A throttle body controls airflow in a fuel-injected engine and does not provide fuel in the air mixture. It measures air according to how far the accelerator pedal is pressed and uses fuel injectors to provide fuel. Throttle position sensors may be used to measure fuel passing through the injectors. The throttle body requires occasional cleaning and should never be run without an air filter. Aftermarket conversion kits are available for vehicles originally equipped with a carburetor.
A throttle body is a device used to control airflow in a fuel injected engine. Unlike a carburetor, it does not provide fuel in the air mixture. The throttle body equipped engine uses fuel injectors to provide fuel to the engine. Typically equipped with carburetor-style throttles, the throttle body measures air into the engine according to how far you are pressing the accelerator pedal. As the pedal is depressed, the throttles open further, allowing more air into the engine, while the vehicle’s computer tells the fuel injectors to spray more fuel into the engine.
On some throttle body assemblies, throttle position sensors are used to measure fuel passing through the fuel injectors. Fuel-injected units do not have a choke mechanism to aid cold-weather starts, so fuel-injected units use a high-speed sensor to spray additional fuel while keeping the throttle body closed. This works much like a choke on a carburetor and allows the engine to run on a richer fuel setting until warm. The computer in the vehicle will control this entire process. Unlike a carburetor that requires a pair of rigid pumps to engage the choke, the vehicle operator needs to do nothing more than turn the key for cold weather starting.
The throttle body does not require an intense maintenance regimen. Generally, keeping a clean air filter in place and occasionally spraying the assembly with a quality cleaning solvent at oil change intervals will keep the unit in top operating condition. Occasionally the fuel injectors will also require cleaning, and the use of a quality injector cleaner will return them to peak operating condition. For the best treatment of the engine and fuel injection system, the engine should never be run without an air filter in place.
For vehicles originally equipped with a carburetor, several companies make and sell fuel injection kits complete with a throttle body. These kits allow the older engine to run more efficiently and in many cases provide the operator with better performance and fuel economy. Most aftermarket conversion kits come complete with computer, fuel injectors, and throttle body assembly, as well as all necessary brackets, bolts, and wiring harnesses. In most applications, installation is very simple, with removal and swapping of the vehicle’s carburetor making up the majority of the installation.
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