Throttle Position Sensor: Description and Operation

Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) Location (Automatic Transmission):

Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) Location (Manual Transmission):

THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR (TPS)-ECU INPUT

The Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) is mounted on the throttle body and connected to the throttle valve shaft. The sensor is a variable resistor that provides the ECU with an input voltage that represents throttle valve position. Input voltage to the ECU from the TPS varies in an approximate range of from 1 volt at minimum throttle opening (idle) to 5 volts at wide open throttle. The ECU uses TPS input voltage to determine current engine operating conditions.

There are two different Throttle Position Sensors, one used with automatic transmissions (Fig. 8) and one used with manual transmissions (Fig. 9). The TPS used with automatic transmissions has two integral wire harness connectors (one four pin connector and one three pin connector) that plug into the engine wire harness. The four pin connector supplies input to the ECU while the three pin connector supplies input to the Transmission Control Unit. The TPS used with manual transmissions has an integral connector. The engine wire harness connects directly to the TPS.