Throttle body Cleaning-----learn from me! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Miranthis · 04-01-2008, 08:33 PM

Ok, I won't tell you HOW to clean the TBI on you Gen 5 or Gen 5.5 (there are smarter folks out there that already did that!

). BUT, I will tell you how NOT to do it.

So, I've cleaned the TBI on my old 98 Camry a bunch and never had a hitch. The TBI is roughly horizontal and I usually use my finger or a soft probe to hod the butterfly open to scrub. Well, I tried my 2005 Camry today. It is Gen 5.5 and thus fly by wire. The TBI is mounted at an angle. I used a Shop pencil (long, flat, sturdy, rounded, not going to scratch the surfaces etc.) to hold the butterfly open. As I was scrubbing with the old tooth brush the butterfly got struck by my finger and the pencil fell into the intake

. After a bit of near panic (ok, rear panic) and several attempts to get it out I had to R&R the TBI to get at it.

Moral of the story....Don't be like me! Learn form my pain.

Now, move along...nothing to see here......

Jeff

CamrySExxx · 04-01-2008, 10:14 PM

ah that is definately my worse nightmare when comming to cleaning the TB. couldnt u have just put something on the gas pedal to open the valve? i know its a dbw but i remember reading it will still open it

steven88 · 04-01-2008, 11:05 PM

I recently cleaned my mother's 5.5 throttle body....I just used my finger to hold it open and started spraying the crap out of the tb...then scrubbed real well with a tooth brush...then sprayed the crap out of it again....

it actually started up very quickly....I thought I would have to crank and crank over and over (flooded with tb cleaner)...but it fired up within 2 seconds...alot of smoke came out!!!

I did get a CEL...no problem, just disconnected the batt and I was on my way

Miranthis · 04-02-2008, 08:18 AM

I don't know about anyone else, but right where I need to stand comfortably to cleant he TBI is the hood strut. Thus, my need for something to hold it open as the third hand.

I'll have to try the gas pedal deal. I just figured that with the battery disconnected it would not work. I can leave the battery connected next time if i need to. In any even I found a better place to stand and got it cleaned the rest of the way. My throttle response seems better now.

Jeff

DressUpYourPet · 04-03-2008, 02:30 PM

use a long long 1/4 or 3/8 in socket extension, wrap it in tape or shove some hose over it to make it softer.

bigkidd · 04-03-2008, 03:08 PM

I cleaned my throttle-body. I pushed down on the butterfly valve with one finger and using my other hand with a clean rag wrapped around my finger wiped out the tb. The tb cleaner helped, at 42,000 mile and first time cleaning, I was afraid the tar looking crap would fall down in the tb with toothbrush method. 10 minutes just to clean. Made a world of differance in the throttle response.

LoudCamry · 04-03-2008, 03:13 PM

do anyone have a write up with picture on how to clean the Tb??
or is there already a thread???

Miranthis · 04-04-2008, 01:21 PM

there is a write up for the Gen 4 I think and it is easy, but make sure you use something soft to hold the Butterfly open (and something that will not FALL INTO the Intake - see above

).

I did it as follows on my 2005 camry.

1) remove air filter.

2) Loosen the clamp and remove the top of the air box from the main intake tube.

3) unplug the 2 vacuum lines from the VSV.

4) pinch the clamp that clamps the other end of the intake tube to the top of the throttle body - this on is a bit tricky. Remove the intake tube. to make reinstall of the tube easy I took the clamp off and "locked" it open. It has a built in lock but it took both my hands to lock it.

5) You can remove the vac line at the TBI (the other end of one of the lines you disconnected in step 3) or just work around it.

you now have access to the TBI. Use a quality TBI cleaner (make sure it is marked as such - I found CRC TBI cleaner at WalMart that is the same brand my dealer uses) and spray it well. I also used a clean rag to wipe the surfaces clean and you will need to open the butterfly to get all the nooks and crannies. There is (at least on the gen 5.5 I4) a grate integrated into the TBI gasket that blocks the upper part of the passage behind the butterfly - don't damage it.

Once it is cleaned well just reinstall it all, making sure not to over tighten the upper clamp or the air box bolts. For the lower tube clamp I slipped it on with the clamp locked open, checked the fit, adjusted the clamp position and then released the clamp lock with it in the right place. Worked like a charm.

Precautions / catastrophic failures include

1) Dropping something down the intake.

2) vacuum leaks

3) you are working over the battery a bit so make sure not to short it.

4) Using a cleaner not for TBIs.

Other than that it is pretty simple. If you get the online manual (yes, you CAN still find it), the picture of the TBI and the first part of the R&R for the TBI is all you need. Their write up is perfect.

geoff5093 · 04-04-2008, 03:04 PM

I've always been nervous that the straw on the TB can may fly off into the intake, which is why I'm always very hesitant about using it when cleaning the TB.

Mike Murrell · 04-04-2008, 03:49 PM

Local repair shop owner has a talk show on AM radio on the weekends.

A few weeks ago he was commenting about drive-by-wire TB cleaning.

Most would know better, but......

When cleaning these be sure to have engine off and key out of ignition - put it in your pocket.

He indicated the force on these DBW systems will do untold damage to your finger.

Miranthis · 04-04-2008, 04:08 PM

I'll put those last couple post in the "could have been worse" file. I guess I am lucky I only had to fish a relatively large wood work pencil that was bright orange out of the intake.

Much easier to do than fishing out the finger tip or a little red straw...

TRD VVTi · 04-04-2008, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Murrell

Local repair shop owner has a talk show on AM radio on the weekends.

A few weeks ago he was commenting about drive-by-wire TB cleaning.

Most would know better, but......

When cleaning these be sure to have engine off and key out of ignition - put it in your pocket.

He indicated the force on these DBW systems will do untold damage to your finger.

I agree.

I always use a clean rag with throttle body cleaner on it around my finger to clean the throttle body and the throttle plate. It's so easy to use your finger to manually open the throttle plate that I've never understood the purpose of jamming something else in there, cable or drive-by-wire doesn't really matter.

2k4CamThrilla · 04-06-2008, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TRD VVTi

I agree.

I always use a clean rag with throttle body cleaner on it around my finger to clean the throttle body and the throttle plate. It's so easy to use your finger to manually open the throttle plate that I've never understood the purpose of jamming something else in there, cable or drive-by-wire doesn't really matter.

thought maybe you would of post a link with your TBI cleaning thread...