Need info on electronic throttle control

[BethAnn]

I think my throttle position sensor might be toast, but I don't know anything about the electronic throttle control that came up in 1999. My car is a '99, my Chilton manual goes up to '98. Most things are the same but not the throttle control. Is there still a sensor? Any way to test it? Is it really true that if it's bad I have to replace the entire throttle body? Anybody with info please let me know. If you want to read about my car's recent problems, there is a different topic in general help about it. Thanks.

[BethAnn]

Nobody knows anthing about this?

[01blackbird]

well i'm not sure about the years but if you have tamper proof pop rivets, buy a new TB. if you have the torques style screws, but a new TPS from dealer or junkyard. I got a TB for $50 from my friend, so look around. By the way, if you have the reduced engine power light that comes on the moment you step on the gas, its a sure bet its your TPS. its the bigger of the two "things" on the TB, closer to the intake plenum.

[HBHRacing]

there are 2 TPS's in the TB. one starts at 0 volts and works up to 5 volts, one starts at 5 and works it's way to 0. It's easy to test with a volt meter.

[BethAnn]

Thanks. It has the rivets. But I don't get any lights when I step on the gas. Scanned it today, no codes stored at all. The car thinks it's fine. So... I don't know what's going on.

[HBHRacing]

why do you think there is a problem with it? I have yet to hear of one fail.. and there are several codes related to it..

[Fredless]

You have a drive by wire TB. The PCM adjusts the butterfly accordingly (no need to IAC) and i believe knows automatically where the butterfly is because it has to tell it anyway (no need for a TPS). If somethign is fubar in that unit, you're going to have to replace the whole entire TB and MAF assembly. I really dislike drive by wire.

What exactly is it doing?

Is your maf screen out? if it is PUT IT BACK IN and see if that doesn't fix your mystery problem.

[HBHRacing]

No need for a TPS? then why does it have 2? The TPS works with teh APP sensor to run blade position.


Like I said I have yet to see one fail, ever. I would like to know more about his problem. I highly doubt that it's anything with the TB unit..

[BethAnn]

No, I know better than to descreen the MAF and I think the MAF is fine, at least it was a few months ago when I checked it. I think now the TPS is probably fine too, I don't know what is wrong, like I said no codes. The other post is "surge, hesitation, hot cat, no codes" in general tech. To sum it up, the car is running rich enough to have fried my 8-month-old cat. Before that happened though, the car was surging at cruise and not up to power, and sometimes also hesitating. Didn't matter whether it was hot or cold, it would do it from startup and keep on doing it at normal operating temps. I have replaced the plugs, wires, fuel filter (general maintenance), coils, ignition module (they tested bad), cat and muffler (upgrade) all in the past 8 or 9 months. I don't have any problems starting the car and it idled fine until the cat started glowing orange, then it just idled really rough. That's when I parked it and I haven't driven it since. Thanks for the help.

[Fredless]

Originally posted by HBHRacing:
No need for a TPS? then why does it have 2? The TPS works with teh APP sensor to run blade position.

Hence why i said believe. You continually decrease my ignorance. :D

And of course yet to fail..the majority of the 99 and up cars are just now rolling around to 100k. The dumbasses sealed them in the TB and to my knowledge and my local parts department knowledge, you can not replace t he TPS in the drive by wire TB's. I thought my TPS was bad when I had the surging problem, but found it to be my MAF screen.

[HBHRacing]

I would check for a EGR sticking open..


as for the TB.. if you really really tried you can get the MAF for a electronic TB without buying the whole thing. but it would take some work..