What are the symptoms of a dirty throttle body?

[Cooper]

The symptoms of a dirty throttle body are: 1. When accelerating, you may feel the throttle is sticky, heavy, the car accelerates slowly, the RPM rises sluggishly when pressing the throttle at idle, with delayed response, and the car speed drops immediately when releasing the throttle while driving; 2. It affects the precision and smoothness of engine air intake, with a noticeable issue being potential idle shaking or even stalling, as well as unsteady acceleration when pressing the throttle. The causes of a dirty throttle body are: 1. Driving environment, poor air filter performance, high dust levels in the surrounding environment; 2. Low-quality engine oil with high evaporation rate; 3. Oil vapor and impurities from the crankcase; 4. After turning off the engine, the throttle cannot seal completely, allowing dust to accumulate over time.

[HarmonyFitz]

When my car's throttle body accumulates carbon deposits, the most obvious symptoms are unstable idling, with RPM fluctuating up and down, and severe shaking during cold starts, almost like an earthquake; when accelerating, pressing the gas pedal yields no response, with significant power lag, especially noticeable when overtaking or climbing hills; fuel consumption inexplicably increases—where a full tank used to last 500 km, now the low-fuel light comes on at 450 km; sometimes, starting is difficult, requiring multiple key turns before the engine fires up; the exhaust also emits a foul odor, smelling off. These symptoms all stem from carbon buildup blocking the throttle body, affecting airflow and leading to incomplete engine combustion. After my last cleaning, the situation improved significantly. I recommend regularly checking the throttle body's condition, servicing it every 10,000 km or so, or using fuel additives to prevent carbon buildup. Otherwise, long-term neglect can turn minor issues into major engine repairs, which are both costly and dangerous.

[EllaFitz]

My car has been consuming a lot of fuel lately, with city traffic congestion causing fuel consumption to spike by 20%. The car shakes unsteadily at idle, which is often a sign of a dirty throttle body. Excessive carbon buildup can obstruct air intake, making the engine work harder with sluggish power response; starting becomes difficult, especially failing to ignite on the first try in cold weather; occasionally, black smoke emits from the exhaust, causing significant pollution. I recommend car owners develop the habit of regularly cleaning the throttle body. It's quite simple to do it yourself with a cleaner spray or have it professionally serviced—don't wait until fuel consumption skyrockets to take action. Using high-quality gasoline to reduce carbon buildup and changing the air filter more frequently can extend the throttle body's lifespan, saving a lot on repair costs and time.

[DiAllie]

Throttle carbon buildup symptoms give me a headache: obvious idle shaking, the tachometer jumps around; stepping on the gas pedal results in weak acceleration, speed doesn't pick up; fuel consumption silently increased by 10-15%. These are all manifestations of carbon deposits blocking the throttle opening, causing air-fuel mixture ratio issues and poor combustion efficiency. If not addressed in time, the engine burden increases, and noise amplifies. After cleaning, it returned to smooth operation, reminding fellow car owners not to overlook these small signals and to clean early to ensure safety.