How To Clean the Throttle Body: VW & Audi DIY

Taking an hour or two to clean your throttle body can make a world of difference in your cars idle and throttle response, which is why I wrote up this quick and simple DIY. It should take around one through two hours to complete if your giving it a real good cleaning or fifteen minutes for a fast TB spray down.

Overtime the plate in your cars throttle body can become corroded with carbon and dried up oil. That crud can effect the airflow, give your car a rough idle and lead to slower throttle response. So if you are experiencing any of the aforementioned then cleaning the throttle, IAT sensor and MAF sensor is a great way to give your car a nice tune-up.

This job requires just a few basic household tools. And if you have read any of my other DIY's then you know my tool motto "If you don't own it, then go buy it. Tools are a lifetime investment".

• 5mm Allenhead/Hex
• Flathead Screwdriver
• Throttle Body Cleaner or Carburetor Cleaner
• New Gasket (optional)
• Rag, Q-tips, Paper

The allen head tool I use is a multi-size fold-in pocket tool shown in the picture (around $5. at any tool store) but any changeable bit screwdrivers or 5mm hex sockets with an extension will work.

The flathead screwdriver is used to unscrew and loosen the hose clamp. If your car has a pinch clamp you will need to pry it off with vise grips or pliers, after that replace it with a screw type hose clamp for future use.

Throttle body or carburetor cleaner can be picked up at any local auto shop as well as the replacement gasket. The gasket is optional. It is recommended to replace the gasket once you take off the throttle body but I've reused the same one before and have never had a problem. If you do decide to replace the gasket it is about five dollars and the auto shop can tell you what one is right for your car. Part # 61092 from Fel-Pro seems to fit most VW/Audi TB's and can be ordered online for a few bucks or bought for five at the store.

The pictures for this DIY are done on a 1.8t, most all v-dubs and audi's are the same although depending on make and model your car it may look a little different.

• Step 1: Pull off one side of the little vacuum hose on top of your TB. If you want to replace the clip then pry it off, but I have noticed that the part of the hose connecting to the check valve can be pulled off pretty easy by twisting it back and forth and can be returned to it's original position without having to tear off and replacing the clamp.
• Step 2: Unscrew the intake hose clamp. If it has a crimp clamp or pinch clamp take it off with pliers like I recommended in the "Tools" section above.
• Step 3: Work the intake hose off of the throttle body and bend it out of the way so you can get to the wire harness.
• Step 4: In the picture the screwdriver is pointing at the wire harness that needs to be removed. The easiest way to remove the harness is to put your flathead screwdriver into the harness clip, pull up on the tab and wiggle it off with your other hand. If your uncertain on how to release these types of clips please browse through "How to Remove and Clean Your MAF Sensor" for a better explanation and if you end up breaking the clip here is a DIY for that "Replacing a broken VW/Audi wire harness clip".
• Step 5: Using your 5mm allen hex tool unscrew the four screws holding the throttle body to the intake manifold. Once those four bolt are out you can easily remove the TB.
• Step 6: Clean! The first picture is all the carbon and oil that was on my TB, and that is even with me doing the fifteen minute cleaning technique and seafoam treatment every 6 months. Spray your cleaner all around inside and wipe it clean with a rag. Then clean the plate with q-tips. Keep spraying it down with cleaner, you can never use enough! Once it looks nice and clean a great trick is to use small slices of paper to clean all around the throttle plate. Take a thin slice of paper and move it back and forth up to the plate hinge, it is amazing how much more crud will come out. Spray, Repeat, Spray, Repeat until you have a clean q-tip and slice of paper.
• Step 7: Re-install. If you bought a new gasket peel the old one off and put on the new one, if you choose not too, then reverse the steps and screw your TB back in (spray a little cleaner into your intake manifold before you screw in your TB). Bentley manual states that bolt torque should be at 7ft/lbs, if you don't have a torque wrench just make the bolts are snug (no need to go full force!). Make sure you plug the wire harness back in and reconnect the vacuum hose on the top.
• Step 8: Re-align your throttle body. For that you can use a VAG-COM or you can use the simple method. Put your key into the car and turn it on. (When I say turn it on I mean the electronics not the motor). So turn the key to the on position and wait about a minute and a half. That will allow your throttle body to re-align. If the hood of your car is still open you can put your key in the on position, hop out and go to your TB, you will hear a really high pitched note. That is your TB alignment in action. Once that high pitched note stops the alignment is done and you can start your car.

TBA is not needed for a gentle clean as described above. If you are harsh and move around the plate you will need to re-align your throttlebody. 

The best way is with a Vag-com. Another easy way to do a throttle body alignment is to follow the steps in step 8.

turn the key to the on position and wait about a minute and a half. That will allow your throttle body to re-align. If the hood of your car is still open you can put your key in the on position, hop out and go to your TB, you will hear a really high pitched note. That is your TB alignment in action. Once that high pitched note stops the alignment is done and you can start your car.

The IAT sensor is located on the intake manifold, right next to the throttle body. It sends information relating to the air temperature being run through your car. On some cars it is incorporated into the MAF sensor, on 1.8t's it's located on the intake manifold.

So If you notice your IAT is located next to your throttle body, well then lets take a minute to clean that too. If your MAF holds the IAT sensor, then this part is useless for you.

• Step 1: Remove the sensors wire harness as described above.
• Step 2: With your 5mm Allenhead/hex remove the bolt holding the sensor in.
• Step 3: Wash the sensor in a alcohol bath the same way you would for the MAF. Using Q-tips make sure any oil or carbon deposits have been removed. Be gentle but thorough.
• Step 4: Screw sensor back and plug in the harness.

The original position of the throttle body pushes the incoming air against the top where it is forced to each cylinder.

Some people believe you will get a more proportioned amount of air if you turn the throttle body clockwise so that the incoming air runs against the front of the intake manifold. That way cylinder four is getting an even distribution of air.

This is up to you if you want to try it out. The throttle body is square so the only altercation you would have to make is running a longer vacuum hose from the throttle body to the check valve that it is originally connected to. If you are doing this on a Audi where the TB is on the drivers side of the car you would turn it clockwise.

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