goldwing2000
Turd in the punch bowl
- :
- 2004 Mazda3s Hatch; 269,000 miles
As discussed on one of the other threads, the Electronic Throttle Body on the 3 is heated by engine coolant.
While this is done to aid in fuel vaporization and produce a cleaner burning vehicle (and prevent ETB icing in the winter), the warmer air does hamper performance.
The nice folks over at Mazda 6 forums were kind enough to write up a quickie procedure for bypassing the coolant flow (http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=35) but I'd like to offer a possibly more viable solution for those of us in the colder climates to help prevent ETB icing while still getting the colder air benefit from the mod.
Simply put, we could place a valve in the hose that feeds coolant to the ETB. There are numerous ways to accomplish this but the two that come two mind are as follows:
#1 Use a simple ball valve, available at any hardware/home improvement store. I don't know what temperature they are rated for or if there may be different valves for different applications but this would be a simple way to place a manual valve inline to close off the coolant flow. This would be the cheapest option, maybe $10.
#2 Use an actual heater control valve. These are designed for use with automotive coolants and are generally lever or vacuum controlled. It wouldn't be difficult to rig up a switch and vacuum solenoid to control the coolant flow so it could be controlled from inside the vehicle. This would be optimal for the chilly morning drive/shut it off as the car warms up scenario but would be a bit more expensive, possibly up to $100 depending on how involved you want to get.
DISCUSSION!!
While this is done to aid in fuel vaporization and produce a cleaner burning vehicle (and prevent ETB icing in the winter), the warmer air does hamper performance.
The nice folks over at Mazda 6 forums were kind enough to write up a quickie procedure for bypassing the coolant flow (http://www.mazda6tech.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=35) but I'd like to offer a possibly more viable solution for those of us in the colder climates to help prevent ETB icing while still getting the colder air benefit from the mod.
Simply put, we could place a valve in the hose that feeds coolant to the ETB. There are numerous ways to accomplish this but the two that come two mind are as follows:
#1 Use a simple ball valve, available at any hardware/home improvement store. I don't know what temperature they are rated for or if there may be different valves for different applications but this would be a simple way to place a manual valve inline to close off the coolant flow. This would be the cheapest option, maybe $10.
#2 Use an actual heater control valve. These are designed for use with automotive coolants and are generally lever or vacuum controlled. It wouldn't be difficult to rig up a switch and vacuum solenoid to control the coolant flow so it could be controlled from inside the vehicle. This would be optimal for the chilly morning drive/shut it off as the car warms up scenario but would be a bit more expensive, possibly up to $100 depending on how involved you want to get.
DISCUSSION!!
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