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Label all sensors and hoses

Post cleaning of your Dodge Charger's throttle, you'll need to reassemble everything. With a multitude of wires involved, it's easy to get confused. Hence, it's advised to label and tag everything you disconnect so that it's clear where each part goes, facilitating an easy reassembly post-cleaning.

Apply throttle cleaner to the surface

Apply some cleaner on the throttle body. Allow it some time to work its magic. For stubborn contaminants, a wait of 3-5 minutes should enable the cleaner to effectively remove them.

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Begin manually cleaning your Dodge Charger's throttle body

Start cleaning the throttle using a brush (avoid using a harsh one to prevent scratching the blade), cloth, or cotton swab.

If the contaminants persist post the initial cleaning, don't hesitate to reapply the cleaner and repeat the process until you achieve thorough cleaning. A clean throttle valve should be almost shiny and devoid of any residual contaminants.

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Reassemble the entire system

Once the throttle body cleaning is finished, reassemble everything and ensure that the system works as expected, free of unusual noises or symptoms.

Optimizing your Dodge Charger's throttle body

In newer Dodge Charger models where the throttle is governed by electronics (actuated by electronic pulses rather than a physical cable), there's a unique throttle position sensor that records the current location of the throttle blade. Prior to starting the engine, this blade aligns perfectly straight at a 90-degree angle.

It fits snugly against the upper and lower walls, avoiding the intake of excessive air. However, over time, grime accumulates on the air channel walls or the blade itself. Due to this accumulation, the throttle can't fully close, remaining stationary.



The sensor picks up this position, and the Dodge Charger's computer "believes" this is the new reference value.

That is, the neutral position of the throttle blade, taking into account the thickness of the layer of accumulated dirt, becomes its reference (factory value). This is perfectly normal and factory-provided to keep the engine running smoothly.

However, after we've cleaned the throttle body and restored the surface to its original state, the Charger's computer might not "comprehend" this.

There are no indicators to inform it that nothing impedes the throttle blade from fully closing - the car's computer will continue to "assume" there's grime present, thus maintaining the blade in the position it remembered.

This will result in a gap between the throttle walls and the blade, allowing at least a few millimeters of air to flow through.

Consequently, the Charger's computer will "believe" the throttle pedal is continuously engaged, even when it isn't, allowing more air into the cylinders through the newly formed gap.

This could adversely impact the engine; it consistently senses a load, especially noticeable at idle, when instead of the usual 800 rpm, it reads 1500–2000 rpm. This might lead to overheating and depletion of the engine's resources.

Hence, post cleaning the throttle valve, it becomes crucial to recalibrate the blade to its factory position.

The throttle valve adaptation procedure is universal for many Dodge Charger models.

First, heat the engine to its operating temperature, then switch it off and wait 5-10 seconds. Turn the ignition on and wait for 3 seconds. Following this, you should press the throttle pedal 5 times within 5 seconds and then release it.

If this doesn't bring about the desired effect, it implies that your Dodge Charger's system has a different programming. In that case, the throttle valve adaptation procedure should be outlined in your Charger's owners manual.

Concluding Remarks

Cleaning your Charger's throttle body is critical as it prevents the accumulation of grime on the blade and eliminates gaps between the blade and the body itself.

While performing this cleaning task, it's vital to exhibit patience and meticulousness to yield the best outcome.