# Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle?



## Nick2002GLI (Dec 23, 2008)

I have 72K miles on my car. It's time for a cleaning. I wanna use rubbing alcohol put it in a spray bottle and use that, is it ssafe?


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## Mr. Rictus (Sep 25, 2004)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (Nick2002GLI)*

Just buy throttle body cleaner.
Be smart about your car.


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## rajvosa71000 (Jun 9, 2004)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (Mr. Rictus)*

Do you really have to clean you throttle body? I have 86K on my can and never cleaned it.


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## apstguy (Apr 3, 2006)

Yes, the breather tube is just upstream of the throttle valve which causes it to get gunked up. Cleaning it can smooth idle and prevent adaptation errors.


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## Nick2002GLI (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: (apstguy)*

S ne essary my question s dis it safe to spray a little rubbing alcohol and let's it soak in and wipe the tb down and clean it gently.


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## apstguy (Apr 3, 2006)

Use Throttle body cleaner, it will work better and keep the o-rings from drying out as with rubbing alcohol.


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## 29er (Feb 25, 2007)

*FV-QR*

Use TB cleaner. And make sure you take the TB off to do it. There is a DIY in the mk4 forum.


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## Nick2002GLI (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (Mr. Rictus)*

Well anyways i cleaned it with the proper stuff, And i must say WOW!!! after cleaning the TB, as soon as i fired up the car i noticed the differenece, the the RPMs did not even flutter a bit, and my car used to sputter when i'd start it. Now it's all clear, the RPMS are HELLLA stable. When i drive, no bucking. And when the RPMs drop when i take it out of gear they are controled, and they stop at 80o rpms sharp. Before cleaning it it would drop to low once in a while and stall, especially on starts, while driving it only happned 5 times. amazing SMOOTH acceleration, didn't think such a simple thing would make such a huge difference.... The throttle body was pretty dirty and clogged. I suggest that guy that wrote me saying why clean, CLEAN IT DUDE!! especially u got 12k more than me.


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## Nick2002GLI (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (Nick2002GLI)*

BTW, taking it off was qiute a challenge, had to be carefull, and putting it back on was a breeze.


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## rajvosa71000 (Jun 9, 2004)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (Nick2002GLI)*

Do you have to do TBA after cleaning it?


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## Nick2002GLI (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (rajvosa71000)*

What's TBA? All i did was put it back on, reconnect everything, Fired up the car and Ran smoother than ever.


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## rajvosa71000 (Jun 9, 2004)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (Nick2002GLI)*

Throttle Body Alignment


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## Nick2002GLI (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (rajvosa71000)*

Not necessary, because there are four bolts, and i carefully, slowely tightened it one by one, and slowly aligned everything. Basically if u do it slowly, it aligns on its own into place. first just get all the bolts kinda tight, so when u tighten the other bolts just a little so it all aligns, once u got that down, just tighten them all. what i am trying to say, i didn't take one bolt and just tightened it all the way, i gradually slowly tightened them in a cross cross pattern.


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## Nick2002GLI (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (rajvosa71000)*

correction Criss cross


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## rajvosa71000 (Jun 9, 2004)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (Nick2002GLI)*

Lol,
TBA is not aligning the actual TB. you do TBA after removing your TB, so it relearns it's opening position at Idle,part throttle, and WOT (Wide Open Throttle).


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## One Gray GLI (Apr 2, 2007)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (rajvosa71000)*

its in vagcom.. not the actual bolts lol


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## Nick2002GLI (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: Is it safe to use rubbing alcohol to clean my throttle bottle? (One Gray GLI)*

oh i didn't actually move the little flap, i stuck a little piece of floss, and moved it throughout the thing, so i wouldn't move the flap. then took a q tip with the cleaner, then repeated the process on both sides repeatedly. it runs great, rpm's are the same, just doesn't flutter no more, and no more bucking.


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## apstguy (Apr 3, 2006)

If you don't have vag-com, take your battery cable off for a while and it will re-align the throttle body automatically when it gets power again.


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## Nick2002GLI (Dec 23, 2008)

*Re: (apstguy)*

Oh ok wow ya thanks dude I didn't think of that


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## newcreation (Nov 23, 2003)

*Re: (Nick2002GLI)*

I always just unbolt the TB and just wiped it out with a rag.Both sides move the butter fly to get the hard stuff bolt back up.Do TB alignment and done Total takes on a few minutes to do the whole process even when i still had the coolant lines hooked up.
I clean it once or twice a year when i clean the maf usual with a special cleaner for that aas wel CRC makes it for that.


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