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Someone explain the TPS to me!

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  • Someone explain the TPS to me!

    So, I resolved my high and erratic idle issues and the car now runs GREAT!
    Feels like I gained an extra 5hp at the wheels, but now I'm trying to check/set the TPS and getting very confused. This is what I have deduced:

    The TPS has 3 wires, each attached to a long, thin metal blade. The bottom wire is ground (-), the middle wire is signal (+) and the top wire is reference (REF). The operation of the TPS is basically just a double contact switch and there is no variable voltage that is sent over the signal wire. The middle blade (signal) rides in a plastic cam groove that's attached to the throttle shaft. At idle, the middle signal blade (+) contacts the bottom ground blade (-). You should have continuity between these two blades at idle. Once the throttle shaft is slightly opened (so that the throttle stop is off the dashpot a few thousandths of an inch) the middle signal blade is raised off the ground blade and the connection is broke (continuity is lost). As the throttle shaft is rotated through it's movement, the middle signal blade is gradually pushed closer toward the top reference blade and farther away from the bottom ground blade. There should be NO continuity between ANY of the blades through this movement. Just before WOT (say at about 7/8 of WOT) the middle signal blade contacts the top reference blade and you should have continuity between them. Since the top reference blade has 5 volts to it at all times when the key is on, you should have 5 volts on the signal wire at WOT and no voltage at any other times.
    So, how do you get the .5 to 1.0 volt on the signal wire at idle? All I can think of is that there is a small current on the signal wire itself?

    When I test my TPS, I get 4.78 volts on the reference wire, 0.00 volts on the middle signal wire (+) at idle and like -12.08 volts on the middle signal wire at WOT (when it's connected to the reference wire that has 4.78 volts)? I have (2) different TPS sensors and get the same results with each. Do both sensors just happen to be bad? What am I doing wrong? I'm testing the actual blades themselves (with the cover off the side of the sensor). Do I need to be testing them on the back side of the plug?
    Brian

    93L - 5SP, FMS springs, 323 alloys, 1st gen B6, ported head & intake, FMS cam, ported exhaust manifold w/2-1/4" head pipe.
    04 Mustang GT, 5SP, CAI, TFS plenum, 70mm TB, catted X, Pypes 304SS cat-back, Hurst Billet+ shifter, SCT/Bama tuned....4.10's & cams coming soon
    62 Galaxie 2D sedan project- 428, 3x2V, 4SP, 3.89TLOC

    1 wife, 2 kids, 9 dogs, 4 cats......
    Not enough time or money for any of them

  • #2
    Description
    The Throttle Position (TP) sensor detects the throttle plate opening angle and supplies the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) with an input signal indicating throttle position.
    On the 1.8L 4EAT the TP sensor consists of a combination potentiometer and idle switch. The sensor produces signals for both a wide range of throttle plate angles, along with signals for both idle and off idle. On 1.8L MTX, 1.6L Non-Turbo, 1.6L Turbo and 1.3L engines, the TP sensor consists of a two position switch sensing only closed or wide open throttle positions. These two positions are referred to as the Idle (IDL) switch and the Wide-Open Throttle (WOT) switch.
    On the 2.0L engine, the Throttle Position (TP) sensor detects the throttle plate opening angle with a potentiometer and notifies the PCM. The throttle position sensor also helps determine the air intake if the Mass Air Flow sensor fails.
    The TP sensor on the 2.5L performs the same as on the 2.0L engine, but also integrates the idle switch within the housing. The IDL switch detects when the throttle plate is closed and an idle condition occurs. The PCM is supplied with an input signal.

    1.3L, 1.8L MTX

    1.8L 4EAT


    1.6L
    ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÂÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿
    ³ Engine ³ Location ³
    ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÅÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´
    ³ 1.3L, 1.6L, 1.8L, ³ Mounted to the throttle body. ³
    ³ 2.0L, 2.5L ³ ³
    ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÁÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ

    Diagnosis
    Refer to the Quick Test Procedures, «Section 5B».

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