'Throttle Body'

[Dave]

Im being told that my 4 year old, 31,000 mile Astra 1.8 16v needs the
'Throttle Body' cleaning as it has become clogged. I asked if this was a
design fault that it should become clogged but was told it was because I
only do short journeys, to which I countered with nobody told me the car
would develop faults if I didn't do long journeys...

I seem to have no choice but to pay the bill but should this be an
acceptable problem?

 

[Alan]

Unfortunately you are stuck with this.

Short journeys cause no end of problems with cars especially to exhaust
systems and cats.

--

Alan


New & used Vauxhall cars & vans, servicing, repairs & parts
www.steeles.co.uk

Vauxhall CD players & handbooks
http://www.stores.ebay.co.uk/vauxhallradiosales

 

[Dave]

Throttle body cleaned, 'codes' updated (they were very old, but why were
they not updated in the recent service?) cost £70, problem solved.


For now.

Thanks

 

[R. Murphy]

It's a fact of life, unfortunatley - but no, IMHO from the customer
viewpoint (i.e. you and me) it is NOT acceptable that this sort of thing can
go wrong - throttle bodies on some cars are non-serviceable and can cost
several hundred pounds, e.g. the nissan micra which is marketed as a town
car i.e. a
car for short journeys.

The astra is an in between car - how, I wonder, does the Corsa fare in this
respect?

And - which bit is clogged and how - have you been running without an air
filter by any chance? -'cos if not this raises a bit of a question in my
mind ...