TPS sensor... :/

Hmm. Had a couple downshifts on the highway (3-2) at no-throttle and a few hiccups when cruising lightly. Codes point to the
Throttle Position Sensor but the test shows it to be nice an smooth with no drop-outs. Passes the volt-meter test.

Transmission fluid is fine, no bubbles, correct level. Kickdown cable is adjusted properly. No bits of tree wedged in the link.

Guess I can throw $40 worth of parts at it.

5234904 (Advanced Auto has the BWD EC3310 for 38.19 and the Delphi SS10482 for 48.09) Amazon has the Delphi for 34.56. Think I can
find replacements just about anywhere.
Quite a bit of $ for a simple vairiable resistor. Should be closer to $18 if you ask me.

Wondered if anyone else had similar issues.

The only other thing I have is potentially a weak battery. But since the TPS sensor is 5V that shouldn't be an issue. Gonna have
the battery tested anyway.


--
-- DougW -- 93 ZJ 4.0 http://revbeergoggles.com
HESCO Supercharger - 300W IASCA Stereo - Edelbrock IAS Shocks
Gibson Exhaust - rear DCpower - custom gauge install - Stillen Rotors
Banks Header - and BEER, in the fridge!

In article >,
ess says...
>
> Hmm. Had a couple downshifts on the highway (3-2) at no-throttle and a few hiccups when cruising lightly. Codes point to the
> Throttle Position Sensor but the test shows it to be nice an smooth with no drop-outs. Passes the volt-meter test.
>
> Transmission fluid is fine, no bubbles, correct level. Kickdown cable is adjusted properly. No bits of tree wedged in the link.
>
> Guess I can throw $40 worth of parts at it.
>
> 5234904 (Advanced Auto has the BWD EC3310 for 38.19 and the Delphi SS10482 for 48.09) Amazon has the Delphi for 34.56. Think I can
> find replacements just about anywhere.
> Quite a bit of $ for a simple vairiable resistor. Should be closer to $18 if you ask me.
>
> Wondered if anyone else had similar issues.
>
> The only other thing I have is potentially a weak battery. But since the TPS sensor is 5V that shouldn't be an issue. Gonna have
> the battery tested anyway.

Inspect the connector on the TPS. Mine had some kind of black crud on
it down in the holes--no idea how it got there. I bummed a root canal
file off my dentist and went at it and it's worked fine ever since.

J. Clarke wrote:

> In article >,
> ess says...
>>
>> Hmm. Had a couple downshifts on the highway (3-2) at no-throttle and a
>> few hiccups when cruising lightly. Codes point to the
>> Throttle Position Sensor but the test shows it to be nice an smooth with
>> no drop-outs. Passes the volt-meter test.
>>
>> Transmission fluid is fine, no bubbles, correct level. Kickdown cable is
>> adjusted properly. No bits of tree wedged in the link.
>>
>> Guess I can throw $40 worth of parts at it.
>>
>> 5234904 (Advanced Auto has the BWD EC3310 for 38.19 and the Delphi
>> SS10482 for 48.09) Amazon has the Delphi for 34.56. Think I can find
>> replacements just about anywhere. Quite a bit of $ for a simple vairiable
>> resistor. Should be closer to $18 if you ask me.
>>
>> Wondered if anyone else had similar issues.
>>
>> The only other thing I have is potentially a weak battery. But since the
>> TPS sensor is 5V that shouldn't be an issue. Gonna have the battery
>> tested anyway.
>
> Inspect the connector on the TPS. Mine had some kind of black crud on
> it down in the holes--no idea how it got there. I bummed a root canal
> file off my dentist and went at it and it's worked fine ever since.

A thin coat of silicone (sparkplug) grease on the seal of the connector also
seems to ward off future problems after you clean it.

--
Will Honea

Will Honea wrote:
> J. Clarke wrote:
>> In article >,
>> ess says...
>>>
>>> Hmm. Had a couple downshifts on the highway (3-2) at no-throttle
>>> and a few hiccups when cruising lightly. Codes point to the
>>> Throttle Position Sensor but the test shows it to be nice an smooth
>>> with no drop-outs. Passes the volt-meter test.

>> Inspect the connector on the TPS. Mine had some kind of black crud
>> on it down in the holes--no idea how it got there. I bummed a root
>> canal file off my dentist and went at it and it's worked fine ever
>> since.
>
> A thin coat of silicone (sparkplug) grease on the seal of the
> connector also seems to ward off future problems after you clean it.

Cleaned it, gave it some dilectric grease (do that to all the connection).
Hopefully today it runs better.

--
DougW

It would be nice if it turned out to be that easy!

"DougW" > wrote in message
...
Will Honea wrote:
> J. Clarke wrote:
>> In article >,
>> ess says...
>>>
>>> Hmm. Had a couple downshifts on the highway (3-2) at no-throttle
>>> and a few hiccups when cruising lightly. Codes point to the
>>> Throttle Position Sensor but the test shows it to be nice an smooth
>>> with no drop-outs. Passes the volt-meter test.

>> Inspect the connector on the TPS. Mine had some kind of black crud
>> on it down in the holes--no idea how it got there. I bummed a root
>> canal file off my dentist and went at it and it's worked fine ever
>> since.
>
> A thin coat of silicone (sparkplug) grease on the seal of the
> connector also seems to ward off future problems after you clean it.

Cleaned it, gave it some dilectric grease (do that to all the connection).
Hopefully today it runs better.

--
DougW

Kate wrote:

> It would be nice if it turned out to be that easy!

Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you....

;-)

--
Will Honea

Will Honea wrote:
> Kate wrote:
>
>> It would be nice if it turned out to be that easy!
>
> Sometimes you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you....
>
> ;-)

Indeed.

But this is a "small" bear. It can't eat much. ^_^
So far so good, feathered the gas a bit to find any
glitchy spot. Just need to take it on a long drive.
But with gas prices that's gonna wait till next weekend.

Sheesh. Nearly 4$ here at a few stations (pure gas).

--
DougW

DougW wrote:

> But this is a "small" bear. It can't eat much. ^_^
> So far so good, feathered the gas a bit to find any
> glitchy spot. Just need to take it on a long drive.
> But with gas prices that's gonna wait till next weekend.
>
> Sheesh. Nearly 4$ here at a few stations (pure gas).

I know well the kind of bug you describe. When I bought my 88 MJ, the
throttle body (actually, the whole engine) was almost hidden by crud. It
took me several months to finally get the thing to idle right, much less run
well on a long trip. I even pulled the throttle body and ran it through an
ultrasonic bath. Anyway, I finally got got it almost right but my first
long trip to Texas showed a tendency to "hunt" on long, level stretches at
about 2300 RPM. I fought that one for quite a while and finally fixed it by
pulling each sensor and cleaning the connectors one more time - one sensor
at a time. Mine turned out to be the ground pin in the map sensor
connector. It had oxidized and lost some spring so the contact was tenuous.
Removed the pin, cleaned it, replated it with tin and haven't seen the
problem since (10+ years) but it became a real challenge.

As much as I've worked with control systems I'm actually pretty impressed
with the computer system on the old Renix system. Under the hood is among
the worst places I can think of for electronics, especially connectors.

BTW, there was a service bulletin out some years back that "fixed" many of
the old Renix complaints by removing the big block connector on the firewall
and soldering all the connections. Swatting flies with a sledge hammer???

--
Will Honea

Will Honea wrote:
> DougW wrote:
>
>> But this is a "small" bear. It can't eat much. ^_^
>> So far so good, feathered the gas a bit to find any
>> glitchy spot. Just need to take it on a long drive.
>> But with gas prices that's gonna wait till next weekend.
>>
>> Sheesh. Nearly 4$ here at a few stations (pure gas).
>
> I know well the kind of bug you describe. When I bought my 88 MJ, the
> throttle body (actually, the whole engine) was almost hidden by crud.


> BTW, there was a service bulletin out some years back that "fixed"
> many of the old Renix complaints by removing the big block connector
> on the firewall and soldering all the connections. Swatting flies
> with a sledge hammer???

True.

About five years ago I didn't have anything better to do for about a week so I disconnected the computer and all the sensors. Took
my DMM, a photocopy of the schematic, and shot each one of the wires for resistance. Found a couple that wern't good. Took me quite
a while to find the splices hidden in the fattest, hardest to get to, and crumbly part of the harness. Redid that and installed
some new wire loom. (the good stuff, not the junk that melts under the hood). Amazing how that helped with rough idle.

Not that I'd do it again though.

I still think the best first thing to do when you have rough idle is put a jumper cable between the battery ground and the engine
block.

--
DougW

DougW wrote:

> I still think the best first thing to do when you have rough idle is put a
> jumper cable between the battery ground and the engine block.

And the congregation stood, echoing "AMEN!". I think I've cleaned every
ground on mine at least once.

--
Will Honea