DIY: Adjusting Your TPS (Throttle Position Sensor)

rigby

Well-Known Member
State Event Organiser
How to correctly adjust your throttle position sensor so that your car runs like it's supposed to and you are squeezing out all the power your engine has to give. Alterntively you can find the original DIY that I used to adjust mine: http://www.plymouthlaser.com/tps.htm


Symptoms suggesting yours needs adjusting:

1. Terrible throttle response
2. Lack of power on throttle
3. Terrible idle
4. If Auto - gear changes don't occur as they should + total lack of power + very sluggish


What you need:

Screwdriver
Multimeter that displays in Ohms and has pos/neg gauges



Step One:
Unplug the TPS to reveal 4 pins. Lightly unscrew each screw holding the TPS in so it becomes slightly loose but not so it flops around. Looking as if you had laid the TPS flat on its tummy, the pins are numbered from 1 to 4 from left to right as so:
TPS_zps87f7b5e1.jpg



Step Two:
Put the positive gauge on Pin 1 and negative gauge on Pin 4, adjust the TPS (move it around slowly) until your meter reads 5k Ohms.


Step Three:
Move the positive gauge to Pin 2, keep the negative on Pin 4. With the throttle closed, it should read 0.9k ohms. Adjust if necessary.


Step Four:
With the TPS in the same position as when it read 0.9k ohms closed, now open the throttle fully (may need a 2nd person to hold it open for you). You want the meter to read 5k ohms when the throttle is fully open. Adjust until necessary.


Step Five:
When it reads 5k ohms (or close enough) fully open, tighten the TPS screws back up a little. Double check that it still reads 0.9k ohms when closed. If so, fully tighten the TPS screws.


Step Six:
Turn the car on, listen to the sick idle. Take it for a spin around the block. Watch the panties drop.
 
that is the wrong way to calibrate a 4 wire tps
the correct way is to adjust so the idle switch using a feeler gauge to mitsubishi spec.
 
Tps must be adjusted in the event it is renewed or if there is a problem with the idle speed control as follows

A) disconnect the electrical connector at the tps. Connect an ohmmeter to terminal number 3 and 4 of the sensor
B) insert a 0.45mm feeler gauge between the throttle stop and throttle lever
C) loosen the tps mounting screws and rotate tps anticlockwise. Continuity should be indicated on the meter
D) slowly rotate the tps clockwise until an open circuit (no continuity) is just is just indicated on the meter. Tighten the mounting screws in this position
E) connect the electrical connector and remove the feeler guage
 
That's the proper way ^^^^

The way Rigby has listed is the way i have always done it, as with a few mistu mechanics such as Meek
 
the throttle switch in the 4 wires is at 1k ohm thus why you set to .9 the .45 feeler gauge would leave you with the same result
 
Ok. I thought I give this ago, noticed when I put the + on pin 1 and - on pin 4 I had a reading of 3.46K after moving it around many times I could only 4.6K.

So I moved on to pin 2 had a reading of .36 after adjusting it got a reading of .95 then I opened the throttle it read the same as pin 1 of get a reading of 4.6K

Is 4.6K normal with CE2 1.8ltr sedan or should it be 5K
 
rigby said:
As close to 5k as possible. Mine is at 4.9
I've tried for about 45mins moving it around and 4.6K is the max I could get on Pin 1, Pin 2 at .95 throttle close and 4.6K with throttle open.

I'm satisfied with that, considering it was 3.46K before adjusting it.

Thanks for the reply and the write up Rigby really helped a lot.
 
No worries. You should see an improvement in performance etc. Probs not as drastic as what I had because mine wasnt adjusted at all previously
 
Considering doing this to my 1.5L CE Coupe. Would it be the same? Also, should the ignition be on on position? Thanks!


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I assume it would be the same or similar on all 4g engines. No keys in the car.
 
I tried doing it just then and its surprisingly not bad,
first reading was 4.87
Second was 0.98
With the throttle open it was 4.87

So i decided to not mess with it yet.. Thanks for the info though..


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Yeah that's good, I'd leave it alone until you start getting some of the symptoms up the top.
 
the symptoms up top discribe my car ever since i got it, this feels like an untapped power thats been laying in my car all along! definitly going to get a multimeter n see what mine come out as
 
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