Fuel System Service & Throttle Body Cleaning

[MoviesLA]

My dealer, Honda World-Westminster CA, knows I'm at 30,000 miles and has sent me a letter stating I need: Fuel System Service & Throttle Body Cleaning.

I have searched my Honda Pilot's Manual and find no reference to this subject, including the maintenance requirement pages.

Is this service for real or is this dealer just creating their own suggested service instructions? Has anybody ever heard of this serive?

[jay]

I'd say it's the dealer creating service profit. I did have a '98 Accord, though, that I could always tell when it needed a throttle body cleaning. It would stumble on acceleration every morning at the same spot in my morning commute. Every time I'd get that slight hesitation, I'd take it to the mechanic I used then, and a throttle body cleaning always cleared it right up.

[john802]

I always put 1 bottle (12oz) of fuel additive (PEA) to a full tank of gas a week before changing oil/filter to clean the fuel/throttle system.

[PILOTinginCO]

John802 is right on the money.

I used to put Techron in the tank of my car every 12k miles and several times during routine maintenance - which included fuel injector clearning - the tech said it didn't need to be done.

I'd put Techron in my car now except we don't have Chevrons in Colorado - which makes me mad!

I've also heard great things about BK44 injector cleaner.

[humanoid]

Originally posted by PILOTinginCO
John802 is right on the money.

I used to put Techron in the tank of my car every 12k miles and several times during routine maintenance - which included fuel injector clearning - the tech said it didn't need to be done.

I'd put Techron in my car now except we don't have Chevrons in Colorado - which makes me mad!

I've also heard great things about BK44 injector cleaner.

BG44K works great, but a bit on the pricey side. I would recommend the use of 2 bottles, the first to loosen all the buildup and the second to blast it all away to have it burned up during combustion.

[millarduck]

The dealer wanted $100 for a cleaning and $36 for an air filter. So, I went and got an air filter with a can of Valvoline throttle body (TB) cleaner. $15.00 later, I was ahead of the game. The TB looked fairly clean, but I sprayed and wiped and replaced the air filter. You need to remove the plastic engine cover, lossen the clamp over the TB, remove the air filter body. The whole apparatus moves without havng to disconnect other "attachments". Here is a link I used:

http://www.mobiloil.com/USA-English/...le_Bodies.aspx

[jestmaty]

FWIW, I took my original OEM fuel injectors out of my 1991 Nissan 240SX a couple of weeks ago and they were just fine!!

17 year old ORIGINAL injectors that had been run on Kroger gas were clean as a whistle. Only problem was is that one of them had quit working, it was stuck open or closed with 'zero' ohms.....

Fuel system cleaning is just a scam IMHO

[75blazer]

Originally posted by john802
I always put 1 bottle (12oz) of fuel additive (PEA) to a full tank of gas a week before changing oil/filter to clean the fuel/throttle system.

While I think this dealer "service" is a sham, the fuel additive won't do anything for your throttle body. The fuel is injected into the airstream "downwind" of the throttle body itself.

[N_Jay]

1) Unless you car has been backfiring or you have run with a bad air filter, your throttle body should not need cleaning.

2) Most people do not need fuel system cleaner, but a little does not hurt. You don't need to double up to "blast" out deposits. Just follow the instructions about between one a year and once every three years.

3) You may not be able to see the effect of deposits on your fuel injectors unless you run them out of the engine and look at the spray pattern.

4) Preventive cleaning is not a sham, but is not needed very often. It is better to dissolve small deposits before they become and issue rather then wait for symptoms to show up. For most people this is no more than a bottle of cleaner every one to three years.

Have fun.

[whizmo]

I'm not sure it is necessary, but I also run a bottle of Techron through the system about every oil change. Costco was selling it by the case (six bottles if I recall correctly) recently.

A dealer cleaning might do some good, but there is no real way to monitor what they do and they might screw things up. And I wouldn't put it past many of them to charge $150 to dump a $5 bottle of fuel cleaner in the tank.

- Mark

[N_Jay]

Originally posted by whizmo
I'm not sure it is necessary, but I also run a bottle of Techron through the system about every oil change. . .

Try every other to every 4th oil change.

The stuff is basically a strong solvent, So I figure why expose the synthetic materials in the fuel system more than necessary.

What is the shortest time you have heard anyone having a car and having dirty fuel injector issues. Cut that time in half, and set your schedule.

[75blazer]

Originally posted by N_Jay
1) Unless you car has been backfiring or you have run with a bad air filter, your throttle body should not need cleaning.

2) Most people do not need fuel system cleaner, but a little does not hurt. You don't need to double up to "blast" out deposits. Just follow the instructions about between one a year and once every three years.

3) You may not be able to see the effect of deposits on your fuel injectors unless you run them out of the engine and look at the spray pattern.

4) Preventive cleaning is not a sham, but is not needed very often. It is better to dissolve small deposits before they become and issue rather then wait for symptoms to show up. For most people this is no more than a bottle of cleaner every one to three years.

Have fun.

You are correct, I should not have said it was a sham. But let's be honest, assuming one changes the air filter appropriately, is the TB really going to get so dirty that it will affect performance, particularly on such a "young" vehicle? I suppose an argument could be made for a little cleaning and lubrication.....

For the record, I'm referring only to the throttle body cleaning, not the fuel system.