TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) Diagnosis and Understanding Pt1 

So many of you guys out here helping others learn. THANKS FOR WHAT YOU DO ON RU-vid HELPING ALL OF US LEARN. Your channel, scannerdanner, southmain auto, eric the car guy, scotty Kilmer, I love all of you guys.

Thanks for the class! I'm hooked. I'm binging on all these videos. Keep them going.

Just wanted to throw my thanks up here as well. RU-vid content like this has been so empowering. I never did well with instruction manuals and such. I always thought it was just me and not being mechanically inclined. Turned out to just be a learning style thing. Watching something be done while I do it myself is my jam, and then I never forget it. I do a lot of my own wrenching now and it’s saved us so much money and I actually enjoy it.

If you don't like him or his humor, so what, focus on what you can learn from him! He is teaching us some invaluable lessons in diagnosis.

Thank you for an entertaining and informative "How to..." on the TPS.

Thank you for your videos! Had intermittent hesitation/service engine soon on my 95 Olds Station Wagon. Replaced many things before watching your vids to include: wires, plugs, ignition coils, and PCV or something like that. Mechanic cleaned throttle body and put a gas additive in. Still hesitated. Brought it back he put a new fuel filter on and more gas treatment. Still hesitated. I Brought it back again. When I went to pick up the car he told me he was clueless and told me to take it to a dealer. Frustrated yet more educated after watching your videos I told him I was no mechanic but insisted he install a new TPS. If this did not work I was going to buy a multimeter and check my MAF and MAP sensors myself. Particularly my MAF because I learned on your video (if I understood your correctly) if you have both a MAF and MAP the MAP does not really affect the 14.7 : 1 ratio. In any event the hesitation ceased after the new TPS was installed. However I was stalling at stop signs etc. I unplugged the ECM fuse, plugged it back in, let it run 10 mins. Shut it off and turned it back on for 10 mins for a computer relearn. All is well! Car is running perfect! Thank you so much!

Haha love the introduction!! If my tps goes (or not) I'll watch this again :)

Oh, man. Thank you. At last I find something I can understand!!!! Thank you!

You're an asset to the automotive diagnostic community.

Great stuff. And the last remark was priceless.

Thanks for the thorough video. I'm an electrical engineer and always appreciate why and how things work.

Schrodingers Box, Matt, thank you for your time in making this video, listening to you I became smarter and knew better how to troubleshoot for the problem having the basic knowledge acquired by watching this video. Transmission will not shift 3-4, later I found out it will shift if I released the accelarator, RPM drops to around 1,000, then it shifts. Also it shifts if I go slowly not to eceed 1,400 RPM then it will shift. I checked the TPS on the car using voltmeter. had a variable reading as I move the throttle both up or down. IT worked, then I cleaned the contact points.for both the TPS and the connector. IT worked, thanks a lot.

Awesome! Thanks for the EXPLANATION!! Some people don't appreciate what an explanation entails! I will use this as a reference video on all my vehicles! Cheers!

Thanks man!! it was worthy to spent time listening you, thanks for all the effort you are doing on this. - now... I will get into my Honda ex 2000 and see how it works for me!! :D

Thank you. That was the best practical description of what a throttle does and how a potentiometer works that I have seen to date.

Thank you so much for the information in this video. I am experiencing hesitation or dead spots (not all the time) when accelerating always when the pedal is being pushed at a certain point. I told my husband I thought it was a TPS issue. He reminded me I’m not a mechanic and took it to a transmission shop. $2600 later we get it back and same issues. Took back to shop and after a month we got it back again. Still does the same thing. After watching you test and explain the dead spots issue I’m 💯 convinced that the TPS is the root cause of the problem. It feels like I’m running out of gas but only for a second and only when accelerating from a stop between 20-30 mph. I will be having the TPS tested. Thank you so much!

Hey Matt. Just found your channel and subscribed right away after this video. My jeeps rpms have been pulsating between 900-1300 rpms. I did this very easy diagnosis and found my tps has an unstable voltage at those rpms. I figured it was the tps but didn't want to throw New parts in and not fix the issue. Great videos and I'll be looking forward to more coming. Thank you.

You Are The Master!!! Thank you for breaking it all down. Please keep up the great work, because guys like me really appreciate it. Thanks Again

Great job! I'm a good tech, I need to stay fast, fresh and professional. Watching and listening to your lessons help me.They are clear, thorough and easy to follow. I fully believe to be a great tech you must remain teachable and have a desire to teach. If you are able to teach diagnosis and explain the description and operation clearly then you understand that system. Thanks, I've watched this before but I am starting a new job this week. Your videos amongst a few others help me stay sharp. I let the playlist roll.

Recently discovered your channel. I have been absorbing your videos on a daily basis and love them. thank you very much!

HA !!!!! . First time seeing this vid. Love the ending dialog. Good vid.

Love these videos,great teacher

Excellent breakdown and explanation, thank you.

Great learning process. Understanding is much better than simply replacing a part. I always want to know why a component failed. These tutorials explain in great detail exactly how why we need to think outside the box.

holy crap, an actual diagnostic channel!? WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

Awesome! Applying scientific principles through engineering. THIS is what I've been looking for. I hope to watch the whole series.

Im in the 2%, I’m Not a parts changer I’m a diesel mechanic who is striving to be a master diagnostician. Thank you so much for your videos. God bless you.

Brother your the best my friend I'm a Subaru tech in NC been working the main line here for almost a year and I have watched slot of so called master techs just swap parts and half ass follow flow charts. I've been asking slot of electrical questions but no one can give me decent answers. So I've been binging on your channel and scanner danner. Thanks for.the content brother you are giving me jewels that are priceless. I love the electrical diag and test light skills. Like I said at work I rarely see someone pull out a test light other than myself. And when I fix the problem( the first time) my master tech team leader gets jealous. Lol he has a lot of comebacks

informative thank you so much GOD BLESS YOU

awesome teaching skills!

Matt, How you don't have a TV show I will never know. I have just recently picked up motorcycle mechanics as a hobby of mine based out of my garage and I must say this is one of the most informative videos I have seen to date. The way you explained it makes it very easy to cross reference and apply the knowledge given to motorcycle mechanics. Thank you very much sir, I will definitely be subscribing to your channel.

You have heard this all before Matt, but I will reiterate that you are making very informative and highly intelligent videos seasoned with a very dry sense of humor that I can identify with. Keep up the good work.

Very informative video, thanks!

This guy is like the Dr. House of the automotive world. Very intelligent in his craft and also very blunt! Love it

Hey matt, I like your videos and explanation just too crazy. Nice and clear and with a touch of humor there will keep you listening. I hope you still continues to make a lot of videos. Gr. Mat (from the Netherlands)

Ive seen other videos that you have uploaded on youtube,and your info is really helpful.I was able to fix my car and get ahead in my job. (i work in a collision shop,so knowing mechanical,and electrical is a must.cosmetics can only get you so far) Thank You and i look forward to future videos.

I just want to say thank you for the thorough instructions on how to check a possible malfunctioning TPS. I have to say This is outstanding. Thank you!

Very informative video with an unexpected ending :)

Hey Matt, just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work creating this channel. I used to be your 98% parts store guy, but I was challenged by my 1990 Toyota V6 pickup was forced to grow into a better DIY mechanic. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and helping me figure out the proper way to diagnose engine troubles.

Very informative, thank you for effort in preparing this video!

I have a 2000 f150 5.4 290,000 miles i bought new and 3 wks ago started having idol problems at stop sings then having signs of torque converter lock up when put in drive or reverse and just die and when it did run it had low power...a dozen mechanics said it was the iac ,or maf,or throttle body wore out, or egr valve or sensor ,fuel pump and so on...transmission shops said the converter was shot and needed a new one...3 days ago a local mechanic called me and after the formal chit chat told me to bring it over and he would fix it...turns out the tps got out of calibration somehow and now the trk and tranny work and run like brand new and he only charged me 45 dollars.I had no idea that tps controlled so much on that engine and tranny and he saved me a lot of money from witch hunts.

He’s totally right, I had 4 codes on my c6 vette, I went to get a diagnostic to Chevrolet dealership and they wanted to replace catalytic throttle body, and sensors cost $2900 which is a lot, then I went to a test only repair shop and I spent $150 they solved the problem as this guy is saying 😎

Thanks. I'm half an idiot but was able to follow your instructions. sure enough cleaning the throttle body cured my problem. I plan on watching the rest of your videos.

your really good at explaining. thank you for your videos

Hahah before you said it I was like...This is gonna be a "I'm gonna teach you how it works ....You learn how to fix it" .....Wich is by far the best way ..Thanx man...I like this no guessing approach!

Thank you for your precious Time & Knowledge!!-)

This is how I like to troubleshoot stuff. Understand how it works, then think what could be wrong. Not just memorising "check this, check that". Amazing video. Can't even tell it's 8 years old.

I gotta tell ya, I really just stumbled on your channel, happily so, but was very pleasantly surprised at your intelligent troubleshooting approach. Decades ago (fasten your seatbelt - I should easily be through in 45 minutes or so) I was a Director of Maintenance (FAA title) in the General Aviation world. I insisted that my techs AND I do what I've always referred to as 'intelligent troubleshooting.' No parts guessing in our shop - we needed routine customers rather than return customers - there's a huge difference. Watched you until nearly 2 this morning. As I was waking, something hit me that I hadn't remembered in years. (During your cautionary comments about how easy it is to lunch your processor with the wrong wave of a meter lead, I began feeling a little apprehensive about troubleshooting my recalcitrant '93 F150 5.0L.) Early this morning, however, it came to me...PIGTAIL !!!! 50 years ago, as a young Aviation Electronics Technician (AT), I was taught to make a "pigtail" from a connector half (usually male) and the exact same color and gage wires as the harness end of the connector. You simply plug the pigtail into the suspect component, then separate the 3" or 4" wires far enough apart from each other to safely use your meter, enjoying plenty of separation between leads, thereby GREATLY reducing the risk of an unhappy fornication of the computer. I've subscribed.

Learned me up right proper. Yer a dang good teachin feller.

Hi Matt, I really like your videos. Thank you for taking the time to make them. Can you explain why when testing the TPS for resistance, you say to put 1 probe on the 5v and 1 probe (from your meter) on the signal wire. Why would you not put 1 probe on ground and 1 probe on the signal wire? When you tested the computer side of the harness for voltage, you put 1 probe on the ground and 1 probe on the signal wire. I would think it should be the same way to check for voltage and ground except for changing the dial on the meter from ground to voltage. Thank you. .

I'm on a situation trying to understand how TPS works I stumbled on your channel and I learn a lot thanks good job sir 👍

15 years out of car diagnostic and just about to specialise in it again as there is virtual nobody capable of doing it profesionaly as apposed to just fitting an endless list of parts due to a bad earth, air leaks or trapped pipes resulting in wrong decisions trying just to get my own xkrs misfires done has opened my eyes to the void i cannot say how glad i am to have your your demos and the intelligent logical explanation mutiple misfires restricted performance take to dealers failsafe engine mode all a thing of the past with your guidence i watch each one twice and i understand totaly your a fxxxxxn godsend and very much appreciated as i nave been struggling till now to get a confident outlook on the job airconian uk keep up the good work its great

Haha am I the only one who actually watched the entire video? That last comment rocked.

Your a good mechanic. And a bad comedian...

Thanks for your videos. Helped me take my career to the next level.

Very informative and straight to point. Love your videos

i very like Lesson i want learn

Thanks for the video. I bet you can't find the TPS on 1967 Camaro!

thank you.. i have been watching so many videos . none of them made sense . i am not a car person at all. however you made it very easy for me to understand what to do to fix my issue.

Your ricer jokes are the best. You seem to throw one in every video.. lmao

" if I had an oscilloscope I'd b playing with it all day like if I had a 2nd penis". LMFAO!!

Thank you very much! Very informative.

So thankful you were found! You are a very good teacher.

I LOVE your hating style XD

Im glad that im part of that 2% lol

Thanks for taking the time to properly show us your Tech Tips....I have a 2007 Cobalt that according to a plug in diagnostic tool, shows that I have an issue with my Throttle Sensor....I’m familiar with a voltmeter since I’m an HVAC Tech so I’ll take your teachings and try to figure out what the heck I got here ~ Thanks

very informative vid. Thanks Matt.

very negative introduction for the video. You need to learn....

Yea you look too lazy to show how to replace the throttle sensor

Great info and looks so easy

Amazing information!!!

You must think your a real celebrity well your not you can be dropped i do subscribe but i can go to others your not the only one that does this you don't like to be told anything goodbye have a good life

wow i love how you go in depth

the best channel for ever

Thank you very much,appreciate your advice

I was testing one on a chevy venture today. I couldn't see it on the digital meter, but I got out my good old analog meter with the needle and you can see the dead spot really well vs the digital meter. The need just dips when it hits the dead spot. Cheaper than an Oscilloscope.

Thank you Matt for an informative video about the TPS. My transmission failed recently and despite the TPS code, the shop techs said "don't worry about it, the new transmission shifts fine". You used the word "swaptrons" - great word. Well after watching your video and understanding how the tps works, I was able to troubleshoot the sensor myself and verify that it did not even have a reference voltage getting to it. I did all this in the shop parking lot (I'm on a long road trip) with the techs looking on with guilty faces (they wrote on the transmission warranty receipt "electrical ok"). I found a bad ground, fixed it and calibrated the sensor. I'm very grateful for your video. After this fix, I did notice a dead spot with my DVOM at just about open throttle (smooth transition from 1.25v up to 3.9v then a momentary dropout before continuing to about 4.4 volts) I replace the sensor, but it is still there. Is there something in the throttle mechanisms that could cause this lapse (like a spring shifting, causing the sensor actuator to shift back a hair for just a millisecond)?

complex subject made easy, like ur teaching style and communication skills

Hello All! I really appreciate everyone who takes the time from their lives attempting to make a difference and help others with their knowledge and skills! When making videos such as these I often wonder if these people are looking for ratings or actually trying to make a difference. The reason I say this is simple! In this particular video while it is informative, it has some spots that need to be corrected before being released to the public! For example: (At 20:40 where he is showing the meter and attempting to make it move, you cannot see the meter!) For me I'm very technical and almost switched to a different video. To make this a better video be sure that before you release this to the public; even if you have to start over, be sure that everything you are trying to show is readable and able to be seen! Do not leave it up to peoples imagination to see what you are seeing or talking about! Other than this I feel he is doing a great job of breaking things down and the technical side of things many on these videos do not! Keep up the good work! Thanks Daryl

Hey Matt , really like the TPS explanation. I work on copiers for Canon and use a multi meter occasionally . Your explanation of the system is very explicit (nice) . Can't wait to get home and check the TPS on my 93' Escort wagon , it's been giving me some grief last few months with hesitation performance . Did the tune up ,repl. MAS ,cleaned throttle body ,had some gunk inside ,and had the fuel pump repl.(did help with some pep,still hesitated,unfortunately now leaks a little gas,already brought back once) ,anyway , look forward to watching your videos , so far they are extremely informative ,can hardly wait to see what happens , was looking to repl. TPS , would be nice to know if it's bad before I buy it . Thanks a bunch. Bruce ,58.

thanks for this video you are the best teacher

Thanks! Great Videos!

Great Videos, Matt. Learning a lot through your videos. Hopefully will be able to diagnose my cars hesitation/stalling problem from your videos rather than throwing parts at it. Brave humor.

The educational value here is key. I am not one of those guys who just replaces things . That would be quite similar to just replace a Blown Fuse and pay no attention to the causes of why the fuse blew out to begin with. What I learned today, convinced me my own 2006 Saturn Ion 2.2 May actually suffer from, and I was not here for that reason. My reason, I am just curious, this knowledge can save hundreds of dollars from being sold parts that do not fix the problem. I am hooked on just learning new things. Being broken down on the shoulder of any road, with no trouble shooting skills just sucks.

Great video on a tricky component. As regards dealing with keyboard experts, it is essential to get your retaliation in first.

Man, you crack me up every time! Not only your videos are engaging (which is not an easy thing to do, since - let's be honest - some physics notions are just boring IMO) and thorough, but your sarcasm gets me very time! Your ability to convey knowledge is inversely proportional to your proficiency in drawing. I finally subscribed to your channel, best decision I took in the last 15 days! Love!

great.thanks for this video..god bless you sir

Awesome explain. You are the best

First Matt, let me say I appreciate your great sense of humor, I just woke my wife laughing at the Artistic ability / Steven Spielberg comment. Had a guy with a 2001 Corvette C5, come by the shop yesterday. He has been having an intermittent p0300 code returning, and the GM Dealer here in VA, could not find the problem. However, no surprise they replaced his plugs and wires and coils as this always fixes these problems............ I took my prior FT skills and added your far better skills I learned from your Fuel Trims video, to diagnose the car. I didn't take an hour finding the problem with the skills you gave me. I referenced your channel to him, as he is a car collector. Thanks Matt!

Being into Arduino`s for a for years makes this very easy to understand.

Great video, this is the type of mechanic people should follow for instructions.

Great Info. Appreciate it.

You my friend rock. In all honesty you are the real life Tony Stark, you have the brain, the looks, and the attitude.

Nice explanation 👌

Good teacher! Thanks for posting your vids!!!

Thank you for calling me out, my car has been giving me some issues and finally it stalled on me the other day throwing a wrench light. Pulled the codes and got p2111 and a p2104 as well as an evap code po455. Evap can wait because drivability is more important than the environment IMO lol Update: I'm pulling schematics for the throttle and accelerator pedal and will be testing both. I have yet to run live data and see what the sensors are reading when the issue occurs so I will attempt that as well. As you said it pays dividends to diagnose rather than throw parts at something. It's been hiccuping for a while at idle and I decided to throw coils in it the other day as a half-hearted attempt and who would have guessed, they didn't solve the kicking hehe I need warm weather to come so I can sit outside and give this poor Vic the TLC she deserves Thank you for the immense insight you provided me with these two videos, I will surely check out your other content to learn more! I have a basic history in automotive repair and electrical both household and in circuits So the concepts aren't new to me but the actual theory is something I didn't get to learn in school but it's never too late to learn something new! Thanks a million for the time and after you put into this content, The 2% sticks around greatly appreciates it!!!

Excellent learning channel.

Thank you great video

Awesome! I'm also full of myself. When you are good as we are and do so much magical work in the auto industry one can afford to make a mistake . I actually make a couple of mistakes a month so it is easier to get along with the common man.

So I guess I need a digital volt meter? Next purchase down the road. I like how you are showing that trouble codes aren't always a clear message as well. I thought I was safe with an OBD2 code reader. Looks like I need to learn more. Thank you.