I clean my TB with carb cleaner and a brush. I don't feel confident enough about seafoam to believe that it'll remove all the deposits.

 

How frequent do you clean throttle body?
How frequent do you use seafoam (at what mileage do you start using it)?

 

I clean my TB out every 30-40k miles, or whenever the mood strikes me since it's very easily.

I do seafoam every time I change my NGK V-Powers, so every 30k or so. I'm going to do it the first day it's nice this week Maybe I'll take pics and post a how-to.

 

If I remove the EGR valve for cleaning, do I have to put a new "seal" (gasket)?

 

98AccordV6, my car is at 74k, would you recommend a seafoam too? my car is running very well. Sorry for the off topic question...

 

Um, call the dealer. I'm not sure. I'd say so because they probably cost like $.30.

I run seafoam every 30k...even if she's running perfect. It only costs like $3 a can (so $2 to treat my gas and intake) and can't hurt anything. I swear by that stuff. Every engine has carbon deposists, might as well clean them out before they get bad enough to set off a CEL.

 

Thanks V6. I have 2005 4cyl LX Accord Auto. How can I clean throttle body myself - I don't even know what and where it is and how to clean it? Is there a picture of it somewhere? This would be especially useful to me because my wife's 2005 CRV has the same engine as my Accord.

As for seafoam - should I do it first time at 30k? Would the dealer do it or can I do it?

Thx

 

First of all, I'm very thankful of all of you guys! I'm learning more and more every day about my car engine just spending a few minutes / hours on this forum. I know it will come the day when I could start giving advices/solutions of my own. Thanks guys!

Well, about the SeaFoam, I'm planning on doing it this weekend, if I could buy the product. Also I'm planning on cleaning the EGR. So I'll keep you guys posted on my results.

Finally I have a question about the EGR procedure. Should I take the valve out and clean it with SeaFoam or CARB cleaner? I still have half can of STP so I will use it at least on the throttlebody. I ask about the EGR procedure because the EGR: FAQ seams to illustrate only about the procedure on the 98-2002 V6 and other older model but I have the 2000 4 cylinder model.

 

98CoupeV6 or anyone who can help.

I'm not that familiar with cars but, could someone help me to clean my carbon deposits and throtlebody. I Need a step by step instructions and preferably pictures. You can send it to my e-mail so you wouldn't have to fill up the thread. I have real low rpms and I want to clean it to make sure.
Any help will be appriciated. I have 1997 Accord. 4 cyl.

 

Actually I did the SeaFoam cleaning just today. I didn’t take pictures of the procedure since I was alone. Also I forgot to bring my digital camera. The procedure it’s very easily and you could do it alone by yourself. I will try to recreate the procedure and take pictures by midweek. So if you can wait I will post them here. Anyway I will try to explain the procedure below. If you plan to do this by yourself get a plastic hose, the one used for air supply on home aquariums, with at least 5-6 feet long.

1. Warm-up the car. (I drove “12 miles” to my office parking because it’s located on the third floor “roof” of a multilevel parking which it’s empty on the weekends. This is very useful since you will create a lot of smoke.)
2. Disconnect the hose that goes from the throttle body to the PCV valve “FIG 1”. (I just lose it first and then reconnect it with just a little pressure from my hand. I did that so I can start the car with the hose connected to the PCV valve and then just release it with my hands.)
3. Pour a 1/3 of SeaFoam on a clear container. (I use poured 6 ounces on a plastic cup. But first I did mark the plastic cup with a magic marker where 6 oz will be.)
4. Get your aquarium hose and with electric tape or some other tape make a rollup to the end that will go the PCV hose “FIG 2”. Make sure to leave at least 1-2 inches after the tape roll. This will prevent the PCV hose to suck your flexible plastic tube into the throttle body. Which I’m sure will make something go pretty bad.
5. Start the car.
6. Connect the taped end of your aquarium flexible tube to the PCV tube and get the other end to the driver’s seat “FIG 3”. This will help as you can hold the SeaFoam container and flexible tubing with both hands while you are at the driver’s seat keeping the REV to +/- 3000rpm
7. Let the flexible tube make brief contact with the Seafoam liquid and get it out of the liquid. The PCV hose suck air pretty hard so as soon as you make contact with the liquid it will suck the SeaFoam. The trick it’s not to let it suck so much that your car will stop. Just make brief continuous contact with the SeaFoam and all will be OK. Remember to try to keep the REV to +/- 2500-3000rpm. If you leet to much seafoam to get suck at a time you will notice how the car will try to stop. Just let the tube breath air and keep the the REV to +/- 2500-3000rpm. You will notice a loot of white-gray smoke during this procedure.
8. Once your 6 oz are emptied just stop the car and reconnect the PCV toube to the PCV valve.
9. Do not turn the car for at least 15 minutes. This will help the seafoam to lose some of the carbon stuff on your engine.
10. Pour the remaining seafoam on the gas tank. I was a little below ˝ tank.
11. After the 15 minutes, startup the car. I noticed that it was very difficult to keep it running because if I depress the gas pedal the car will just stop. So I just REV UP in Neutral for a few minutes. The car will make a LOOT of smoke here. Then I just leave the office parking and went directly to the highway running the hell of the car. The smoke will reduce eventually. In my case I could say no more than 5 minutes of smoke.

I hope this will help you. Remember this is based on my experience today and my car is a 2000 Accord. You could also search this board as there is a lot of related info on the subject.

FIG 1:


FIG 2:


FIG 3: