You can find out in 10-15 mins... I've never cleaned a throttle body so I can't really comment on the need in any vehicle. One of those things I have chosen to address as needed.

 

I've cleaned a bunch of them. Typically smoothes out the idle and improves throttle response on high mileage vehicles.

I did this on my gen 2 about 2 years ago, it was fairly dirty. They get dirty because the EGR valve circles exhaust gases back into the intake tract and the throttle body butterfly gets crusted with carbon. Why this is an issue is that at idle, the butterfly valve has a precise gap around it to allow the right amount of airflow into the intake. The carbon build-up clogs that minuscule airway. Cleaning it away allows your vehicle to breathe correctly at idle again. This is a fairly easy job, the hardest part is just taking apart the intake tract and getting access to the throttle body. This is a decent walkthrough for it.

 

Dirty throttle bodies/plates mostly impact idle control, where idle speeds might be erratic or higher than nominal, idle stumbles or surges when A/C compressor cycles, headlights turned on, etc. It can also confuse the PCM with higher than normal load calculations based on higher than normal throttle opening %, which can lead to fuel trim offsets at idle. The fuel trim offset can cause off-idle initial "tip-in" stumbles, where the PCM scrambles to correct fuel trims.

So, yes, good to scrub the first 3" of the throttle body and the throttle plate every 50k miles, plus or minus, with a throttle body cleaner. Carb cleaner may be OK, but I don't know if Honda uses a solvent vulnerable TB coating, like Ford and others used/use.

 

So, yes, good to scrub the first 3" of the throttle body and the throttle plate every 50k miles, plus or minus, with a throttle body cleaner. Carb cleaner may be OK, but I don't know if Honda uses a solvent vulnerable TB coating, like Ford and others used/use.

If one is going to the effort of doing it, buy the right product and leave the carb cleaner to your small engines or classics!

 

There are 2 types of TBs, mechanical spring loaded one and electric one. The latter, drive-by-wire throttle body, may require re-calibration. The reason is the butterfly is connected to/controlled by a stepper motor. During cleaning, you try to turn it manually, causing misalignment. The first type does not have such risk and you can clean it at will. Besides, 06-08 service manual says, be careful not to spray cleaner into shaft ends where it goes into the body. It may remove molly grease, causing intake air leak.

220k miles on 05, no need for a cleaning yet. No TB cleaning maintenance required. The moment you look into the intake manifold you'll realize TB cleaning is a job half-done.
If your OCD is a little high for the day, I guess I know what you are thinking:

 

Leave it alone.

 

Leave it alone. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The computer may need to then relearn what idle is.