🚩What you will Read in This Article:

  • What a Throttle Body is?
  • Throttle Body Types
  • Pros and Cons of Different Throttle Bodies
  • What is TVA?
  • Why “TVA Removal Module” is Done?
  • TVA Removal Software
  • TVA Removal Tutorial

💬What a Throttle Body is?

In an internal combustion engine, the throttle body is responsible for adjusting the torque and power output of the vehicle. The Throttle body does so by controlling the amount of input air into the engine and adjusting the amount of fuel injection and other parameters accordingly. The throttle body is also responsible for keeping the engine ON, while the driver is not pushing the gas pedal.
In other words, we can say that the throttle body is a system that works in conjunction with other parts to perform its duty. The throttle body system is different from one vehicle model to another, depending on when the vehicle is produced. We will now discuss different types of throttle bodies to see how they perform and get familiar with their components.

💬Throttle Body Types:

Even though all throttle bodies have the same principle of operation, we can say that throttle bodies are separated into two groups:

  1. Mechanical
  2. Electronic

It should be noted that the mechanical model can be cabled or levered.

  • Mechanical Throttle Body:

These types are older than the electronic type and can be found mostly on classic cars. This relatively simple system is directly connected to the gas pedal.
The cabled mechanical throttle body is mostly used on fuel injection vehicles and it's newer than the levered one. In cabled throttle bodies, the angle of the throttle body is very important, since the ECU measures the amount of fuel injection and air to fuel ratio () based on this angle and other parameters (such as the air temperature and pressure which are calculated by separate sensors). This process is done using a potentiometer that is installed on the throttle body axis to measure the angle of the throttle body according to the transferred output voltage for the ECU. This is the part where two other sensors, the air temperature, and pressure sensors, come into play. If due to any reason, the potentiometer failed to do its task, these two sensors can help the ECU to estimate the angle of the throttle body and control the fuel injection and air to fuel ratio accordingly.

These throttle bodies require a stepper motor (a servo-motor) to keep the engine on, while the gas pedal is not pushed. This is achieved using a bypass path that has been provided on the housing of the throttle body. It keeps the engine ON and controls the air volume that enters the engine. The stepper motor receives orders directly from the ECU and performs choking. The stepper is also obliged to open the airflow path when there is a demand for power from the engine and the engine is in low RPM to keep it still and stable.
Some throttle bodies are equipped with a heating element that keeps the throttle body warm enabling the stepper motor to work smoothly during the cold weather (without the O-rings being damaged).
Also while the car is moving, when the gas pedal is released, the stepper prevents the fuel and air mixture from becoming too rich and preventing lean combustion of fuel. As mentioned earlier, there is another type of throttle body that uses a physical lever, and it is older than the cabled ones. It can be found on classic vehicles.
These throttle bodies can be found on carburetor fuel systems. In this case, the throttle valve is a port of the carburetor. In other words, the throttle body is located at the entrance of the carburetor. At any angle that the throttle body is opened, fuel that is dripping from the jet nozzle will be sucked through while it is powdered and mixed with air.
In most carburetors, when the engine is running at low RPMs, a bypass air route is predefined which can be controlled via an electronic gate, adjustable screw, or even a vacuum valve control system. Some carburetors have an adjustable throttle body so that when the gas pedal is released, it leaves a small path of the throttle body open for air to pass.

  • Electronic Throttle Control:

The electronic throttle control system has the same working principle as the mechanical throttle body. This type of valve also has a servo motor similar to a stepper motor that, unlike the mechanical throttle bodies, does not need an auxiliary channel for lower RPM ranges, and all the process is controlled by the throttle control itself.
These throttle controls are under the control of the ECU. Same as the cabled model, the ECU uses a potentiometer and the information it generates to adjust the angle of the valve.
In other words, the whole operation of electronic throttle control is under the supervision of the ECU and it controls the process.

💬Pros and Cons of Different Throttle Bodies:

In this part, we would like to discuss the pros and cons of various throttle bodies.

The pros of electronic throttle control are:

  • Fewer failures compared to the mechanical version.
  • Fewer maintenance services compared to the mechanical version.
  • Less chance of stepper motor and sensor failure compared to the mechanical throttle body (leading to less excessive RPMs during idling).
  • Better adjustment of inlet air and the stoichiometric AFR.
  • Creates less pollution compared to mechanical throttle bodies.

The electronic throttle valve has its disadvantages. The main one is the 1 to 2 seconds of delay during accelerating. The reason is simple; It always takes some time for the ECU to send and receive information. The time it takes to do so results in a delay before acceleration. It should also be noted that this problem does not occur in cabled mechanical throttle bodies and revving occurs without any delay in this model. This is why the cabled mechanical throttle bodies are more favorable in sports cars and competitions. From this viewpoint, we can say that the electronic throttle controls are suitable for city vehicles.
The delay related to the electronic throttle control could be partially reduced by remapping the vehicle; however, it would not be zero and the mechanical throttle body would still be dominant in this case.
Another advantage a mechanical throttle body has is that would cost less to repair and maintain if it broke due to more complexity of failure diagnosis and troubleshoot in electronic throttle controls.

💬What is TVA? 

The TVA or Throttle Valve Actuator is one of the throttle body’s components that is responsible for adjusting air during sudden changes in engine RPM. This system is used on diesel vehicles and it is becoming widely used on modern diesel engines.
Since the release of the gas pedal occurs suddenly and fast, the engine cannot respond to the changes at the same speed it happens. Therefore, the engine may start to vibrate. In this case, the air adjustment and management can help the engine to prevent the vibrations from occurring. This task is accomplished by the TVA.
Also, this system helps the EGR system to perform better.

💬Why The “TVA Removal Module” is Done?

Our experience has shown that the TVA will face various problems in vehicles, such as the delay in reaching higher revs. This is why most owners decide to remove the TVA, and we organize the software removal methods for them.

🏁TVA Removal Software:

We have years of experience in ECU remapping and calibration in the CaracalTech company and have the tools and tables for identifying TVA Removal for all ECU types. Adjusting the map changes related to TVA Removal can be done with different techniques. Additionally, TVA & TVA Removal in ECU tutorials have been prepared for customers to fundamentally learn and understand the tables related to the TVA Removal in the EMS and to choose which changes to apply, once and for all.

🚨Note: In some vehicle models, TVA Removal is not sufficient, since it causes some error codes. We can solve this for you, using the diagnosis programmer or remap the ECU to correctly do the TVA Removal process. A genuine remapping combined with the TVA Removal can lead to a better performance of your vehicle.

🏁TVA Removal Tutorial:

Here, you can learn all the information you need regarding TVA Removal Module in different car models. TVA Removal Module tutorials in various software and ECUs can be found in the link below.

❗You can watch the tutorial videos here.

❗If you need DTC Off Service, you can upload your files in our Tuning File Service section.

📍If you have any question, feel free to contact us at: Support@Caracaltech.com