lewisjd95

My RX8 stalled after a rough idle, after searching the forums I've realised it's a good idea to clean the throttle body.

Please don't hate me... where exactly is the throttle body and how do I go about cleaning it?


Detailed pictures would be much appreciated,

Thanks!

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

1st: Why do you think you need to clean the throttle body? It's rarely a problem, and about the only reason you might need to clean it is if there is something else wrong that you need to address, like if you are dumping oil into the intake. You can inspect it to see if it is all oiled up, but don't just arbitrarily clean it. There is a finish on the inside of the throttle body that LOOKS like carbon, but it's actually there intentionally, and people tend to remove it out of ignorance.

2nd: The throttle body is the first piece of metal that the air passes through after passing through the filter. So finding the air filter box, follow it toward the engine until you get the the end of the accordion tube that is anchored to the throttle body.

lewisjd95

Firstly I'd like to say thanks. You always seem to reply to my posts and I've seen you on loads of other posts on the site so you obviously know what you're talking about and like to help people!

In reply to you... basically after reading other threads regarding the problem, people tend to recommend changing the spark plugs, leads and coils, OR cleaning the throttle body and the MAF. I also read about possibly needing to replace the engine motor mounts, but I thought that the free option of cleaning certain parts would be wiser, before spending money on more parts.

The leads, plugs and coils were all changed 2 months ago by the previous owner (he gave me the receipts for them) so this left me with the option of cleaning the throttle body and MAF sensor.

Some things which I probably should've mentioned in the original post:
- Car is still on original engine with 61,000 miles.
- It's the 190hp RX8
- No CEL is/ever has been displayed (while I've had the car)
- The clutch currently is dead. I simply went into the car today to turn the engine over and heat it to operating temperature as I don't like the idea of leaving my engine off for 3 weeks while waiting on the clutch replacement.


Thanks again

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Did the battery go dead while it sat? If so, then it might just be that it lost the fuel trims, in which case stalling at idle is actually possible without anything wrong for a drivecycle or two. Alternatively, it's possible that your clutch failure resulted in something dragging against the flywheel, which prompted a stall.


In general, stalling at idle will be one of:
- Compression failure
- Ignition failure
- O2 failure
- vacuum leak
- Intake airflow problem (like screens missing from the intake)
- MAF fouled (which would usually happen sooner than an oil fouled throttle body)
- ESS fouled
- Fuel trims recently reset

lewisjd95

Now that you mention it, yes my battery did die after the car stalled!

My clutch will be replaced on Monday by a mechanic, so hopefully it could be the problem. If the car still has a rough idle with the replacement clutch I will be sure to annoy you with more questions, sorry!

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

The battery has to be disconnected during a clutch replacement (due to starter removal), so your fuel trims will have to be relearned after you get it back, so you might experience a rough idle and/or stalling for a drive cycle or two, which is normal after a battery disconnect for many RX-8s.

So basically don't worry too much about it until you have put 3-6 days of driving on your car after your clutch replacement.. If the problem still persists, then start looking at the list I provided above to find the cause.

lewisjd95

Okay, I just hope the reason behind the rough idle is the fact that my clutch has died on me.

But yeah, after the replacement I will bear (bare?) with the possible stalling/rough idling for a week.

Thanks a lot for the help man