Max Out MPG

As the price of gasoline continues to increase, fuel economy has never been more important.

Words: Mark Yanochko

As the price of gasoline continues to increase, fuel economy has never been more important. In order to maximize the fuel efficiency of passenger cars and or light trucks, keeping the fuel system clean is one thing you can do to increase miles per gallon. Let’s take a look at several things you can do right in your garage to accomplish this goal.

Cleaning the Throttle Body

Over time, dirt will start to build up in the throttle body, which can cause rough idle and other driveability issues, not to mention poor fuel economy. If you look into the throat of the throttle body, A, you’ll see a ring of dirt, B, around the throttle blade, C (refer to Figure 1). This area of dirt extends through the back side of the housing. The easiest way to clean the throttle body is to remove it from the engine and do the cleaning on your workbench.

You’ll find that removing the throttle body housing is pretty straightforward. First, remove the electrical connectors (there will be 2 or 3), the throttle cable, then remove the throttle position sensor, which is probably mounted with 2 screws. Then, remove the housing, which is usually secured by 2 bolts.

The cleaning agent that you should use is Mopar® Throttle Body Cleaner, P/N 04897156AA, or an equivalent product. With the housing on the workbench, turn it over and spray the back side of the throttle blade, D, and the housing with the cleaner, E, as shown in Figure 2.

In Figure 3, a rag, F, is used to clean the surfaces of the throttle body blade and housing. Spray the inlet side of the housing, too, and clean it in the same manner. Open the throttle blade, G, and, using a small brush, H, clean the ring of dirt (see Figure 4). After you’ve finished cleaning the housing thoroughly, spray it, J, with the cleaner, K, to remove all traces of dirt, as shown in Figure 5. Dry the housing with a clean rag. Use compressed air if you have an air compressor.

After you’ve cleaned and dried the housing, reinstall it in the engine. Be sure that the electrical connections are snapped into place securely. Also, some engines use a traditional paper gasket. If this is the case, the gasket must be replaced. Many engines, though, use a neoprene gasket, which can be reused. Just be sure the gasket and the mating surfaces are clean.

Dirty fuel injectors can also be a source of driveability problems and poor fuel economy. As seen in Figure 6, dirt accumulates near the pintle valve, L. This can inhibit the fuel spray and affect the spray pattern of the fuel.

Mopar Fuel Injector Cleaner, P/N 04318007 can be used to clean these dirty injectors. As shown in Figure 7, pour the cleaner, M, into the gas tank. Then, the fuel injectors are cleaned while you drive.

The last task to perform to clean your fuel system is checking the air filter. The air filter, N, shown in Figure 8, has a considerable build up of dirt, P. This filter should be replaced. An engine needs to breathe easily in order to perform at maximum efficiency and this is accomplished with a clean filter.