Throttle Positioning Sensor problem.
 

('01 Civic ex, automatic, 105,000 miles.)

Yesturday my check enigne light came on, (the light that looks like an engine.

According to the owners manual, when this happens, there's some sort of problem with an emissions device.

When this light was one, the car seemed to idled rough, and the car shifts totally different. It won't downshift on the highway. When leaving from a stop at light throttle it stays in gear for a long time. And if you leave at wot it shifts on it's own at like 5,000 rpms, instead of the normal readline.

So I run it by a friends shop, and he checks the code for me. It came up as a problem with the TPS. He suggested to clean the throttle. There was quite a bit of carbon build-up under and on the tb blade. So I cleaned all this of, and the car idled much better. But the light was still on, so the car still shifted like crap. So I had him clear the code again, and the car ran just fine, for about 60 miles or so. Then the damn light came back on, which once again, causes it to shift like crap. But it runs just fine.

I would be tempted to just change the tps, but the damn thing is on with rivets! :hithead:

So I'm going to call a Honda dealer today, to see what they suggest. Which will probably be, "bring it in."

Anyone else have anything happen like this? Or have any suggestions?

When you throw a CEL the car runs in safe mode. That's why it's not shifting at redline.

Also... you said the scan read Throttle Position Sensor. Cleaning out the blade of the throttle body won't fix things... like you said... it's a sensor. It most likely needs to be replaced/repaired.

Well I just spoke with a Honda Mechanic. Turns out when the TPS sensor goes bad, you have to replace the entire throttle body. So a normally $20 or so part, just tunred into a $200 part.

Thanks Honda, :tdown: .

www.hondaautomotiveparts.com has them for about 150$

The tps on my 90 Mustang GT cost me about $90, so $200 for a whole trottle body really isn't that bad. Mines not rivited, it has adjustment screws so you can change the voltage.

I had the same problem with my car. Ran like the shitz and i took it in to Honda. Good thing I have a 100,000 mile warranty! Haha...got it replaced and now my car runs like a champ!

bad tps = new throttle body

Looks like $181.31 to me.

I'll probably just get one from the dealer, they're $195 there.

They do that because it is perfectly lined up if you take it off and put it back on it will run funny.

Man thats crazy call a scrap yard for one

been there done that....


along with a bunch of other shiat that I had to get replaced.

So you had to replace your TB? What else have you had to replace on your car?

How many miles do you have on it?

Struts
2nd, 3rd and 5th gears
alternator
Struts
Struts
A/C Compressor
A/C Compressor
Struts
Alternator
Alternator
IAC Valve
TPS


........................and exhale!

How many miles are on your car? What year is it?

You had to replace 2 alternators, and 2 a/c compressors?

Doesn't sound like you've had much luck with your car.

2001 was a bad year but I think some of it was poor maintenance at the dealer.

it's got 91,000 km's on it...not sure how many miles that is.

Just an update on this. Bought the TB from the link above. But I didn't get it until almost 2 weeks later. They took a day to ship it, which is fine, I guess. But FedEx never delivered it! They said they couldn't find my house. A-holes never even tried to find it. They had some temp christmas worker doing the route. So I finally had to go pick it up! I called them everyday, and they kept telling me "it should get there today for sure, but we cant guarantee it" BS!!! :yell: .

Two things I've leared, if I can by local, do it!

And I'll never use FedEx again! Period!

But, after I got it, and installed it, it worked fine. :)

good to know :)

I need one too ... -_-;;;;;;;;;;