My vehicle is a 2006 Mazdaspeed 6 with just over 161,000 miles on it. After watching Scotty's video on throttle body cleaning, I wanted to look at and clean the throttle body in my car using throttle body spray cleaner, but as I read the directions on the can, it said not to use if the engine has a turbocharger. Is throttle body spray cleaner not safe to use in this case? If so, how should I go about cleaning my throttle body?
You can use a throttle body cleaner on a turbocharged engine. I don't know why it would say that on the can. I even did one on that same exact car a week ago! It's very simple. First, disconnect the throttle body motor connection. Then take off the coolant reservoir cap before disconnecting the coolant lines on the throttle body, otherwise you'll get coolant all over the place. And then unbolt the throttle body off and spray it really good to get all the grime off. You can even use a brush to get in tough to reach places. After cleaning it good, reinstall the throttle body with a NEW gasket. Don't reuse the old one. And that's it! The throttle body is nowhere near the turbocharger...unless it's instructing you to NOT use it on the turbocharger itself. It's a fun project that makes a big difference if you have idling problems.
@razmigb
Thanks! Ill give it shot.
Cool! Please make sure to do this on a COLD engine. You don't want to burn yourself, especially when dealing with coolant. Good luck!
@razmigb
Also, just to clarify, before I spend money on the wrong part. The throttle body gasket for this car in particular goes by this part # l3k913655, correct?
Yes, that is the right part number for it.
@razmigb
One more thing. Is it necessary to drain the coolant before doing this job? Will I lose any coolant when I pull them off the throttle body?
You will lose a small amount when you take off the first coolant hose. Be sure to remove the cap off the reservoir so it depressurizes the system to minimize the coolant mess. You will most likely need to top it off with some extra coolant once you put everything back. To remove the air out of the system, just let the car idle for a few minutes with the reservoir cap off, then put it back on.