How to Replace a Throttle Body System

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Projections show that the global automotive repair & maintenance service market will reach a value of $810.3 billion by 2026.

Having maintenance done on your car can be very expensive, for both the parts and the labor. Sometimes you can reduce these costs by carrying out repairs yourself. The throttle body, for example, is a part that is fairly simple to replace if yours is faulty.

For a guide on replacing a throttle body, keep reading.

What Is a Throttle Body System?

Throttle bodies are essential to providing a correctly balanced air-fuel mix to the engine of a car. If a throttle body is faulty, this mixture can be either too lean or too rich, and both of these can cause engine problems.

How to Replace a Throttle Body

If you’re quite handy you don’t necessarily need to take your car to a mechanic for this. Just bear in mind that any car repair work you carry out yourself will require some mechanical knowledge, so don’t try this yourself if you’re a complete beginner.

1. Remove the Hose From the Throttle Body

With your engine off and the bonnet open, you first need to find the air filter case. From here, there’s a hose that connects to the engine. This clamp is the throttle body.

Disconnect the hose and move it away.

2. Detach the Air Cleaner

After disconnecting the hoses and ducts, you can remove the air cleaner. There will be an electrical supply to the air cleaner along with various sensors. Remove these carefully as they can be quite sensitive.

3. Deactivate the Air Control and Throttle Position

On both sides of the throttle body is the air control, which you need to deactivate. You can then disconnect the throttle position sensor, keeping the leads away from the throttle.

4. Remove the Throttle Cables

Carefully open the throttle body, and you’ll then be able to remove the throttle cables one at a time. Some throttle bodies will also have water cables attached, which need to be removed. Use pliers to remove the hose clamps, and then you can disconnect the hoses.

5. Remove the Old Throttle Body

There should be four bolts that hold the throttle body in place alongside the intake manifold. Use a socket set to unbolt these. You’re then free to remove the throttle body.

As you separate it from the intake manifold, make sure you do so with care to ensure the seal between the two remains intact.

6. Install the New Throttle Body

Now it’s time to place the new throttle body, again taking care with the seal to the intake manifold. Secure it with the bolts, reconnect the cables, put the air cleaner back, and finally connect the hose.

As a final check, you should take your car for a test drive, then allow your car to idle for a couple of minutes. Listen for any problems, and if it all sounds smooth, then the job was a success. If you notice any unusual noises, then there may be issues with other components of your engine.

Why Replace a Throttle Body?

A faulty throttle body can affect the performance of your car, and if not replaced it may cause larger, more long-lasting damage. If you think your throttle body is faulty, don’t wait around for it to get worse – either have a professional replace it or, if you’re up to the challenge, you can do it yourself. For more auto repair articles, check out some of our other blog posts.