First of all, it worked pretty good. All the stickiness in the gas pedal is gone. This improvement is both noticeable and welcome.
I strolled on over to Advance Auto Parts and picked up a can of Gumout Throttle Body Cleaner. Total cost: $2.13.
I took off the air cleaner cone and disconnected the clamp that holds the MAF to the throttle body.
Here I encountered my first problem: remove the MAF entirely, or try and keep it out of the way? I opted for the second approach, which made access to the butterfly valve possible, but a little more awkward.
So I had my friend - he knows nothing about cars - start the engine with instructions to just keep the car running if possible.
I sprayed the cleaner into the mouth of the TB, and then tried to manually work the throttle - kind of tough to do with the MAF in the way, but not really a big deal.
What was really difficult was opening the butterfly valve wide enough to feel like I was actually getting a good stream of cleaner into the "meat" of the TB. The engine, of course, was revving way up, more than I was really comfortable with.
I followed the 10 second spray/10 second idle directions printed on the can.
Even with my friend sitting in the car, it was tough to keep it running - it must have stalled out a good 10 times or so.
On a few occasions, I just left the car off and opened the butterfly and sprayed a bunch of cleaner into the TB, then waited about 30 seconds and then restarted the engine.
I used the whole can, as per the instructions. Reconnected the MAF and air cleaner, washed up and then took it out for a 15-minute ride.
I suppose there is some difference in acceleration or performance - not a huge improvement, but it does seem a bit better - but the best part is that the stickiness in the gas pedal is 100% gone. This itself made the whole process worth the effort.
I'd be interested in hearing anyone's comments or thoughts on my experience.
