DIY - Removing and cleaning a MKIV throttle body (throttle valve control module)

[VgRt6]

Great idea!

Gary

[jayz1367]

I must share that i did my throttle body cleaning at 95k today and i had no troubles, although i did spew some coolant as well it was not too bad, the TB was definitely ready for a good cleaning and on the first drive the throttle seems a wee bit more responsive and the idle is noticeably smoother, i also cleaned up the PCV and surrounding areas while i was at it, thanks Gary for the write up, next step is to tackle my serpentine belt!

[bootymac]

I wanted to clean my throttle body, but the two lower hex screws were impossible to remove

BTW, do you have to use a scan tool to readapt the TB?

[jayz1367]

my 2 lower hex screws were fine, i just unclipped a couple of those coolant hoses

and i didn't use a VAG-com, just left the key in the "on" position for about 2 mins then started her up, idled for a few mins and went for a short cruise

[diive4sho]

You should work for bentley publishers...

[VgRt6]

Quote, originally posted by jayz1367 »

and i didn't use a VAG-com, just left the key in the "on" position for about 2 mins then started her up, idled for a few mins and went for a short cruise

You don't even have to do this (I actually don't think it does anything really). The car will readapt the TB on it's own, just as it does will all of the other learned parameters it uses to operate the car.

Gary

[jayz1367]

Gary i have a picture of yours with a hose circled that i found was ripped at the end yesterday and is probably causing a vaccuum leak of some kind, because my CEL came on today.....if you could tell me what hose this is and if you have a part number for me that would be fantastic, thanks

This one (in red

[VgRt6]

Is it the one with numbers on it or the one without numbers in my original picture below. It's hard to tell in your pic because of the smaller size.

Gary

[jayz1367]

in your pic, it is the one that clearly says GERMANY on the right side

[VgRt6]

I'll look it up later when I get home.

Gary

[jayz1367]

Thank you Gary

[digitalhippie]

Quote, originally posted by jayz1367 »

although i did spew some coolant

Word to the wise, anytime you touch a coolant related part on the car... open the cap to the coolant bottle first. There's a few people I can think of that have forgotten this and ended up getting a face full of coolant (in one case causing second degree burns).

[jayz1367]

Quote, originally posted by digitalhippie »

Word to the wise, anytime you touch a coolant related part on the car... open the cap to the coolant bottle first. There's a few people I can think of that have forgotten this and ended up getting a face full of coolant (in one case causing second degree burns).

thanks for the advice, most of the time i learn my lessons the hard way but luckily no damage to myself or my car, but i will keep it in mind for future reference

[VgRt6]

The part number on that hose is 1J0612041BH. Just to make sure that we're talking about the same hose, it's the one that connects the brake booster to the intake manifold.

Gary

[jayz1367]

yes thats the one, it has the writing on it, thanks gary for your help!

EDIT: you gotta be kidding me, 26 bucks for this stupid thing


Modified by jayz1367 at 12:06 PM 9-13-2005

[VgRt6]

Anytime.

Gary

[Mill3niumThr33]

is there a manual way to reset the throttle position or is vag com the only way

[FaelinGL]

Bump for added information. Sometimes the contacts inside the TB electronic circuitry get dirty and need cleaning as well. See http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2491784 for details.

Mike

[Becoolonce]

What a thorough wite-up! Thanks for taking the time to post this information. This is the kind of help that makes VWvortex amazing!

[MyGLXtacy]

I just used the DIY with 100% satisfaction.

Thank you VERY much for all the photos.

[LETTERMAN52]

Do you happen to know the part number for the gasket?

[jettamkIVvr6]

So do i have to adapt it? and what are the benefits of cleaning the TB?
Thanks

[Ausare]

Just wanted to thank you for the DIY. Performed myself last night and it was easier than I thought (warning some hoses may soak nearby father when removing).

This has made a very noticeable difference. Thought it might be the coil pack, MAF sensor and my brother brought up the TB and it fit my symptoms exactly. Car was stalling low RPM and gaining speed was rough along with idle; when it was full open it was alright but real shotty otherwise.

Was starting to hate driving my car, would stall when going around slow corners after suppressing the clutch (hello, power steering NOT FUN).

So far, second day driving around and I haven't seen any of the old symptoms, thanks again.

[caladan]

You rock man!!!!

The quick and dirty procedure had my old TB out, and the replacement in within 45 minutes.

I owe you a beer next time I'm back in the DC area for your tutorial.

Thanks again!

[msakoon]

This is a great DIY. My VW dealer suggested that I clean the Throttle Body when a code for my Catalytic Converter was tested and didn't fully explain the issue. I decided to handle the cleaning myself and your instructions were great.

I have a 2001 Jetta GLS - 2.0. The TB is oriented about 180 degrees differently in my vehicle compared to your photos. I was able to get the TB out by disconnecting the accessible hoses, using a bungee cable to get the intake pipe out of the way, and then disconnecting the hoses that were hiding on the back of the TB once it was unscrewed and lifted.

Unfortunately, I don't have a VAG-COM, but I just let the car run in the driveway for a few minutes and took it out for a few errands to put it in motion. While my car isn't really built for performance, it responded well after the cleaning. I can already tell that it accelerates in a consistently smooth improvement.

[jmarsh1977]

Great DIY.

I didn't take pics but my TB was completey gummed up. CRC Lectra-Motive electric parts cleaner was still able to cut through the buildup.

As recommened by the original poster, used q-tips, paper towels, and I cut up index cards for the triangle pieces of paper.

To clean the gap closer to the hinge of the butterfly valve, I used waxed dental floss. Can't wait to install it tomorrow along w/ my freshly JB-welded coil pack!

[benocehcap]

ahhh my Hero!

[sx5_roy]

I have to admit mine needed it after 125 000 km's. no problems with the cleaning well explained DIY, and easy to do in under 2.5 hrs, nice idle after the cleaning recommend it to any one who hasn't done it yet. At the price of our little VW'S might as well keep them healthy happy and clean. Never the less that much less gunk is an advantage to the engine. P.S. No problem with TB Rehab..

C-Bass

[justn868]

[mujjuman]

hi, i cant get the harness connector from the TB out..... is there trick to it or something?

[Dub.Nation]

Just cleaned my throttle body this weekend on my 1.8T jetta. Steps were alot easier for me but the DIY helped me with the cleaning process. That thing was SO DIRTY only after 83K. It was so dirty I found it slightly tilited to compensate for the gunk build up around the edges. I recommend this DIY to everyone. It is quick and easy, especially on the 1.8Ts. Now idling so smooth and at a constant 800 or so.

PS. I didn't use a VAG-COM for my TB alignment. For those of you familiar with the "chicken dance", this works and aligned my TB perfectly!

[florinbejerea]

I did the TB cleaning. Thank you! Your post helped a lot. I did spill some coolant though but I caught it just in time
The only problem is that the check engine light still comes back. And I cleared it a couple of times. It is the same code : idle adaptation limit reached. I also performed the TB adaptation with vag-com after I cleaned it. Do you think that I need to replace the TB at this point or it could be a different issue that would cause the ruff idle.

[That_Crayon_Smell]

florinbejerea
I HIGHLY recommend cleaning your MAF sensor (and housing) as soon as you can. I was getting a rough idle on cold starts on my 1.8T, and after doing this simple cleaning procedure, my rough idle has substantially reduced...99% better! NO MORE CEL issues! I couldn't believe how this simple fix could help so much. And i had visibly no dust or debris on any of the parts prior...
I have recommend this procedure to my friends. The MAF sensor isn't part of any cleaning maintenance schedule, and is an important thing to look after.

http://forums.vwvortex.com/zer...age=1
http://www.roadsleeper.com/gti/maf.html

I think once i do this TB clean, it'll be as good as new. Thanks OP, im going to try this soon.

[marct]

Just did this DIY today, Awesome. Thanks so much for the great pictures and all.

I just turned 116k miles, and my TB had to be 10x dirtier than yours. This cleared my CEL I was getting a running rich code.

My only feedback to make it easier for anyone else would be to move Step 24, the removal of the lower coolant hose to after the removal of the air intake hose. It is so much easier. I didn't realize this on the dis-assembly, but put it back together in this order.

Oh and I epoxied the nipple off the back of the air intake back on, looks like some moron in a shop did the same thing in the past. Might need to replace that hose sometime soon.

Thanks again for the awesome writeup!

[SpeedyCorky]

ok call me an idiot and sorry for bumping an old thread...

but i cleaned my TB. reinstalled. connected VAGCOM

enter 060 and it says ADP-OK, then i click "switch to basic settings"
field 3 goes thru 1, 2, 3, etc all the way to 6, then stops at 6, and then field 4 says ERROR.

battery is fully charged, car runs great. so what gives??
I know the posted instructions say to consult the Bently manual to troubleshoot, but i cant seem to find where in the Bently it talks about the TB. what could be wrong? since the car drives fine should i just go along my merry way, ignore the ERROR, and pretend it all went to plan?!

Modified by SpeedyCorky at 9:23 PM 1-3-2010