What Is Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)?
The throttle position sensor reports the throttle plate's angle to the engine computer. It's a primary input for fueling, ignition timing, and transmission shift strategy, telling the computer what the driver is asking for.
In plain English
The TPS translates pedal demand into an electrical signal. The computer uses its rate of change to distinguish steady cruising from a stab of acceleration, adjusting fuel, timing, and shifts accordingly.
A faulty TPS can cause hesitation, stumbling, or erratic shifts because the computer's picture of driver demand is wrong. Diagnosis compares TPS readings against expected values through the full throttle sweep.
Example
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