Yes I would say you found on it.

The leak must be due to a seal leak... But the function of the plunger is that when the truck is cold the throttle opens a bit allowing the truck to warm up quicker. As the truck warms up the plunger pushes out and closes the throttle all the way.

I believe that you can replace just that and I think it's non trivial. But not 100% sure.

 

Is there a simple write up or a basic how to on replacing this item? And is it technically just called a throttle body plunger?

I tried some quick googling but didn't turn up much.

 

I think this is what you are looking for.

http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f46/throttle-body-thermal-pluger-replacement-mpg-56979/

 

Did you end up replacing it? Some decent information but not much on actually replacing the item.

 

I replaced several of them when i worked for nissan and infinit. It is straight forward. It has been a while since i have worked for them but if i remember correctly- remove the throttle body. Then move the throttle body to the fully open position and stick something in the throttle body to keep the butterfly open. Then there is one screw holding the retaining clip in place. Be very carefull with the throttle body the cast aluminum is very easy to crack. Then just remove the "wax assembly" clean and then replace. I recommend that when you get the new wax assembly to also get a throttle body gasket and the two hoses that go to the throttle body.

A lot of people used to bypass the throttle body in the coolant circuit thinking that keeping it cooler would help hp but it just hurts mileage during warm up.

 

No I did not replace mine.

The set screw that the plunger pushes on the throttle body was bent. This allowed the butterfly valve to not fully close when warm.

When I got the butterfly valve to fully close when truck is warmed up, the butterfly valve started to stick when you pressed on the pedal. This was caused by a bunch of debris (black crap) that built up in the throttle body over the years. With some throttle body cleaner I was able to stop the butterfly valve from sticking. I've had no problems since.

 

Okay so I was browsing courtesy parts and found http://www.courtesyparts.com/kb_search_result.php?keywords=[16391U]+\%28D22U&cPath=2129_2130_2147_2148 - which one of these would be the correct part? And what about the wax and gasket?

And are there any illustrations for removing the throttle body? It sounds relatively simple, however considering this is my only vehicle for transportation I'd like to be positive I can do this myself.

Thanks in advance for the input you guys have given.

 

I've not had to pull the throttle but it doesn't seem that difficult. Look at the years of each part (one is a 4cyl the other a 6cyl).

 

I dug some information up from this forum, got more hits for 'throttle body' than coolant leak. And I found this thread : http://www.clubfrontier.org/forums/f23/anti-freeze-leak-02-frontier-39381/index2.html

At the end a few posts mention its possible to remove the plunger and replace the o ring with some gasket sealer.. Would this be an option? Or is just ordering a whole new element the case?

 

Get a new whole new element, a lot of times when you remove it wax stays behind from it and they don't seat very well when reassembling.

 

Okay I found a cheap place to order it from Nissan Parts 2 U

However is there anything else I need?

And from the looks of it, can I remove the C retainer via the screw and pull it out without having to remove the throttle body?

 

This worked for me...

Just recently I solved a severe coolant leak on my Saturn. The manifold/block gasket leaked pretty bad and I describe it literally as a RAINING coolant. GM mechanics brought it to my attention that because some gaskets are incompatible with certain types of coolants, GM recommended an additive to the coolant every time the system was flushed.

The product to use is called Bars Stop Leak, available at most all auto parts stores. The product does not clog up vital parts of the coolant system which is the biggest criticism people have against it. There is no evidence of that every happening. Anyway, GM endorses it for their product line and Bars claims it is safe for all other manufactures. Google and read up on it for more information.

Anyway, I and my buddy stood there in disbelief as it stopped my raining leak. The two of us never thought it would work giving it about a 10% chance. Hopefully, the community here does not start to rehash the debate of whether it is an acceptable and safe fix or not. Many top notch mechanics support it, others don’t and their pissing matches never bring forward a clear winner. Pro and Con mechanics each think their resumes are better than each others. Believe me it is a no win topic debate. Again, Google , as that convinced me to spend a whole $2 to save me $1000+ to redo my gaskets. From start to end it took about 30 minutes.

There are different types of Bars Stop Leak. You want the one with powder ginger root/almond shells. To make it easy for you the product number is# G12BP. I would not buy any other type if it is not this. The track record on other variants can be sketchy. Here is what the packaging looks like: Bar's Leaks Golden Powder Stop Leak

 

The product to use is called Bars Stop Leak, available at most all auto parts stores. The product does not clog up vital parts of the coolant system which is the biggest criticism people have against it. There is no evidence of that every happening. Anyway, GM endorses it for their product line and Bars claims it is safe for all other manufactures. Google and read up on it for more information.

Stop Leak[/url]

I could give you Nissan and Ford heater cores that tell a different story
stop leak is not a fix never will be and it does clog up vital parts
i been dealing with the aftermath of that stuff for 20 years

 

I got a chance to look at the assembly during the day and it looks as though the only thing holding the plunger in place is the screw with C retaining clip? When I remove this, does the plunger come straight out, or is removing the whole throttle body actually required? From some of the older posts I dug up from the search function, it mentions as though the plunger can be pulled out after the clip is removed.

 

If you do your own research you will learn that the majority of the auto manufacturers, including GM, pre-treat their engines with the stuff before their vehicles are sold to the general public. After-market service procedures call for a repeat procedure (at least with GM). Those who are not too lazy can find those recommended procedure bulletins posted on the web.

I will eat crow if you can point to documented proof that the outlined treatment was the root cause of such issues/treatments. Gut feel FUD scare tactics don’t fly with many people including myself without any referenced documented proof. Since there are mechanics that are proponents for the product claiming more clock time than just 20 years I recommend each user do their own research, decide if the critics have proof enough, and make their own decisions from there.

I wont clog up the OPs thread any further with this go-nowhere debate so go ahead and have the last word if you must. I wont come back at you… I promise.

 

I'm having the same problem on my 04 frontier (4cyl). So would replacing the thermo element be the solution to this problem? or should I spend the extra $100 and just replace the whole throttle body assembly?

 

to the OP and the recent poster teh same comment applies.

The cost of the parts isn't really that much of a money difference, it's a safer to simpley replace the assembly and not worry about other parts going bad in the near future due to only replacing one small item in the assembly.

buy the whole part ( not a huge $ difference), flush the coolant system (since you should anyway at some point in it's life time), replace teh part and refill.

you will be much happier then if you nickle and dime it trying to scrape out one seal.

 

Got the new element wednesday and it took a whole 15 min to install. Pretty simple, went ahead and flushed coolant while I was there. No more leaking.

Thanks guys.