Cleaning and adapting the throttle valve on a car

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The task of the throttle valve (hereinafter referred to as DZ) is to regulate the amount of air supplied to the intake manifold. Its position is adjusted in accordance with the position of the accelerator pedal. The damper drive can be mechanical (using a cable) or electronic (using an electric motor). The position of the remote control is recorded by a special sensor. It transmits the relevant information to the ECU, which in turn makes a decision on the amount of fuel supplied and changing the engine operating mode. You can read more about its structure and functions in additional material on our website.

Signs of a dirty throttle valve

In order not to confuse the symptoms indicating excessive carbon deposits on the valve, it is better to first visually inspect it, and if there are no visible oil or coked deposits on the walls of the throttle assembly, then, with a high degree of probability, cleaning the throttle valve will not eliminate the problem.

themselves look like this :

• problematic engine starting;
• uneven engine operation;
• floating speed at idle;
• freezing engine speed;
• drops in speed until a complete stop.

Conditions for carrying out the idle speed adaptation process

Before starting training, a number of prerequisites must be met:

• travel by car for 10 minutes;
• ensure that the battery voltage at idle is at least 12.9 V;
• warm up the gearbox;
• The wheels of the vehicle must be straight, the steering wheel must be in the middle position;
• engine temperature – 70–95 °C;

• all devices that put a load on the car’s electrical network (heated windows, headlights, etc.) should be turned off;
• The automatic transmission selector is set to N or P.

Mistakes when cleaning the throttle valve

Many inexperienced car owners can incorrectly clean the throttle assembly, at a minimum risking not getting the desired effect, and at maximum - completely damaging and disabling the throttle body. Therefore, it is important to understand when to do the procedure, how to do it and what means to use.

Dirty throttle valve

Clean throttle

To properly clean the throttle body DO NOT :

1. Clean the damper in any unclear situation (there are even jokes about this).
2. Clean the damper without removing it (the effectiveness of such cleaning is insignificant, since often it is only possible to remove carbon deposits on the damper itself, and the internal walls and air channels of the damper are not cleaned).
3. When cleaning with a rag, use excessive force, which can lead to damage to both the damper itself and the nearby TPS.
4. Use brushes rather than soft materials. Such an error also quite often leads to loss of performance of the remote control, since on some throttle units the inner wall and damper are coated with molybdenum for even smoother air passage. This layer is often confused with plaque and is removed. As a result, the damper begins to either “bite” or allow excess air to pass through (the speed increases).
5. Forgetting to teach the throttle after cleaning. Dampers with an electronic gas pedal require proper learning of the remote control in order to set the idle speed to the required value.

The throttle valve should be cleaned every 30-50 thousand km . Adhering to all the above recommendations and taking into account the main mistakes that inexperienced car owners make, no more questions should arise about how to clean the throttle valve, be it mechanical or electronic. For cleaning you need a minimum of equipment and costs, just a carb cleaner and clean rags, as well as a screwdriver for dismantling the unit.

Removal

Cleaning the Lada Kalina throttle assembly begins with its dismantling.

Note. There is an opinion that it is not necessary to remove the component. This is true, but in this case all the carbon deposits will pour into the engine!

First of all, you need to turn off the engine, let it cool, and then remove the terminal from the battery.

Then the clamps securing the hoses and pipes are unscrewed:

The plugs are disconnected from two sensors - TPS and IAC.

The accelerator cable is removed.

To prevent antifreeze from leaking, the hoses must be fixed at the top. In addition, you can insert M12 bolts into them.

In the end, all that remains is to unscrew the 2 nuts using a 13mm socket and remove the remote control.

Cleaning algorithm

Now we will give a step-by-step algorithm for properly cleaning the throttle valve.

1. First of all, you need to get to the damper itself. The design is different in different engines. But as a rule, to do this you need to remove the air duct that runs from the damper to the air filter.
2. Dismantle the damper. To do this, unscrew several mounting bolts (2-4 pieces), and also disconnect the necessary connectors (for example, the connector from the absorber purge valve).
3. To clean, you must use a carburetor cleaner. There is a wide variety of them, and in auto stores you can easily find a product in accordance with your preferences and capabilities (we will talk about them later).
4. Using a rag and the mentioned product, you must thoroughly wipe the damper outside and inside.
5. You also need to clean the protective grille (if your car has one).
6. Assembly of the unit is carried out in the reverse order.

An easy way to clean your throttle body

The correct way to clean the throttle body

Where can I buy

Spare parts and other products for the car are easily available for purchase at auto stores in your city. But there is another option that has recently received significant improvements. You no longer need to wait a long time for a parcel from China: the AliExpress online store now offers the opportunity to ship from transshipment warehouses located in various countries. For example, when ordering, you can specify the “Delivery from the Russian Federation” option.

Follow the links and choose:

Causes of pollution and how to deal with them

There are several reasons why the throttle body becomes dirty over time. By avoiding their appearance, you will automatically extend the time between cleaning it. Reasons mentioned include:

• Using low-quality gasoline . If there is sediment in it, it will definitely get into the throttle assembly, where it will turn into carbon deposits. Therefore, try to fill in high-quality gasoline and refuel at proven gas stations.
• Clogged fuel filter . If you do not change the fuel filter in time, then there is a possibility that pieces of dirt from it will get into the fuel system, including the throttle assembly.
• Dust and dirt getting into the intake system . This can be caused by various reasons - clogged air filter, damage to the integrity of the air duct, various mechanical stress.
• Crankcase gases with oil dust . They are the main cause of oil deposits on the valve. They can enter the combustion chamber through the valve cover from the crankcase ventilation system. The situation is aggravated by the fact that they carry oil dust. It is this that burns and remains as sediment on the surface of the throttle valve.

Clogged fuel filter

Change the air and fuel filters on time, fill with high-quality gasoline, and prevent dust from getting into the car's fresh air ventilation system. All this will save you from the need to clean the throttle valve ahead of schedule.

Sensor check

In most cases, if the TPS is completely inoperable, a “check engine” indicator lights up on the car’s dashboard, signaling a malfunction of this sensor. By connecting diagnostic equipment, you can accurately determine the culprit of the problem.

How to independently diagnose a car using the Chinese ELM327 scanner, read our article.

But if there is none, then the test can be carried out using a conventional multimeter.

Verification Process

The check must be carried out with the ignition on!

The first thing you need to do is check the integrity of the sensor's power supply circuit. To do this, remove the connector from the TPS and measure the voltage between contacts “A” and “B”. The voltage should be around 5V. If everything is normal, we come to the next point.

Reconnect the sensor connector. For this test you will need two needles. We insert them between contacts “B” and “C” and measure the voltage. When the damper is closed, the voltage should be 0.4-0.7V, and when fully open, 4-4.7V. If the readings do not match, then the sensor is most likely faulty.

How to clean the throttle valve

There are a number of special products designed to clean the surface of the throttle valve. Some craftsmen use WD-40, acetone, solvents and other similar compounds for this. In principle, they can be used, but the risk of damaging something inside the engine increases. Today, car dealerships sell a large number of special products for carrying out this procedure. All of them are relatively inexpensive. Therefore, taking into account the fact that the throttle valve does not need to be cleaned so often, any car owner is able to purchase such a product.

The cost is indicated as of prices for the summer of 2022 for Moscow and the region

Results

If the malfunctions described above occur, check the condition of the throttle valve. Cleaning it is not very difficult. However, if you clean it, the dynamic characteristics of the car will improve significantly. Therefore, do not forget to regularly clean the damper every 30.50 thousand kilometers. As for cleaning products, use any of the ones listed above. Fortunately, they are inexpensive, so they are available to any car enthusiast.

Ventilating the lungs or cleaning the throttle valve on a Priora. Today we will consider a topic with this name. It is, of course, more relevant for readers and drivers of the post-Soviet space, since this is where this car brand is most loved.

Sources of pollution and methods of purification

Cleaning the throttle valve on a Priora. As a rule, all cars with a similar system have the same type of pollution symptoms, namely:

• The engine will “sink” a little when you suddenly release the gas pedal;
• The speed drops to 450-550 rpm for no reason. at idle, instead of 900-1000 set;
• The engine shakes;
• The first start
  after night is very difficult even in warm weather. There is a smell of gasoline in the muffler;

Origin:

From the moment of the first start until its last days, the throttle will be negatively affected by fuel and carbon deposits. This happens because turbulence is formed in the damper area. Physics comes to the rescue and says that where there are vortices, there will always be deposits and deposits.

Adaptation of air flow at idle speed

Now you can proceed directly to learning how to idle, “armed” with a stopwatch and a little bit of patience. The procedure is performed like this:

• The engine starts and warms up to standard operating temperature.
• The ignition is turned off and no action is performed for 10 seconds.
• The ignition turns on (the accelerator pedal is in the released position), wait 3 seconds.
• The following actions are performed five times in a row: the accelerator pedal is fully depressed and fully released.
• After 7 seconds, the pedal is pressed again (fully) and maintained in this state for 20 seconds.
• The pedal is released completely (and without delay) at the moment when the malfunction indicator on the panel stops flashing (it should be lit steadily).
• Then immediately, without touching the accelerator pedal, you need to start the engine so that it can idle.
• We wait about 20 seconds.

After all the announced actions, we accelerate the engine (2-3 times) and make sure that the ignition timing and idle speed standards comply with the standards. At this point, the damper adaptation procedure can be considered complete.

Cleaning

Be sure to carry out all work only on a cooled engine, for your own safety.

Tools we will need:

• Standard car key set;
• Flat and Phillips head screwdrivers;
• You choose the cleaning agent yourself. I won’t advise you, because there are a lot of them now and almost all of them help.

Algorithm

• We select the location where the repairs are expected to be carried out;
• We squeeze the handbrake, turn on neutral;
• Remove the polymer casing from the engine;
• Unscrew the plug in the expansion tank;
• Loosen the air pipe clamps a couple of turns, then carefully remove it;
• At the same time, we carry out visual diagnostics for the presence of defects and traces of oil or fuel. If there are any, and they will be, since it cannot be otherwise, we clean the forced ventilation duct;
• Loosen the clamps and remove the damper heating pipes. Cover them with a rag to keep the inside clean;
• We also disconnect the fuel tank ventilation hose;
• Unscrew the bolt and remove the throttle cable;
• We remove the damper itself;
• Wash thoroughly in the liquid that you previously bought. We clear all channels. After unscrewing the two bolts, remove the idle speed sensor, which also needs cleaning. We look at the condition of the rod and carry out visual diagnostics. We are looking for flaws.
• Replace the throttle gasket;
• We begin the installation in strictly reverse order. Without losing or dropping anything into the inside of the collector.

Here, in fact, this concludes the cleaning of the throttle valve on the Priora. Check and test your unit at different speeds. Believe me, the effect will be heard immediately after starting the engine. The evenness and smoothness of idling will delight you.

The accelerator pedal will become instantly sensitive

. Then you can go onto the highway and drive at a speed of 90-100 km/h. for seaming. It is done. Enjoy your ride until the next maintenance or replacement. Expect a period of about 25,000-30,000 km. mileage The instruction manual states 50,000, this is too exaggerated, how long they do not take care of it.

It often happens that the car engine runs intermittently, despite the fact that the on-board computer does not generate errors. The fuel supply pressure is normal, the sensors are intact, and the idle speed jumps from 550 to 1100. If a similar problem occurs on the Priora, then the reason may be hidden in a malfunction of the throttle valve.

A few words about the car and the intake system

Since we are interested in the Priora throttle valve, we simply need to understand the engine structure of this particular model in order to find out where this part is actually located, why it needs to be cleaned and what damage can be caused by untimely maintenance. Lada Priora has been produced since 2007 in sedan, hatchback and station wagon versions.

The car went through several restylings, its appearance changed slightly, but the level of comfort, safety and quality of the Priora car noticeably improved. Today, models with automatic transmission are even available.

But no changes were made to the configuration of the equipped engines; the car is equipped with almost identical 4-cylinder engines with varying differences in the power offered: from 81 to 120 horsepower. All Prior engines are injection engines, the main difference from carburetor engines is the forced supply of fuel at certain moments directly into the engine cylinder. Our desired throttle valve also plays a significant role in this system. It migrated to the injection system from the carburetor, and, in principle, performs the same role - it meters the amount of air entering the intake manifold.

Throttle valve on Priora

On the Lada Priora engine, the valve itself is located in the throttle assembly, which in turn is located on the intake manifold. The unit is connected to the accelerator pedal drive, by pressing which the driver changes the position of the damper. The electronic intake system is a precise system for which it is necessary to take readings from certain sensors (mass air flow sensor, camshaft position sensor, crankshaft position sensor and many others). There are many of them, but we are concerned with the one that is directly related to the throttle valve. Correctly called a throttle position sensor (the abbreviation TPS is usually used), it monitors the position of the throttle and transmits data to the on-board computer so that all other elements of the power system work harmoniously.

The remote control position sensor can be either electrical or mechanical, which depends on the price of the car, although the difference between them is small.

The position sensor can also break, and when cleaning the throttle assembly, it would be useful to check it. If it becomes noticeable that the car does not switch well from high speeds to low speeds, the engine does not start well in cold weather, at low speeds the engine stalls or runs poorly - this could all be due to contamination of the throttle valve.

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Mechanical drive

The first models came with a cable drive. When you press the gas pedal, the force is transmitted mechanically.

The Priora throttle body additionally combines a position sensor for this element of the intake system and an idle speed regulator, which sets the crankshaft speed when the throttle is closed, as well as at the time of starting the engine and while connecting additional electrical equipment: headlights, air conditioning, electric heater motor salon It operates electrically. Which supplies air through the valve, bypassing the damper.

Differences between E-GAS and mechanical.

E-GAS damper
The electronic damper is more modern and unpretentious; it does not have the problematic IAC and TPS sensors. All adjustments of the electronic throttle occur precisely by the position of the damper itself. Changing the position of the damper in the assembly is carried out by a worm mechanism receiving signals from the electronic gas pedal.

Mechanical damper

In a mechanical throttle, a separate sensor, called TPS, is responsible for the valve position, and the IAC is responsible for the idle speed. Changing its position is driven by a cable connected to the accelerator pedal inside the car.

Electric drive

Since 2011, cars produced by VAZ began to be equipped with an electronic gas pedal, which led to a change in the design of the Priora throttle valve.

Now the mechanism is driven by an electric motor connected through a gearbox. The idle speed regulator has been removed as unnecessary. The drive is controlled through an on-board computer, which, based on the readings of the damper position sensor, regulates the fuel mixture in the best possible way. The opening size began to depend not only on the accelerator, but also on the clutch and brake pedal. The damper returns to its original position using a return mechanism consisting of a spring.

The electronic drive allows you to maintain a constant engine speed when driving with varying loads, even without driver intervention.

Removing and installing the throttle on a Priora

So, to remove the throttle body, you must first disconnect the terminal from the battery and then use a Phillips screwdriver to loosen the clamp screws on the air cleaner tube on both sides.

Alternatively, the thin tube that fits into the main tube can be loosened and removed from the valve cover.

Now you can finally remove the pipe, since nothing else is holding it back.

Next, we need to unscrew the three screws that secure the pipes to the accelerator from above, which is clearly visible in the photo below.

And one more - the fourth one, which is located below.

Now gently pull them to the side and remove them. If you have difficulty performing this step, you can use pliers to turn the tubes up and down, as clearly shown in the photo below.

Next we need to disconnect the two blocks with power cables from the throttle position sensor, as well as the idle air controller. Look at the latches on these connectors first to ensure you don't damage anything when unplugging them.

Then, using a ratchet paired with an extension and a 13mm socket, unscrew the two throttle body mounting nuts.

Now let's remove the throttle as it no longer holds it.

To be able to remove it from the engine compartment, you need to get rid of the accelerator control cable by first removing the metal retainer:

Node location

Opening the hood of the Priora, you won’t be able to see the throttle assembly. It is located under a plastic casing that covers the top of the engine. In addition to aesthetic value, it has the function of protecting against a heated valve cover.

After removing the casing, the air supply system will appear. It is a large rubber pipe connected on one side to the air filter box, and on the other to the intake manifold. A Priora throttle valve assembly is installed between them. It looks like an aluminum insert with a plastic black wing in the form of a sector, to which the control cable is connected (in the case of a mechanical drive).

Maintenance frequency

Practice shows that the throttle needs to be cleaned at intervals of 40-60 thousand kilometers. The time when such a need arises can be determined by the following signs:

1. Unstable speed.
2. Long return to idle speed when releasing the accelerator pedal.
3. Difficulty starting the engine after a long period of inactivity. Even in warm weather.
4. The exhaust gases contain the smell of gasoline, indicating that the mixture is over-rich.

The manufacturer recommends cleaning every 50 thousand km. Owners of the Priora car name different numbers on thematic forums. Some people do not resort to this procedure throughout the entire use of the machine. Much depends on operating conditions: region, timeliness of replacing the air filter.

How to clean the throttle body yourself

Cleaning the damper is one of the procedures that is easy to do yourself. It takes no more than an hour.

Work is carried out on a cooled engine. Before you begin, you need to prepare wrenches, Phillips and flat head screwdrivers, and carburetor cleaner. To clean the Lada Priora throttle valve, you need to do the following:

1. Put the car on the parking brake.
2. Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery.
3. Remove the plastic protective cover from the engine. To do this, unscrew the oil filler cap. Remove the 4 rubber plugs around the perimeter of the casing. Then unfasten the adsorber valve with a screwdriver and move the wires to the side. After removing the casing, the oil filler cap must be replaced to prevent dirt from entering the engine.
4. Disconnect the connectors from the Priora throttle sensor and the idle air control.
5. Disconnect the cooling system hoses that heat the damper while the engine is running. Before loosening the clamps, you need to partially drain the coolant. Not completely, but only below the level of the throttle assembly. To do this, you need to open the cap of the expansion tank and, placing a flat container under the radiator, unscrew the radiator cap.
6. Disconnect the crankcase ventilation system pipes.
7. Loosen the clamp and remove the air pipe.

Before cleaning the part, you must additionally remove the sensors from the housing. This should only be done for a power driven unit. As for the electronic gas damper, a control unit is attached to its body, which does not need to be removed. Moreover, when flushing the carburetor with cleaner, you need to make sure that the cleaning agent does not get on the control unit.

Do-it-yourself throttle cleaning on Priora

Of course, no special skills are required to perform this repair. The only thing you need to have on hand is a quality carburetor cleaner, which can be found at almost any auto store.

To do this job as efficiently as possible, we first disassemble the DPS and MAC. Thoroughly clean the locations where these sensors are installed, as well as the idle speed control needle (do not apply a lot of cleaner to the control, just clean the needle). Additionally, the entire inside of the throttle body needs to be cleaned very well with the product.

After solving this problem, you can install all the sensors in place and install the throttle valve on the car.

Important addition

When cleaning the internal cavity, it is not recommended to change the position of the Priora throttle valve with electronic gas, since the drive gears can be damaged. The mechanical damper, on the contrary, can be rotated by the drive, completely opening access to the inside. You can also disconnect the damper from the rotation axis. It is secured with two bolts. However, you need to know how hard to tighten it back. If self-loosening occurs after assembly, the bolts will fall into the combustion chambers of the engine. To prevent this from happening, after finishing the work you need to drive 500 km, disassemble the unit again and tighten the damper fasteners.

After assembly, do not forget to add coolant to the operating level.