Symptoms of a Faulty Throttle Position Sensor

How to Replace a Throttle Position Sensor

1. Materials Needed.
2. Step 1: Locate the sensor.
3. Step 2: Disconnect the negative battery cable.
4. Step 3: Remove the sensor electrical connector.
5. Step 4: Remove the sensor mounting screws.
6. Step 5: Remove the sensor.
7. Step 1: Install the new sensor.

What happens when my throttle position sensor goes bad. When a TPS goes bad, then the car’s throttle body won’t function properly. It could either stay shut or it won’t close properly which is a severe issue. If it stays shut then your engine is not going receive air and it won’t start.

1. An unexplainable bucking and jerking in the vehicle.
2. Sudden idle surges.
3. Sudden engine stalling without any apparent reason.
4. Hesitation while accelerating.
5. Sudden surges in speed while driving on the highway.
6. Intermittently flashing of check engine light for no apparent reason.

Can you drive with a bad throttle position sensor? If you have a bad throttle position sensor, your car will not perform well or safely. Driving with a bad throttle position sensor may also cause problems in other related systems in your car, which will mean additional repair bills.

You don’t need to remove a throttle body to clean it. If you have a DBW throttle body, DO NOT MOVE THE THROTTLE PLATE MANUALLY TO CLEAN IT, especially with the key in the ON position. Have them depress the gas pedal all the way to open the throttle plate so you can gain access to do your cleaning.

The throttle body controls the amount of air the engine takes in, and when it gets dirty, the engine can’t idle smoothly. So before you take the car into the shop, consider taking 10 minutes and cleaning it yourself with a spray can of throttle body cleaner and paper towels.