Originally Posted by Das Benz

After the flow sensor, is the actual throttle body. Which directly controls air flow into the engine via your throttle pedal. It has a simple throttle position sensor, however if im not mistaken that specific sensor only tells the ecu if its WOT, or idle.

The flow plate has a variable sensor on it to tell the ecu a semi accurate value of actual air going into the motor. Pushing the flow plate in by hand has no effect with allowing more air into the motor. Its just for measuring the ammount of air flow, and coarse mechanical fuel metering via a push plunger into the fuel distributor.