Almost a rough idle?

Ask technical questions or post on problems/issues related to the Kizashi under this topic. Symptoms and pictures of your problem are a good idea.
NOTE: Any car related technical question can be posted here.
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KuroNekko
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Great photos. My oil change is due soon so I'll be doing this then too.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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KuroNekko
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Location: California, USA

Reviving this thread because it's golden and quite relevant as our Kizashis age and need throttle body cleanings. My Kizashi was sometimes experiencing strange stall-outs after ignition so I suspected the throttle body was fouled up. Idle when it was running was also not as smooth as it once used to be.

The pictures here by KansasKid are great and helped me with my own cleaning process. You definitely want to remove the throttle body and clean it from the back side where most of the crud is more visible and accessible.

Woodie's right about the "dafuq? hose". It's a coolant hose. Curiosity (and lack of thoroughly reading this thread beforehand) had me investigate and there was coolant dripping from that hose upon pulling it off slightly.

When cleaning the throttle body, I also recommend cleaning the MAF sensor and the PCV valve given these components are easily accessible and related to the system at hand. I used a specifically-made MAF sensor cleaner but used the throttle body cleaner on the PCV valve given the product stated it could be used as such. It reminded me of when I used to use Seafoam through the PCV valve on older cars. The valve on the Kizashi is made of plastic and would not come out of the hose easily so I just sprayed it in place on the hose. The valve didn't appear gummed up and in need of replacement so a spray cleaning seemed sufficient.

One thing I forgot to do was disconnect the battery before cleaning the throttle body. This is important because you actually have to disconnect the ECU harness to remove the throttle body for more accessible cleaning as KansasKid noted. After the cleaning, the car idled strangely by "bouncing" its idle RPM. I cured this by disconnecting the battery for a bit. Probably could have prevented this by disconnecting the battery before this cleaning.

Since the trio-component cleaning, the stall-outs have not occurred and the idle is smoother. However, the biggest difference appears to be the engine response with greater throttle input like merging on a freeway. The engine just feels much more responsive and more "alive" in a way hard to quantify. Much like new spark plugs, it doesn't create more power but feels like it restored what was lost.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
KlutzNinja
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Does anyone know what will happen if you don’t clean the throttle body and the carbon just builds up gradually over time? Will the TB fail and cause engine issues? Or do the grievances like the staggered acceleration and deceleration just get worse? Until reading this thread, I thought these quirks in acceleration and deceleration were part of what auto journalists were referring to when they said that CVTs have a “rubber-bandy” feel to them that ruins the driving experience.
I wonder if cleaning the TB will make downhill acceleration (without using the gas) more consistent? In the Kizashi it sometimes complies with physics and accelerates thanks to gravity, but a lot of the time it doesn’t really accelerate at all and I’m not using either pedal. It’s a really weird feeling and I previously attributed it to the CVT because I had no idea what else could cause it. My previous car, a 4-speed 2010 Ford Focus, dropped like a rock every time I went down a hill :lol:. I live in a hilly part of SoCal FWIW.


My Kizashi is at 65k miles and the deceleration is only getting more lumpy these days, although I do try to hypermill on streets so that probably makes it feel worse :lol:. I’ve never done powertrain-related maintenance other than oil changes (which are at the light end of the spectrum) and I’m kind of scared to, for fear of messing something up. That said, this particular task looks doable. Jeffrey Wayne on YouTube has a couple videos for this, too, if anyone likes seeing video demonstrations.





@ Kuro: perhaps that odd idling after cleaning your TB was the engine burning off the combustible stuff like the carbon that fell back in and maybe stray bits of the cleaner itself (according to the first video)? Jeffrey W. didn’t mention disconnecting the battery, I noticed.
Current: Blue 2018 Mazda 3 GT 5-Door
Previous: Blue 2010 Ford Focus SES,
Black 2013 Kizashi Sport GTS-L (CVT; FWD)(RIP)
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LPSISRL
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I've cleaned my TB several times. Sometimes removing it, sometimes not. One time the screwdriver I was using to prop it open fell inside and down the intake manifold. Thought I was going to have to have it towed to the dealer to have it retrieved. But after several hours of trying various things, I was able to retrieve it using a chopstick, a piece of string and a magnet. More or less went fishing. The problem was getting it round the 90-degree drop-off. That was the last time I cleaned it with it on the engine. I have never disconnected the battery and never had any issues with idle after the cleaning. The main symptom that it always fixes, and this is also how I know it needs to be cleaned, is that the car stumbles when coming to a stop under moderate braking. Just as you stop, the engine shudders and depending on how dirty the TB is, almost stalls. I use SeaFoam to clean it as it seems to work the best dissolving the buildup. However the next time, I'll use SeaFoam followed by TB cleaner to make sure there's no oily residue left behind from the SeaFoam. I didn't realize that SeaFoam has an oily base. I discovered this when I left some sitting out in a small container for a week. What was left after the solvent evaporated was very much like silicone oil and I don't want that left behind to attract dirt.
2011 Kizashi SLS CVT (silver)
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KuroNekko
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KlutzNinja wrote: @ Kuro: perhaps that odd idling after cleaning your TB was the engine burning off the combustible stuff like the carbon that fell back in and maybe stray bits of the cleaner itself (according to the first video)? Jeffrey W. didn’t mention disconnecting the battery, I noticed.
No, the stumbling seemed electro-mechanical, like something was off with the throttle body or related control systems. I also had a microfiber towel to catch any cleaner and crud plus I also removed the TB from the intake. The TB is electronically-controlled unlike older vehicles with a cable linkage. Keep in mind I also disconnected the ECU harness so I just think disconnecting the battery beforehand is the safer way to go. I usually would have but forgot to when I cleaned the TB. The strange idle could have been related to the other components I cleaned but the "bouncing" occurred every time I drove over the course of a few days until the battery was disconnected. The battery disconnect and subsequent reset of control electronics is what fixed it instantly.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
bdleonard
Posts: 268
Joined: Mon Apr 22, 2013 4:39 am

KuroNekko wrote: The strange idle could have been related to the other components I cleaned but the "bouncing" occurred every time I drove over the course of a few days until the battery was disconnected. The battery disconnect and subsequent reset of control electronics is what fixed it instantly.
I would suggest running the full re-calibration procedure described in the service manual, any time you've had the throttle body off for a cleaning:
a) Disconnect negative cable from battery.
b) Disconnect ECM connectors for 30 seconds or more to clear calibration data of closed throttle position from ECM.
c) Connect ECM connectors and connect negative cable to battery.
d) Push engine switch to change the ignition mode to “ON” without depressing brake pedal (CVT model) or clutch pedal (M/T model) and leave the ignition mode in “ON” for 5 sec. or more.
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SAEED_KIZZY
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LPSISRL wrote:I've cleaned my TB several times. Sometimes removing it, sometimes not. One time the screwdriver I was using to prop it open fell inside and down the intake manifold. Thought I was going to have to have it towed to the dealer to have it retrieved. But after several hours of trying various things, I was able to retrieve it using a chopstick, a piece of string and a magnet. More or less went fishing. The problem was getting it round the 90-degree drop-off. That was the last time I cleaned it with it on the engine. I have never disconnected the battery and never had any issues with idle after the cleaning. The main symptom that it always fixes, and this is also how I know it needs to be cleaned, is that the car stumbles when coming to a stop under moderate braking. Just as you stop, the engine shudders and depending on how dirty the TB is, almost stalls. I use SeaFoam to clean it as it seems to work the best dissolving the buildup. However the next time, I'll use SeaFoam followed by TB cleaner to make sure there's no oily residue left behind from the SeaFoam. I didn't realize that SeaFoam has an oily base. I discovered this when I left some sitting out in a small container for a week. What was left after the solvent evaporated was very much like silicone oil and I don't want that left behind to attract dirt.
it is not related to the topic but in a situation like this, I suggest using 'USB endoscope' with a magnetic hook to catch metal parts in unreachable places like manifold especially in car dashboard.
LeoFromDE
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Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2020 8:48 pm

So I'm gonna do this whole procedure soon, in the manual it says "don't clean MAF" though... Guess I'll skip MAF and just do throttle body + PCV then?
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KuroNekko
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LeoFromDE wrote: Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:24 am So I'm gonna do this whole procedure soon, in the manual it says "don't clean MAF" though... Guess I'll skip MAF and just do throttle body + PCV then?
It does? I wonder if it's one of those things written like "Have serviced by Authorized (brand) Service Center". The MAF is something you're not supposed to physically touch or use substitute cleaners. If you use specifically made MAF sensor cleaner and only spray it on to clean (no wiping), it should be fine. Was for my Kizashi and most other cars I've owned. I spray, let air dry, and then reassemble.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
LeoFromDE
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KuroNekko wrote: Fri Feb 19, 2021 7:48 pm
LeoFromDE wrote: Fri Feb 19, 2021 12:24 am So I'm gonna do this whole procedure soon, in the manual it says "don't clean MAF" though... Guess I'll skip MAF and just do throttle body + PCV then?
It does? I wonder if it's one of those things written like "Have serviced by Authorized (brand) Service Center". The MAF is something you're not supposed to physically touch or use substitute cleaners. If you use specifically made MAF sensor cleaner and only spray it on to clean (no wiping), it should be fine. Was for my Kizashi and most other cars I've owned. I spray, let air dry, and then reassemble.
It literally says "Caution, do not clean MAF sensor". I mean it's probably gonna be fine but I guess I'll leave it as it's not throwing codes or anything. I really wonder how that throttle body is gonna look like tho. I'm in Germany and fuel is very good so it's probably not too bad but I feel like power is going down too abruptly when I get off the throttle. Does the Kizashi have an EGR? Just wondering since that can really stuff the throttle body in some cases
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