ETM Cleaning 2000 Volvo S80 T6

I was having a problem with a very erratic idle, and the car would stall sometimes in stop and go traffic, especially when the AC compressor was running. The car has 130K miles on it.

The one greatest fix and cheapest was the cleaning of the ETM. What a difference that made, it blew my hair back when I hit the accelerator. Thank you so much for the directions on how to do it. It is not difficult but requires patience. Well worth the effort!
– MVS Volvo Forum user stan9395

I knew the ETM was covered by warranty, but the ETM had been replaced before, and the dealer said they would need to try a cleaning before they would consider a replacement of the ETM under the 10 year or 200,000 mile warranty.

I decided to do the cleaning myself. Not a half assed attempt, but a remove it from the car, and a good workbench cleaning inside and out.

It only took about 2 hours, and it made all the difference in the world. The car runs and idles great!! I should have done it months ago!

ETM Cleaning Procedure

I removed the entire air cleaner housing, and the air inlet tube from the radiator area. I also removed the turbo hose running past the oil dipstick. I next removed the plastic tube from the inlet to the ETM. Removing the hose clamps works best with a ¼” ratchet and a socket, and is done by feel.

To remove the ETM, remove the 4 corner bolts holding it to the intake manifold using a Â¼” ratchet and 10mm socket with a short 2-3 inch extension.

Here’s what both sides of the ETM throat look like before cleaning it:

I used carb cleaner, and a small brass wire brush to sort of scrub the inside throat of the ETM, and the brass round throttle plate itself. This was time consuming, but stick with it until it is ALL off. Don’t flood the ETM with carb cleaner, use it inside the throat only because there is a lot of electronics inside. You can push the throttle plate open and closed as you are cleaning. Think of the brush as doing the work, and the carb cleaner just for rinsing-this will keep you from going overboard with the carb cleaner.

After it’s cleaned, it should look like this: