Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
With my bad throttle body I'm having miss fires. My idle sometimes spikes up and sometimes down as well. I'm moving and I have to travel 9 hours. So would it be bad for the car if I drive that far with the bad throttle body
My car has 85000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hey there. This may not immediately affect your car’s engine. However, it will continue to cause intermittent misfires and will gradually get worse. This may also have an impact on other parts as well since the missing cylinder will still be receiving fuel. This fuel only has one of two places it could go: either out of the exhaust as raw unburnt fuel causing damage to the catalytic converter (which may also trigger more fault codes such as the O2 sensor), OR this fuel will end up down in the oil with the oil which causes the oil to break down. When this happens, the oil loses its effectiveness on protecting other vital engine parts. For more help, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your home to diagnose and repair the misfire for you.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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It is not safe to drive with a bad throttle position sensor because the car may accelerate on its own without any input.
The car will either have uneven acceleration or it won`t accelerate after a certain point, and both cause issues not only to the power and mileage but also to the longevity of the engine.
With poor electrical connectivity, you`ll experience unpredictable electrical signals that can confuse you. The throttle body will relay false information to the vehicle`s computer. This is a serious issue because it will cause the fuel-air mixture not to be in the correct proportions.
Since a faulty throttle position sensor can cause reduced engine power, your car may face some trouble during acceleration. The car may experience uneven acceleration, or it won`t accelerate after a certain point. This issue may ultimately affect the engine life and lead to poor fuel economy.
A throttle body is part of the air intake system that helps control the amount of air that gets into the engine. If the throttle body fails, the engine will not get the proper mixture of air and fuel and the engine may lose power.
So a bad throttle position sensor may produce symptoms that are not only related to speed and transmission shifts but also corresponding to a disturbed fuel ratio. Generally, the way a bad throttle position sensor causes driveability issues is by intermittently misjudging the position of the throttle.
Over time, your engine`s throttle body collects debris that can make your engine idle rough and decrease fuel economy.
Cleaning fuel injectors is generally not a do-it-yourself project, but you can clean the throttle body on your vehicle with common tools and specialized spray cleaners. While throttle-body cleaning is good preventative car maintenance, it should also help engine drivability.
What Happens When a Throttle Body Goes Bad. If your car runs rough when idling, the cause just might be a dirty throttle body. The throttle body controls the amount of air the engine takes in, and when it gets dirty, the engine can`t idle smoothly.
One of the most common causes for a rough idle and poor acceleration is a dirty or bad throttle body.
A malfunctioning TPS will cause your engine to run poorly. Generally the engine will idle fine but will have difficulty accelerating. This is because the computer isn`t telling the engine to inject as much fuel as is required, while at the same time airflow is increasing.
This causes your throttle position sensor to adjust the engine intake manifold accordingly. This little sensor is essential to a correct mixture of air and fuel. It`s integrated with your engine control module and helps keep your idling and acceleration smooth.
Without a throttle position sensor, the engine control module wouldn`t be able to accurately time the ignition or monitor the amount of fuel required, which might cause the engine to surge or stall and be exceedingly dangerous for the driver and other road/track users.
When the TB is bypassed, the spikes are lesser when compared to the other graph`s counterparts, taking into account the same throttle position as which is a good indicator of how hard the engine is working. These numbers are without the phenolic gasket which will make things even better.
Without a throttle position sensor, there would be no way for the engine control module to monitor the amount of fuel needed or be able to time the ignition effectively causing the engine to surge or stall, this can be very dangerous for the driver and other road/track users.
the average lifespan of a throttle position sensor is just over 80,000 miles, though some will last for the lifetime of the car. if a tps is suspect, a professional repair facility will perform electrical testing on the sensor.
Common signs include lacking power when accelerating, rough or slow idle, stalling, inability to shift up, and the Check Engine Light coming on.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
ANSWER : Hey there. This may not immediately affect your car’s engine. However, it will continue to cause intermittent misfires and will gradually get worse. This may also have an impact on other parts as well since the missing cylinder will still be receiving fuel. This fuel only has one of two places it could go: either out of the exhaust as raw unburnt fuel causing damage to the catalytic converter (which may also trigger more fault codes such as the O2 sensor), OR this fuel will end up down in the oil with the oil which causes the oil to break down. When this happens, the oil loses its effectiveness on protecting other vital engine parts. For more help, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your home to diagnose and repair the misfire for you.
Read Full Q/A … : Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
I have a bad throttle body, so instead of paying the dealership ridiculous prices, I order a throttle body myself.
ANSWER : After you replace the throttle body then all you have to do is turn ignition on with all accessories off. After 29 seconds of not touching anything the engine computer will relearn the new throttle body. Leave it on for at least 2 minutes before turning off. Start the vehicle and see if vehicle idles good and throttle works before driving. If no Check Engine Light comes on then you are good to go.
If you run into any problems or decide to get some help with the job, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can help ensure the correct installment of your new throttle body.
Read Full Q/A … : Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
Replaced alternator on car 2 times each time shows it’s charging 14v let car run for a little bit then test drive and car voltage
ANSWER : There are reports that the replacement alternators will not communicate with the engine computer and will not charge correctly. I recommend using only the manufacturer approved replacement part. It can be new or remanufactured but approved for use in the vehicle. Some lower cost alternators on the aftermarket will have charging problems since they will not communicate with the ECM on the vehicle and will stop charging.
Read Full Q/A … : Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
Car not speeding up smoothly, service engine light on when first start driving and car vibrating
ANSWER : Hi There,
It sounds like you may have a dirty or faulty mass air flow sensor. The problem this can cause may also be compounded when the engine is cold due to the change in air density in cooler weather. The mass air flow sensor monitors air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the motor. This sensor relays information about fuel and air temperature, air speed entering the motor and many other things to the ECM which uses this to make adjustments to fuel supply to the motor. A dirty or faulty sensor can cause an imbalanced air/fuel load to be supplied to the motor which results in an over fueling or under fueling situation depending on the conditions. This type of inconsistent fuel supply to the motor may cause a hesitation, loss of power, a jerking reaction, potentially a bit of black exhaust smoke and typically a strong smell of fuel when this sensor is malfunctioning. I would suggest having a professional from Your Mechanic come to your home to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
It sounds like you may have a dirty or faulty mass air flow sensor. The problem this can cause may also be compounded when the engine is cold due to the change in air density in cooler weather. The mass air flow sensor monitors air intake as it is mixed with fuel prior to being injected into the motor. This sensor relays information about fuel and air temperature, air speed entering the motor and many other things to the ECM which uses this to make adjustments to fuel supply to the motor. A dirty or faulty sensor can cause an imbalanced air/fuel load to be supplied to the motor which results in an over fueling or under fueling situation depending on the conditions. This type of inconsistent fuel supply to the motor may cause a hesitation, loss of power, a jerking reaction, potentially a bit of black exhaust smoke and typically a strong smell of fuel when this sensor is malfunctioning. I would suggest having a professional from Your Mechanic come to your home to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
Read Full Q/A … : Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
Is it bad when oil gets into the throttle body?
ANSWER : Hello,
I believe what you are describing is a problem with your PCV valve. A bit of oil in the throttle body is not going to harm your motor and is certainly not going to cause it to blow up. At an idle, the PCV valve restricts air flow, to reduce this problem. At high manifold vacuum (idle), a spring loaded valve is drawn up and partially restricts flow to the crankcase. The PCV system is relatively simple. An inlet hose connects to a filtered air source. This is used to supply clean air that is drawn through the engine. Most of the time this air is supplied through the engine air filter. On a few designs there is a separate inlet filter that cleans the incoming air for the PCV system only. This filtered air flows through the engine, picking up fumes and vapors. The air exits through another hose, connected to manifold vacuum. The flow of air draws fumes from the crankcase and burns them harmlessly in the engine. This also creates a slight vacuum, relieving any pressure that may build. Negative pressure helps to prevent oil leaks and oil consumption by the engine. The PCV valve also helps regulate the amount of air flow, which helps prevent oil being drawn out of the engine. When the PCV valve is not working correctly, this will cause an imbalance in air flow and vacuum causing the check engine light to come on. i would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your Jeep.
I believe what you are describing is a problem with your PCV valve. A bit of oil in the throttle body is not going to harm your motor and is certainly not going to cause it to blow up. At an idle, the PCV valve restricts air flow, to reduce this problem. At high manifold vacuum (idle), a spring loaded valve is drawn up and partially restricts flow to the crankcase. The PCV system is relatively simple. An inlet hose connects to a filtered air source. This is used to supply clean air that is drawn through the engine. Most of the time this air is supplied through the engine air filter. On a few designs there is a separate inlet filter that cleans the incoming air for the PCV system only. This filtered air flows through the engine, picking up fumes and vapors. The air exits through another hose, connected to manifold vacuum. The flow of air draws fumes from the crankcase and burns them harmlessly in the engine. This also creates a slight vacuum, relieving any pressure that may build. Negative pressure helps to prevent oil leaks and oil consumption by the engine. The PCV valve also helps regulate the amount of air flow, which helps prevent oil being drawn out of the engine. When the PCV valve is not working correctly, this will cause an imbalance in air flow and vacuum causing the check engine light to come on. i would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your Jeep.
Read Full Q/A … : Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
Why does my car throw throttle body and traction control codes, when decelerating?
ANSWER : Hi there. In the case where an aftermarket throttle body is used as a replacement of an OEM component, these type of problems are common. The typical solution is reprogramming the ECU, but that’s something done at a dealership. I would suggest removing this aftermarket component and installing an OEM throttle body for the Dodge Avenger.
Read Full Q/A … : Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
Spraying throttle body cleaner into throttle body while engine is running
ANSWER : The engine running rough for a moment after using throttle body cleaner is a normal symptom. This should only last for a short period of time and then go away. If the issue does not go away after a few start ups or a short drive, it is possible that the throttle position sensor or mass air flow sensor could have been damaged as a result of using the throttle body cleaner. Many throttle body cleaners will specify if they are sensor safe. IF the throttle body cleaner is not sensor safe, one of the sensors may be fouled out. I would recommend having a drivability inspection performed on your vehicle to determine the exact cause if this issue persists. Consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can come to your home or office to determine the cause of this issue.
Read Full Q/A … : Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
My car shuts off while driving and then turns back on multiple times or shuts off after driving and car turns off.
ANSWER : Hi there. Check the alternator and make sure that the wiring it connected tight. Check the battery cables and make sure that they are tight and clean. Look for any loose ground wires to the chassis on the vehicle. If everything checks out to be working correctly, then the PCM may need to be replaced as it may have a battery disconnect condition. If you need further assistance with multiple functions shutting off, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
Read Full Q/A … : Is it bad to drive a car with a bad throttle body??
