How to Clean the Throttle Body on a Ford Taurus
by Jacqueline GonzalesPushing the accelerator on your Ford Taurus, only to have it shudder before it takes off, can be worrisome when on the road. Although there is potential for this to be a major problem in your engine, it is more likely that your throttle body simply needs cleaned. You can take it to a mechanic, but this can be quite expensive even for a relatively simply procedure. Instead, learn to clean the throttle body on the Ford Taurus yourself--an afternoon's work.
Step 1
Disconnect the negative cable from your battery.
Step 2
Remove the air duct tube. This will have a hose clamp which can be undone with the flathead screwdriver
Step 3
Remove the air collector from the throttle body.
Step 4
Spray throttle body cleaner on the inside and outside of the throttle body. Avoid the sensors and O rings located within the throttle body.
Step 5
Scrub the throttle body using the toothbrush using light pressure.
Step 6
Wipe the cleaner from the throttle body using the clean shop rag.
Step 7
Repeat steps 4 through 6 until the throttle body is completely clean. Make sure outer edges are clean. Also thoroughly clean the portion that rests against the throttle body when it is closed. This may take six to eight times of cleaning.
Step 8
Replace the air collector and the air duct tube. Reconnect the negative cable to the battery.
Step 9
Start and rev the engine to finish clearing out any remaining throttle body cleaner. It may stumble at first as it clears out the excess.
References
Tips
- You can use a small socket set in place of a flathead screwdriver.
Things You'll Need
- Flathead screwdriver
- Throttle body cleaner
- Toothbrush
- Clean shop rag
Warnings
- If you continue to have problems with stuttering or shuddering, take your Taurus to a mechanic or nearby Ford dealership.
Writer Bio
Jacqueline Gonzales is a professional writer specializing in education, family and home topics for various home and garden websites. Gonzales is working on her first romance novel.
