Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Throttle Position Sensor: Description and Operation




- Rotary potentiometer mounted on the throttle body that provides a signal to the PCM that is linearly proportional to the throttle plate/shaft position.
- The sensor housing has a three-blade electrical connector that may be gold plated. The gold plating increases corrosion resistance on terminals and increases connector durability
- As the TP sensor is rotated by the throttle shaft, four operating conditions are determined by the PCM from the TP:
- Closed throttle (includes idle or deceleration)
- Part throttle (includes cruise or moderate acceleration)
- Wide open throttle (includes maximum acceleration or de-choke on crank)
- Throttle angle rate.