In the maintenance of a car, there are some basic things that a car owner should be able to fix on their own without visiting a mechanic shop.
One of these would be how to reset throttle position sensor ford.
If you notice that your ford is not accelerating properly, or not speeding as such, you should think about resetting your throttle position sensor.
The purpose of this article is to put you through identifying what and the types of throttle position sensors.
Knowing when there is a problem with your throttle position sensor, shows you how to get it fixed at home a lot more. You don’t want to miss this!
Table of Contents
How To Reset Throttle Position Sensor Ford: Simple Steps
The entire process can be completed within 4 – 5 minutes and is as easy as A to Z, you just need to follow the steps listed below and you’re good to go!
Step 1: Gather Your Materials
You never can tell, your throttle position sensor might have worn out completely and may require a replacement or maybe some cleaning so you should get the materials for these ready.
The materials you are going to need for this process are not far-fetched. They are materials that you can get at any store around you.
They include a jumper wire, a spanner, and a cloth or any non-insulating material.
In addition, you should use protective clothing like gloves and a mask. The gloves because you would be touching electrical items and they would help you carry on without fear.
Also, the process might be a dirty one if you’re going to clean or replace the throttle as the throttle would be dirty and the dust may irritate you.
Remember to keep a clean and uncluttered workspace to avoid any accidents as well.
Step 2: Identify the Problem
Since you already saw some videos online and learned about how to reset the throttle position sensor ford, you should not just walk to your car anytime you notice a fault and just reset the TPS.
You need to confirm the symptoms of the problem and relate them to a faulty throttle position sensor.
If you experience symptoms like reduced acceleration or acceleration that would not exceed a particular limit with increased fuel consumption.
However, with the sudden stoppage of the engine and several flashes of light or jerking of the car when the pedal is pressed, the right guess is a faulty throttle position sensor.
Step 3: Ignite The Engine
First, you need to put your ford in the idle position before you go ahead with any of the steps. Next, insert the car key into the ignition and switch on the engine.
You would hear a beep sound which indicates that the engine has been turned on
Step 4: Gently Press On The Accelerator
After the beep sound stops, gently and slowly press down on the accelerator to its maximum, and then remove your leg as quickly as possible.
Switch off the engine and repeat the process 3 times. Hastily pressing on the throttle may not allow the resetting process to go on well.
Step 5: Start The Engine Proper
After repeating the process for the third time, and switching off the engine, you turn it on again wait for about 3 seconds, place your leg slowly on the accelerator and release quickly then start your Ford.
This last step completes the reset process. However, if the process does not reset the Ford, it implies that the throttle position sensor may require a replacement.
Now, to replace your throttle position sensor, you must carefully follow the following steps
Look For The Sensor: The TPS for most vehicles is usually placed on top of the throttle body. So you need to first locate the throttle body to find the TPS.
The throttle body foists vehicles as well is usually on the top of the engine.
Disconnect The TPS: Next, you should detach the negative cable of the battery. Be sure to do this with gloved hands in order to avoid any accident like a shock.
After that, remove the electrical connectors that are attached to the TPS.
Remove The Sensor: After disconnecting the cables from the TPS, use the screwdriver to unscrew the bolts holding the sensor and remove it from its place.
Replace The Old TPS With A New One: The steps to replacing the throttle position sensor are just the reverse of the steps to remove them.
Just as you removed the previous TPS, place the new one back on the throttle body and screw it firmly in place.
Fix The Connections: Connect the throttle position sensor with the electrical connections and ensure that it for in properly.
Next, you connect it to the battery and do a test run to see if you fixed it properly. Ignite the engine and allow the sensor to adjust itself automatically.
Note that if you do not trust your DIY skills, you should allow a mechanic to do the job for you.
Ford Throttle Position Sensors: What & Why
Often referred to as TPS, the throttle position sensor is the sensor that monitors and regulates the flow of air and fuel into the engine of a vehicle.
Similar to the motor cortex of the body, the TPS monitors how much acceleration is required and stimulates the provision of the required amount of fuel and air to meet the requirements.
TPS can be classified based on different categories; based on their construction, based on the mechanism of action, and so on
There are about 3 types of throttle position sensors with regards to their construction. They include
- Closed Throttle Position Sensor
- Pentameters Throttle Position Sensor
- Combination of both Closed and Pentameters TPS
Based on the mechanism of action, i.e. the way they measure the degree of openness of the throttle valve, there are 2 classes. They include:
- The contact way
- The non-contact way
Ford Throttle Position Sensor Test: the Steps
If you are unsure if it is your throttle position sensor that is faulty despite the symptoms already discussed above, another way to confirm it is through the scan tool.
Let’s take a quick study into the way the scan tool can be instrumental in determining the status of your throttle position sensors.
Step 1: Check All The Trouble Codes
To start this phase you must first put the key in the car to ignite it but not to start the engine. Often referred to as the Key on, engine off mode.
Then, with the scan tool, check all the trouble codes of the car. If the throttle position sensor code comes up, you move to the next step.
Below are examples of the codes for throttle position sensors:
PO120, indicating a malfunction in the circuit
PO12, indicating a motion range problem
PO122, the most commonly seen code, indicating a reduced electrical input
PO123, indicating an excessive electrical input
PO124, and several other codes.
Step 2: Erase all codes
Upon connecting the scan tool, it would detect most of the issues with your vehicle and they would pop up as codes on its screen.
For clarification and specificity, you need to clear all the codes that appear on the screen before you start testing the TPS.
Step 3: Run A Quick Drive
Disconnect the scan tool and switch on the car’s engine.
Drive around for about 5 minutes then switch off the engine and put the car in the key on, engine off mode while you check again if the throttle sensor code is still there
Step 4: View The Live Data
Once again, reconnect the scan tool and switch on the live location. On display, you would see a straight line graph.
This graph is what tells you the state of the throttle position sensor hence, the next step.
Step 5: Interpret The Graph
Finally, slowly press down on the accelerator while watching the graph. If there happens to be an abrupt change in the slope of the graph, it means that your throttle position sensor is bad.
FAQs for the Reset Throttle Position Sensor Ford
1. How Do I Know My Throttle Position Sensor Is Bad?
As you use your car, you would be able to tell when something is not right, it may be a strange sound or something else.
However, to be able to tell that it is the TPS that’s faulty, there are some symptoms to look out for.
They are: The Check Engine Light (CEL) would come on, the acceleration may be poor, Sudden stoppage of the engine with flashing of engine lights, it creased fuel consumption and so on.
Your ford may not show all of these symptoms but a combination of one or two of these symptoms indicates an issue with the TPS.
Another standard way of detecting issues with the TPS is with the scan tool.
When Is A Reset Necessary For My Throttle Position Sensor?
Actually, you do not have to wait till you start noticing faults with your TPS before doing a reset.
Ideally, you should reset at least once a month and anytime you clean, replace or disconnect it from it’s cables.
With the step-by-step guide already provided for you in this article, you do not need to go to the mechanics shop anytime you want to reset your throttle position sensor.
How Much Does It Cost To Reset a Throttle Position Sensor?
The cost of fixing a throttle position sensor depends to a great extent on the model of the car. Some TPS are readily available and located at an easy-to-reach spot.
On the other hand, some other car models have their TPS located far within making it difficult to reach.
The price for the former scenario is usually within $500 – $600 while the latter may be double the price.
Why Should I Reset My Throttle Position Sensor?
Over time as you use your Ford, just like many other electrical appliances, carbon begins to build up around it.
This carbon buildup reduces the amount of air that passes through the sensor and in the long run reduces the efficiency of the TPS.
When the TPS cannot carry out its functions as required any longer, you begin to experience symptoms like jerking of the car or reduced acceleration which can be very embarrassing and annoying.
How Do I Clean My Throttle Position Sensor?
First, you need to get a throttle body cleaner, a clean cloth, and a small brush that can reach into corners, an old toothbrush may serve as a substitute.
Next, you dismantle the TPS from the throttle body and then soak the cloth in the throttle body cleaner and use it to clean the body.
It’s best not to allow the cleaner to stay on the sensor for too long so that it won’t cause any interior damage.
Then, with the aid of the toothbrush, gently scrub the corners and get rid of the carbon buildup.
After cleaning, replace the throttle position sensor back in its place and start the reset process.
Here’s a quick video on how to manually reset your throttle position sensor. You should find it helpful.
Verdict
With these, we hope that you now know how to reset throttle position sensor ford and can try it out on your own at home.
The step-by-step guide as well as the video provided are aimed at helping add to your DIY skills and prefacing them. Glad you found this helpful!