cleaner specifically made for cleaning throttle bodies.
As for how it gets dirty, it's just exhast fumes mostly but other dirt and a small amount of oil can get into the body from the engine running.
Hope it helps..
D.
Is it sludge or just some carbon on the TB?
Just recently cleaned the MAF on my '99 Windstar 3.8L and it cured the constant pinging and brought back some lost power.
You need to completely (and carefully) remove the sensor from the big plastic housing. A small, thin screwdriver will release the wiring connector behind the rubber grommet. The sensor is secured with 2ea. T-20 "tamper proof" Torx screws. You'll need a corresponding bit (with a hole in the end) to remove them. Once out, hose down the two wires in the end of the tube with some electrical cleaner. Let air dry and re-assemble with a new air filter.
Enjoy!
my MAF appears to be very clean, around the throttle plate there is actual sludge, I removed and cleaned my IAC there was also some sludge in the holes underneath that, seamed like the same kind of grease you find on the outside of old engines, black and thick/gritty, not very slick.
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.