What is the function of the car "throttle"? How often do you clean it?

The main function of the throttle valve is to control the air intake according to the load of the engine.

As for how often it is cleaned, it is determined by many aspects. Such as the driving environment of the vehicle and the control mode of the EFI engine.

If the vehicle works in a polluted environment (mainly inhalable particles), impurities will soon accumulate on the throttle valve, which will affect the intake of the engine for a long time, so it needs to be cleaned. This phenomenon is most obvious when starting the vehicle.

For another example, some Japanese engine control systems traditionally like to calculate fuel injection and ignition timing by measuring air flow. Therefore, the accuracy of air flow measurement is very strict. A slight blockage can also cause the engine to work abnormally. But for some American engines, if the air flow rate is not used as the calculation basis, there will be no such great response.

Therefore, different vehicles and different working environments will cause inconsistent engine throttle cleaning time. There is no regulation on how often to clean the throttle. If there is such a regulation, it is an abnormal regulation, indicating that the design of the car is flawed.

It should be noted that all vehicles that need to clean the throttle frequently are faulty vehicles. Some vehicles with electronic throttle can contact the maintenance station and make adjustments through ECU software upgrade. If the problem cannot be solved by repeatedly cleaning the throttle in the maintenance station, it is recommended to return the car (generally impossible) or change it.