Technical Refrig. in Throttle body

[Lùcho]

I heard that Tipo 1.8 16V engine is similar to one Fiat Coupe engine.
Someone knows why the Throttle body has a water/refrigerant circuit? What´s for? This isn´t heating the air that´s entering the engine?

Thanks & Regards

 

[HP]

The water heating is to prevent icing up. In the throttle body, where the air pressure changes around the butterfly, it's possible in very cold weather for ice to form.

 

[Lùcho]

Really? I would never imagine myself....
So when the air goes trough the butterfly passes to a lower pressure state, and there icing is easyer to form.
I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Here temperatures below 0ºC are not common, besides I hate cold weather so I not see myself traveling south with my Tipo.
Then I think that I´m loosing some eficiency of my engine every day. Do you people think I should by pass this refrig circuit and let only air in trough my throtle body?

Cheers

 

[pinin__prestatyn]

Sorry, this won't help with your question, but interesting all the same:

My second car, a J reg MK 2 golf "Ryder" was a basic mule powered by a 1.3 8v Carb engine delivering a dizzy 54BHP. it really wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding! At the time I used to live in Holyhead, but used to travel home to Prestatyn on the A55, a journey of about 50 miles.
The car would get around halfway, then I would gradually lose power until even with my foot down all the way on the accelerator, I would not move.
I called the AA, when the man arrived it of course started straightaway, making me look a total chimp !
This happened again, so I pulled over and waited 5 mins, viola the car would start and drive no problem.
Anyways to cut a long story short I booked it into a local VW garage who without seeing the car a mechanic said "ah yes it will the throttle butterfly icing up" I believe they fitted some sort of shield, certainly this never happened again.
This would happen even on a fairly warm day, so don't discount this as the problem!