What to Do If the Car Idles High After Cleaning the Throttle Body?
2 Answers
Solutions for high idle speed after cleaning the throttle body: 1. Loosen the throttle body, adjust the screw to bring the engine to a lower stable speed, and place the screwdriver on the idle screw; 2. When the engine is about to stall, turn out the idle screw to reduce the engine speed from high to lower; 3. Repeat the process until the throttle opening is small, then close the throttle body. Situations where the car idles include: 1. When the vehicle is parked and the engine is started, the lower stable speed of the engine is called parking idle; 2. During gear shifting, if the accelerator pedal is not pressed or is released while driving, maintaining a small throttle opening with the engine speed matching the parking idle is called driving idle.
Last time after I cleaned the throttle body, the idle speed suddenly became higher, which felt really scary - the engine was roaring like it was about to explode. I talked to the mechanic and learned this is quite common because the computer control system needs to adapt to the new cleaned state and might temporarily get confused. Don't panic, first turn off the engine, disconnect the negative battery cable for 10 minutes to let the system fully reset, then start the car and let it idle for 5 to 10 minutes for automatic adjustment. If that doesn't work, check if the throttle position sensor connector is loose or dirty - sometimes water residue from cleaning can affect the signal. Always make sure the engine is completely cooled before cleaning the throttle body to prevent dust from entering, and you won't frequently encounter this issue. Higher idle speed after cleaning increases fuel consumption, so it's best to address it promptly, otherwise your fuel costs will keep climbing.
