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How to Clean a Toyota Camry Throttle Body The throttle body on a Toyota Camry controls and mixes the air and fuel that goes into the engine. As air comes into the throttle body through the air intake, suction created by the throttle body design draws fuel in from a chamber located inside the throttle body housing. This fuel mixes with air and is sent into the combustion chamber to be ignited. Over time, contaminates in the gasoline (from low grade gas suppliers or from rust inside the gas tank) may create a buildup of debris inside the throttle body. Carbon can also build up from the heat and burning of fuel generated from combustion inside the engine. If you want to make sure that your throttle body functions properly, it will help to know how to clean a Toyota Camry throttle body. Things You'll Need Screwdrivers (flat tip and Phillips head) Throttle body cleaning brushes (or several soft bristle toothbrushes) Throttle body cleaner Masking tape Permanent marker Clean rag or...

How to Reset the ECM on a Chevy Truck Every Chevrolet truck has an engine control module that manages the electronic components of the engine and monitors sensors for errors. Returning the ECM to its factory state may be necessary to troubleshoot or resolve a number of problems. Things You'll Need Wrench or socket set Instructions Remove the nut from the negative battery cable using a socket set or wrench. Slide the cable off of the battery and set it aside. Turn the headlight switch to the "On" position to drain the ECM of any remaining power. Wait at least 10 minutes, then turn it back to the "Off" position. Replace the negative battery cable by reversing the previous steps. Tighten the nut until it feels secure, paying attention not to overtighten it. The ECM has now been reset.

1990 Chevy Truck Problems When a truck becomes almost 20 years old and has more than 150,000 miles on it, a tune-up will probably help, but some new sensors for the throttle body will probably go a long way in making the truck run smoother. It is also probably time for some new brake calipers and brake pads. Throttle Body The 1990 Chevrolet pickup does not have a regular carburetor; a throttle body with sensors is used instead. A computer lets the sensors know when and how much air and fuel to place in the motor, so when these sensors are not working properly, the engine runs rough. There are two main sensors in the throttle bottle that can have a major effect on how well the engine is running. The first one is the idle control sensor, and the second is the temperature sensor. If your engine is running rough, try replacing both of these. The temperature sensor looks similar to a spark plug and screws into the intake manifold close to the throttle body. The idle control se...

Signs & Symptoms of a Bad Throttle Position Sensor A throttle position sensor is used to monitor the position of the throttle in an internal combustion engine. The throttle position sensor is usually positioned directly on top of the butterfly system. Motor Activity A bad throttle position sensor may cause the car to unexpectedly buck or jerk around. It may also cause random surging of the engine when the car is idling. Stalling Cars with a faulty throttle position sensor may randomly stall for no apparent reason. This can happen whether the car is in motion or simply idling. Accelerating One of the signs of a bad throttle position sensor is a slight hesitation in the response time of your engine when you are attempting to accelerate. Highway If your car randomly increases its speed while driving on the highway, you may have a problem with your throttle position sensor. Engine Light When you have a problem with your throttle position sensor, your car's servic...

What Is a Throttle Body? Internal combustion gasoline engines require three things to operate: oxygen, fuel and a spark. On modern engines, fuel delivery and spark timing are handled by a computer controlled system of pumps and actuators. Air delivery is a bit more analog, which is where the throttle body comes in. Function Throttle bodies are essentially air valves, and can take a number of forms. Most are butterfly valves, but barrel-type and pinch valves have also been used. Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images Precedents Prior to fuel injection, air delivery was modulated by a set of butterfly valves set into the base of an engine's carburetor. Paulbr/iStock/Getty Images MFI Throttle Bodies Most engines use Multi-Point Fuel Injection (MFI.) In these systems, the throttle body is responsible only for modulating air delivery. Pawel Gaul/iStock/Getty Images TBI Systems Many older engines use Throttle Body Injection (TBI.) These throttle bodies r...

How to Know When Your Throttle Body Needs to Be Cleaned In most modern vehicles some of the exhaust is routed back into the engine through the throttle body, part of the air intake system. This leads to less air pollution, although some of the post combustion products in the exhaust can coat the inside of the throttle body. This can lead to a loss in vehicle performance, especially stalling and stumbling when the engine is warm. There are several indicators that your throttle body needs cleaning. Things You'll Need Socket wrenches Screwdrivers Check your gas mileage. This can be as easy as filling your tank to full and setting the trip odometer to zero. When the tank is empty, observe how any miles you were able to go on that one tank. If you notice that you are getting fewer miles to the gallon than your car should be getting, you may need to clean your throttle body. Fai Wong/Hemera/Getty Images Observe your car when it is idling. When in idle, if the eng...

Throttle Body Injection Troubleshooting The throttle body in a car provides the control of air and fuel injection so that the system runs efficiently and does not backflow. When this automotive part is not working correctly, or its electronic sensors begin firing off readings to the onboard diagnostic computer showing problems, it can create car problems. Not only does a malfunctioning throttle body have the capability to cause the check engine light to come on, it can also cause other sensors to overcompensate, causing other problems elsewhere. Typical related issues will include the oxygen sensor and the mass air flow sensor. As a result, automotive diagnostics of a troublesome throttle body can include a process of elimination with other parts as well. Things You'll Need Shop-vac vacuum cleaner New air filter Mass air flow cleaner Screwdrivers Torque screwdrivers Shop rag O2 sensor tool OBD scanner Flashlight Carb cleaner Socket wrench and sockets Crescent wrenc...

Symptoms of a Bad Throttle Position Sensor Fleas caused the Black Plague. A few misplaced carbon atoms sank the Titanic. Tribbles crippled the Enterprise. Sometimes, the smallest and most seemingly innocuous things can cause the biggest problems, and that certainly is true of one little sensor on top of your engine. These days, engines have become so utterly dependent on this simple sensor that many use it exclusively in place of the reliable old throttle cable. It doesn't take much going wrong in the throttle position sensor to cause a whole plague of issues -- possibly including a bit of unintended acceleration to warp speed. TPS Sensor Function At heart, a TPS sensor is effectively a dimmer switch. It's a "potentiometer," a kind of variable resistor that can increase or decrease the amount of voltage that makes it from one end of the sensor to the other. Inside the sensor is a crescent-shaped strip of material with a certain amount of resistance. A metal arm...

Testing a Throttle Body The throttle body in car a provides one of the modern features found in today's cars to help with fuel efficiency. In addition to keeping fuel flow to the engine restricted to only what it actually needs, the throttle body also houses sensors telling the car computer how the fuel-air mixture is working. Unfortunately, when this unit becomes dirty it can also cause car performance problems --- especially in idle and low rpm. Testing the vehicle to find this problem requires a few tests and computer readings. Things You'll Need Car keys OBD-II Scanner Instructions Turn on the car, and let it warm up. Drive it around a bit so the engine is warm. Stop the car, and let it idle. Allow the car idle to level out to its lowest state. Listen to the car operate to determine whether the engine is struggling to maintain a constant idle (rpm will fluctuate in idle). Try to trigger the "Check Engine" light warning by getting the e...

How to Clean Carbon Buildup in an IAC Valve The idle air control valve, commonly referred to as the IAC valve, is responsible for adjusting idle speed. The IAC valve works closely with other electrical components to control the air moving around the throttle plate. If your vehicle begins to stall or has poor idle quality, your IAC valve may have carbon buildup and needs to be cleaned. Cleaning your vehicle's IAC valve is a simple task and only takes a few steps. Things You'll Need Owner's manual Flat head screwdriver Socket wrench Carburetor cleaner Rag Instructions Allow your vehicle to cool for 20 minutes before beginning any work. Refer to your owner's manual for the exact location of the IAC valve in your vehicle. The IAC valve us normally near the throttle body. Unplug the wiring harness connector using a flat head screwdriver to pry the snaps off. Using a socket wrench, unscrew the bolts holding the IAC valve into the block. Examine the IAC...

How to Restore Foggy Headlight Lenses With Toothpaste Dust and oxidation build-up from driving can leave your headlight lenses looking foggy. Foggy headlights can impair your driving by dimming lighting and cutting down the range of your headlights. There are a number of expensive ways to clean the film and fog from your headlight lenses, but you can also clean your headlights at home using toothpaste. (Laura Vryhof/Demand Media) Things You'll Need Toothpaste Scouring pad Handheld buffer Bucket of warm water Lint-free cotton cloth Paste car wax Squeeze toothpaste generously onto the headlight. Use between 1/4 and 1/2 of the tube on one headlight. Laura Vryhof/Demand Media Smear the toothpaste around on the headlight with a scouring pad, covering the entire surface of the light. Laura Vryhof/Demand Media Buff the headlight thoroughly with a handheld buffing tool. You can also buff by hand, using the scouring pad; how...

How to Clean Your Car Headlights It doesn't matter how fast your car is, you can only drive as fast as you can see down the road ahead of you. When the plastic lenses on your headlights get hazy and oxidized, they disperse the light and reduce your visibility. Here’s how to clean them. Things You'll Need Dish detergent Car wash cloth Several microfiber detail rags Painter's tape Rubber spatula Razor Foam sanding block or large, thick household sponge Approximately five 8-inch strips of 500-grit "dry" sandpaper – or two full-size sheets Approximately five 8-inch strips each of 1000- and 2000-grit "wet" sandpaper –or two sheets each Gallon pitcher Spray bottle Headlight lens or plastic polish Rubbing alcohol Headlight lens sealer Do one headlight at a time. Start by washing the lens and surrounding area completely using dish detergent. Normally you'd avoid harsh detergent because it strips your car’s wax and dries out the pai...

How to Tell If a Wheel Bearing Is Bad on Your Car? There are two common types of automotive wheel bearings used. Wheel hub bearing assemblies are becoming more and more popular, even on wheels with no drive axle. Wheel hub bearing assemblies come assembled with the bearings inside and are nonserviceable. The other older style of bearings are separate components from the wheel hub. The inner bearing and racer have to manually be pressed into the rear of the brake rotor or brake drum assembly and the front bearing is free-floating. These should be serviced (repacked with grease) every time a brake job is performed. Things You'll Need Wheel chock Jack Jack stands Instructions Test drive the vehicle to determine which axle (front or rear) the bearing noise (if applicable) is coming from. Faulty bearings can emit growling, whining, grinding, squealing or squeaking noises that intensify with the revolution of the tires. Park the vehicle on level ground so you can safe...

How to Remove & Install a Front Wheel Bearing for a Toyota Corolla A worn wheel bearing can cause excessive stress on suspension components. At the first sign of failure, the wheel hub and bearing assembly should be replaced. On a Toyota Corolla, the assembly is located in the center of the steering knuckle, which must be removed to access the assembly. If you don't have access to a hydraulic press, machine shops can remove the hub and bearing assembly and install the new assembly for a fee. Things You'll Need Automotive jack Jack stands Socket set Wire hanger Marker Hammer Pliers Small hub puller Large standard head screwdriver Wedge-type puller Hydraulic Press Torque wrench Instructions Loosen the hub nut over the drive axle with a socket wrench. The hub nut may be covered by a small cover or hub cap; remove the cover or cap to access the nut. Slide an automotive jack under the front of the car. Pump the handle to raise the jack and lift the car....

How to Remove a Stuck Rear Hub Assembly Due to the amount of heat generated around the axle and the usage on the wheel hub assembly, the hub assembly can adhere to the axle to the point that it gets stuck when you are trying to remove it. You can remove a stuck rear hub assembly with a little patience and persistence. The debris or grease between the wheel hub and axle often creates a vacuum, causing the hub to stick. Penetrating oil and a rubber mallet will often do the trick. Things You'll Need Wood blocks Tire tool Floor jack Jack stand Socket wrench set Wire hanger Standard screwdriver Pliers Crescent wrench Rubber mallet Liquid wrench Instructions Place the vehicle transmission in "Park" and set the emergency brake before attempting to remove the stuck rear hub assembly. Place wood blocks behind the front wheels and loosen the lug nuts one full turn on the wheel you are removing with a tire tool. Lift the rear end of the vehicle up with ...

How to Remove a Saturn Ion Rear Brake Drum There are a couple of scenarios that can make removing the rear brake drum on a Saturn Ion slightly confounding. The Ion's drum is not a bearing-held assembly that's bolted to the rear spindle; it's called a "knock-off" drum, and despite this nickname, it's often stuck to the rear mating joint of the axle. The shoes underneath the drum can also hang up the drum. The idea, of course, is to remove the drum successfully without damaging the drum, the shoes, the hardware or the hub of the axle. Things You'll Need Wheel nut removal tool Car jack Jack stand(s) Lubricant spray Ball peen hammer Slotted screwdriver Brake spoon adjusting tool Instructions Do not apply the parking brake or you'll be unable to remove the rear drums on the Saturn Ion. (One of the rear shoes is attached to the parking brake cable and activates when you apply the parking brake.) Loosen the rear wheel nuts using the whe...

How to Change Drum Brakes Drum brakes are the rear brakes used on some vehicles. A drum brake is a braking system that consists of a steel housing (the drum) and pads (brake shoes). When you want to slow down, you press the brake pedal, which pushes hydraulic fluid through the system and actuates springs inside the drum which push the shoe against the inside of the drum to slow your car down. Over time, the brake shoes will wear down and you will have to replace them (once they become 1/8-inch thick). Things You'll Need Tire wrench Hammer Jack 2 Jack stands Rag Brake parts cleaner Torque wrench New brake shoes Instructions Place the tire wrench over the lug nuts and turn them counterclockwise to break them loose. You should only loosen them. Do not remove the lug nuts. This is to make it easier to continue to loosen and remove the lug nuts when the vehicle is on jack stands. Put your vehicle in first gear if it is a standard transmission. Ot...

How to Install Brake Shoes and Drum Brakes A key safety component on your car is your braking system. As time goes on and the miles add up, your brakes will wear down and need to be replaced. The brakes on the rear wheels of many cars are drum brakes. Drum brakes are a type of braking system in which the brake pads are inside a drum that is mounted on the wheel. When the brakes are engaged, the brake pads press out against the inside of the drum. Replacing the brake shoes and drum brakes is a maintenance task that you can do yourself in one day. Things You'll Need Brake wash Safety goggles Gloves Non-drying silicon brake lubricant Brake shoes Instructions Clean the wheel with brake wash. Wear safety goggles and gloves because the dirt on the wheel might contain asbestos from the brake pads. Lubricate the spots where the brake shoes attach to the wheel with non-drying silicon brake lubricant. Place the new brake shoes on to the wheel assembly. Attach the spring lo...