Pontiac Firebird Throttle Position Sensor
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About throttle position sensor
The butterfly valve in the throttle system opens proportionately when the accelerator is pressed, and vice-versa when released from the accelerator. The opening of the valve regulates the flow of air into the engine. A throttle position sensor measures valve position and how much open the throttle valve is. The fuel management system ensures the throttle system's performance based on the data provided through the throttle position sensors and ECU decides the amount of fuel to be injected. Faulty TPS results in poor fuel economy or performance limitations, which is highly undesirable.
What is the purpose of throttle position sensor?
The throttle location sensor is used to calculate the current location of the throttle valve, which along with air mass, air temperature, and engine rpm is one of the most critical parameters for the ECU to control the amount of fuel injected to maintain the correct air-fuel mixture and satisfy the power demand.
How throttle position sensor works?
In principle, the throttle position sensors are potentiometers. The sensor is mounted straight on the valve shaft. The rotor connected to the valve shaft slides over resistance tracks as the throttle valve rotates. This converts the position of the throttle valve into the voltage ratio that the ECU reads and calculates the required amount of fuel.
Where is throttle position sensor located?
The sensor can be found on the throttle system's butterfly valve spindle / shaft. There it is mounted to directly monitor the position of the valve.