I had my 2000 Durango in for some service at the Dodge dealer yesterday and one of the things he reccomended was that I have the throttle body cleaned and the fuel injector flushed. They were going to charge like $300 to do it, to which I said "no thank you." Question is.....how hard is that to do myself? What cleaning solvent would I use to clean the throttle body?

My first post here, by the way. Thanks in advance

Brian

Cleaning the throtle body is really not difficult. All you need are some simple hand tools, a can of carb and choke cleaner, and a new gasket. Simply remove the throttle body and generously spray it down with the cleaner and use a stiff bristle brush to remove the heavy carbon deposits and reinstall. As for flushing the injector system, CRC makes a great product that you simply add to the fuel tank at your next fill up. So for about $25 and an hour of your time the job is done. Hope this helps. John

What a rip off! I hate dealer's working on my D.

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How to clean your Throttle Body:

Most people think that cleaning the throttle body requires a can of Carb/Throttle Body Cleaner and a quick "wash" of the bores. This may work, but only washes the dirt and cleaner down into your intake manifold where it can puddle up and break down the belly-pan gasket. Then, it also is pulled into the combustion chamber where is can foul up the spark plugs.

The proper way to clean your throttle body is to remove it from the engine (you'll need a small pan, some compressed air, and a new throttle body gasket for this procedure):

1. Remove your air hat from the throttle body
2. Disconnect the sensor connectors (TPS, MAP, and IAC)
3. Remove the four throttle body bolts
4. Lift the throttle body up and away from the intake manifold (place a rag over the manifold opening to prevent anything from falling inside)
5. Remove the three sensors (Do not drop them)
6. Remove the three screws for the throttle linkage (Not required...can be done with linkage attached)
7. Place the throttle body in a small pan and spray Carb/Throttle Body Cleaner in the bores, underside passages, and ports. Let soak for about a minute.
8. Spray some more Carb/Throttle Body Cleaner in the bores and ports of the throttle body
9. Wipe clean with a lint free rag (baby diaper works well) and blow out all the ports with some compressed air (a small can from a electronics store works just fine).
10. Reinstall all sensors, then reinstall on your vehicle with a new Throttle Body gasket (don't forget to remove the rag)



How to Clean the IAC Solenoid:

This is recommended at every Tune-Up to prevent excess carbon buildup on the IAC plunger. In some cases, you'll notice a slightly erratic idle quality. This is the first step in taking care of that problem. IAC = Intake Air Control (Solenoid).

1. Remove the Air Hat from the Throttle Body

2. Disconnect the sensor harness from the IAC Solenoid (Rear of Throttle Body)

3. Remove the two Torx-25 Screws

4. Remove the IAC Solenoid (Be careful not to lose the rubber O-Ring)

5. Spray some Carb/TB Cleaner in the IAC port on the Throttle Body and let it sit

6. Spray some Carb/TB Cleaner on the tip of the IAC Solenoid and wipe clean (Do NOT forcefully twist or push the plunger - You will damage the Solenoid. Wipe very gently.)

7. Spray a little bit more Carb/TB Cleaner in the IAC port on the Throttle Body and wipe clean with a thin/lint-free rag

8. Reinstall the IAC Solenoid (Make sure you don't lose the rubber gasket on the solenoid)

9. Reinstall the sensor connector and airhat

10. Start the engine and let idle for about 1 minute

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Thanks a bunch, guys. I'm heading to the parts store now to get a new gasket and the cleaner. I'll let you know if I run into any problems.

Brian

I went to three different parts stores, and none of them had a new gasket. NAPA said they could special order one. I'm going to see if I can find one online to order. I guess I won't be doing it this weekend.