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14 December 2023 Symptoms and problems of a bad throttle position sensor
Not many people know how important this tiny sensor is for their car engine. It plays a critical role in making sure the engine receives enough air and maintaining the correct air-fuel mixture ratio. It does so by monitoring how open the throttle valve is and thereby how much air is going into the engine. The more you press down on the car accelerator pedal, the more the valve should open to generate more power.
The control unit uses the signal from the throttle position sensor (TPS), along with information such as the air temperature, air mass flow readings, and the RPM to determine how much fuel to inject into the engine as well as control the throttle to achieve the optimal engine performance. If the TPS goes bad, strange things start to happen. In the best case scenario, you may only notice a reduction in fuel efficiency. However, in many cases, it severely affects the performance of the engine, posing a risk to you and to other road users.
Common symptoms of a bad throttle position sensor
Acceleration problems
If the throttle position sensor is faulty, the engine control unit won’t be able to regulate the position of the throttle properly due to a lack of or incorrect input. The result of this may be weak acceleration and a lack of power due to reduced air flow. On the other hand, you may also experience a sudden surge of power or spontaneous acceleration without putting your foot down on the accelerator. This could potentially cause an accident.
RIDEX Throttle position sensor
without cable
Article number: 3940T0003
£ 5,90
Price per item
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
-46%
RIDEX Throttle position sensor
without cable
Article number: 3940T0004
compared to
RRP
£ 21,00
£ 11,34
Price per item
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
-57%
RIDEX Throttle position sensor
without cable
Article number: 3940T0009
compared to
RRP
£ 31,20
£ 13,31
Price per item
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
-58%
RIDEX Throttle position sensor
without cable
Article number: 3940T0036
compared to
RRP
£ 54,50
£ 22,57
Price per item
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
-58%
RIDEX Throttle position sensor
Article number: 3940T0011
compared to
RRP
£ 59,40
£ 24,42
Price per item
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
Rough idling and stalling
Stalling, rough idling and engine misfires are also common signs of a failing TPS. Again, this is due to unstable fluctuations in the engine air flow. A normal idle RPM is typically between 600 and 900 RPM.
Check engine light
As soon as the onboard computer system recognises that there’s a problem with the sensor, it will trigger a fault code which activates the check engine warning light in your car. If this happens, you may be able to find the root cause of this using an OBD2 scanner.
-59%
RIDEX Throttle position sensor
Article number: 3940T0005
compared to
RRP
£ 133,70
£ 54,62
Price per item
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
DELPHI Throttle position sensor
Article number: SS10562-12B1
£ 13,07
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
MAGNETI MARELLI Throttle position sensor
Article number: 215800192960
£ 18,51
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
ENGITECH Throttle position sensor
Article number: ENT820003
£ 12,50
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
Article number: 1.995.032
£ 37,21
price incl. 20% VAT, excl. delivery costs
A poor fuel economy
Inaccurate TPS readings can affect the power unit’s performance and the air-fuel mixture.This can result in a mixture that is too rich or other ignition-related problems, leading to excessive fuel consumption.
Do you need to replace your TPS?
If you’re experiencing the symptoms mentioned above and find out that your throttle position sensor is faulty, it is strongly recommended to get it replaced as soon as possible. Although there are many universal options available on the market today, it is still important to make sure that the part is compatible with your vehicle. For example, if you’re shopping online, you might type the model of your car into the search bar, e.g. “Ford Transit throttle position sensor”, or if you want more specific results, you can search using the vehicle identification number.
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