MAF and Throttle body clean up.

I have a 2007 V6 Highlander with 21k miles on it. Last oil change Toyota tech said I needed throttle body service for $120. I said no tx, I do that sort of stuff myself.



Went to autozone and bought a can of CRC MAF cleaner and a can of CRC throttle body cleaner (approx $5/can).



Took the MAF out (very easy disconnect electrcal connector and loosen 2 screws) and spayed it down - total time 5-10 mintes. The MAF looked fairly clean but I cleaned it thouroughly , let it dry for 2 minutes and then reinstalled.



Then took the plastic engine cover off (3 hex screws), took off air cleaner box by loosening the main clamp and disconnecting throttle body large rubber air intake hose from the throttlebody itself (loosen 1 clamp on the hose). To get easy clearance to work I also disconnected the PVC rubber hose that goes to the top of the TB and also the 4 vacuum hoses on the air cleaner box so I could get the air box completely out of the way.



Once I had room to work, I sprayed down the outside of the throttle body butterfly valve - there was a little dirt on it and the outside surfaces of the TB port. I then opened the valve with a finger and cleaned out the interior - lots of oily gunk to clean out just inside and past the butterfly valve opening.



Reassembly of TB hose and airbox took another 10 minutes. Total time for entire process less than 35 min.





Car runs very smooth now. Used maybe 1/5 can of MAF cleaner and 1/2 can of TB cleaner.

Reply 1 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Really it was that dirty with just 21k on the clock! With 122k I should do this!

Reply 2 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Yeah, thanks for this.



I'll add this to my "to do list" - and even though it's pretty straight forward, I'll take pics (If Shortlid doesn't beat me to it) & post it.



D

Reply 3 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Actually what messes up the most is the IACV on the intake. Here is a thread that explains about cleaning it.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums...c=7408&hl=iacv

Reply 4 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lenore Actually what messes up the most is the IACV on the intake. Here is a thread that explains about cleaning it. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums...c=7408&hl=iacv

If he has a '07 he has the 3.3 V6 not the old 3.0 V6. Does the electronic TB 3.3 VVT-i even have a IACV?

Reply 5 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Sorry my bad, I believe your right no IACV, does it still have a TPS sensor? If so cleaning the throttle plate is a good idea.

Reply 6 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Thanks for posting this. It was a good reminder for me. I cleaned the MAF, throttle body, and IACV this afternoon. Take a look at this thread on Club Lexus for good info on cleaning the IACV without having to remove it:



http://www.clublexus.com/forums/3049628-post42.html



My MAF was pretty nasty, but it only took a few sprays of the CRC MAF cleaner to get it cleaned up. One thing I would like to add to jabberwock's procedure: After cleaning and reassembling everything, it's important to reset the ECU. I just pulled the negative battery cable for a couple of minutes, but you can also pull the EFI fuse.



Car was tough to start (required holding the throttle) after the procedure, but after taking a quick drive around the neighborhood, it's starting perfectly again. Idle is waaaaay smoother, and I'm hoping to get a boost in MPG as well!

Reply 7 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

bretski -- So you just pull the hose in the photo off and spray into the opening?

Reply 8 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tr7driver bretski -- So you just pull the hose in the photo off and spray into the opening?

Correct. The IACV is connected to the right (towards firewall) throttle body port. Just pull the hose at the base of the IACV, put a rag or plastic cup at the opening, and spray, spray, spray. I let it drip dry for about 5-10 minutes before putting the hose back on.



Hardest part of the job is getting the throttle body hoses re-seated (a bit of a tight squeeze to work)...At 110,000 miles, this is the first time I've done this cleaning. I will start cleaning the MAF at each oil change, as this is really easy, and will give me something to do while waiting for the oil to drain out.

Reply 9 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

I usually do all of these (MAF, and Throttle body) as well as Seafoam to get any oil that made its way further down the intake tract that the throttle body spray can't reach.



Cleans the intake tract, valves, combustion chamber, piston top, exhaust valve, exhaust manifolds, and is O2 and catalytic converter safe..



Improved acceleration with better idle and in my case it also improved gas mileage (albeit only .25 MPG). I do this about once every 6 months to my car.. it's actually in need of it right now..

You Tube

You Tube

Reply 10 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

sorry to sound really dumb, but is this ever done at the dealer when the car gets serviced? Shouldn't it be something that is done if it has such a vast improvement to the performance/feel of the car?



Cheers

Matt

Reply 11 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

^

certainly doubt they SeaFoam anything at the dealership



The last oil change (done by previous owner), I'm told the dealer was giving away Toyota branded fuel system cleaner in a bottle. See what I miss b/c I don't go to dealer?



I didn't see anything about it here either: http://smg.toyotapartsandservice.com...2001&int_id=72



I'm not sure this needs to be done at *every* oil change; but if it's never been done it's worth inspecting throttle body, MAF (don't touch it with greasy fingers) etc



A more realistic interval might be yearly, I would think.

Reply 12 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dante's Taco The last oil change (done by previous owner), I'm told the dealer was giving away Toyota branded fuel system cleaner in a bottle. See what I miss b/c I don't go to dealer?

Which is funny because the manual says specifically NOT to add any type of fuel system/fuel injector cleaner into the gas tank.. Or maybe they just mean unless it's done by a certified Toyota technician.. ROFL..



With that being said.. I take whats in the manual with a grain of salt.. When I do a full engine clean like I talked about above (Throttle body cleaner, MAF, seafoam) I forgot to mention that I also dump a bottle of Berryman's Chemtool to a full tank of gas.. (The complete fuel system treatment, not the "fuel injector cleaner") seems to work well.. although I never have had an issue with decreased power from clogged injectors on this car unlike I did with my 88 Ford Mustang GT

Reply 13 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dante's Taco ^ certainly doubt they SeaFoam anything at the dealership The last oil change (done by previous owner), I'm told the dealer was giving away Toyota branded fuel system cleaner in a bottle. See what I miss b/c I don't go to dealer? I didn't see anything about it here either: http://smg.toyotapartsandservice.com...2001&int_id=72 I'm not sure this needs to be done at *every* oil change; but if it's never been done it's worth inspecting throttle body, MAF (don't touch it with greasy fingers) etc A more realistic interval might be yearly, I would think.

Yeah I think yearly would be good -- I'm going to see if we have SeaFoam in Australia... I'm not sure we do as I've never heard of that brand.

Reply 14 : MAF and Throttle body clean up.

Hi Matt



Seafoam is made up of naphtha, iso-propyl alcohol, and Pale oil



If that helps find something similar.



cheers



D