Stuck Throttle Body- Causes, Symptoms & Easy Fixes
Diagnose Throttle Problems With a GPS Tracker
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A malfunctioning throttle body can turn a smooth drive into a frustrating and, in most cases, a dangerous experience. This blog, in the following sections, will shine a light on the reasons, symptoms, and solutions of a stuck throttle body.
Let’s begin!
What is a Throttle Body?
The engine of your vehicle produces power when it efficiently combusts the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber. The quality of the combustion depends on the amount of air present in the combustion chamber. The amount of air entering an engine is controlled by the throttle body, whose butterfly valve is electronically or mechanically connected to the throttle paddle that drivers depress with their foot. The RPM of an engine depends on the openness of this valve. And when this part of your car malfunctions, your car’s engine starts acting out!
Common Reasons for a Stuck Throttle Body
The primary reasons for a stuck throttle body are mentioned in the sections below –
Carbon buildup:
With regular use, exhaust gases, engine oil, and related contaminants from fuel would end up sticking on the throttle plate as well as the bore of a throttle body. The outcome is that the throttle body will not work as it was designed to.
Faulty throttle position sensor (TPS):
The TPS is responsible for communicating the position of the throttle plate to the ECU of a car. If this sensor malfunctions, then the ECU might ‘think’ that the throttle is wide open when in actuality, the throttle plate is closed. The outcome – even when the throttle pedal is fully depressed, the engine RPM will remain in its idle state, rendering the vehicle unusable.
Mechanical Cable Damage:
In case of mechanical throttle bodies, if the throttle flap controlling wire is damaged, the part might end up not performing as intended!
Diagnose Throttle Problems with a GPS Tracker
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Stuck Throttle Body Symptoms
The primary symptoms of a stuck throttle body are as follows –
- Erratic idle speed – while idling, the tachometer of your car will be all over the place, indicating that the engine is having a hard time staying turned on.
- Often, you might witness that your car feels as if it is hesitant to march forward.
- You might often see that your car is stalling even when you have done nothing that might result in such a situation.
- Additionally, there could be instances where your car ‘stayed’ in an ‘accelerating’ state even when you have taken your foot off the throttle paddle!
Other symptoms may or may not include –
- An illuminated check engine light.
- Diagnostic Trouble Codes flashing on the Multi Information Display.
- A whistling or hissing sound emanating from the engine bay.
You can prove that your car has a ‘throttle body issue’ by plugging in a Vyncs GPS tracker to the OBD2 port of your vehicle and analyzing the diagnostic report generated by the device.
Solutions for a Stuck Throttle Body
Solutions for a Stuck Throttle Body
If the throttle body is a mechanical device whose butterfly flap is controlled by a cable connected to the throttle paddle, then a simple dismantling and spraying degreaser on the moving parts will leave the device working like new.
However, if the throttle body is an electronic one whose butterfly flap is actuated by solenoids that are in turn controlled by the ECU after it receives input from the electronic throttle paddle, then the story takes a new turn. A replacement is the only solution in this case.
Stuck Throttle Body Repair Cost
- For A Full Replacement - $400 to $620
- For Mid Range Cars - $300 to $500
- For Luxury Cars - $700 to $1,000
- For Basic Servicing - $100 to $250
Fix That Throttle Body – Today!
The moral of the story is simple to understand – if your car is showing signs of a problematic throttle body, you need to take it to the service center. And in case the throttle body is reparable, the problem will be fixed. However, if the throttle body has extensive mechanical damage or has an irreparable electronic issue, then throttle body replacement is the only solution. Long story short, you should not continue to drive your car if it has a stuck throttle body, in a bid to keep the vehicle from sustaining further irreversible damage.