Chrysler Repair: fuel problem 1992 LeBaron 3.0, throttle position sensor, chrysler lebaron

Question
Hi Roland,

Our 1992 Chrysler LeBaron 3.0 seems to have a fuel problem.  When accelerating, it seems like it is not getting fuel at times.  There are some days when it does not splutter at all, then some days when it will splutter and jerk when accelerating.  If I push in further on the gas pedal, it will jerk and then take off.  It never shuts off on me.  I have put on a new fuel filter, air filter, EGR valve, and I have cleaned the carburetor.  I have read your other articles and tried to find a code by turning the key on and off and came up with a code of 33  55. Any suggestions?

Thank you for your time!

Answer
Hi Debbie,
Good work so far on the problem. The 33 code is about the clutch circuit for the a/c compressor so that is not relevant to this problem. You may have to wait for a while until the fault reaches the minimum threshold to set a fault code, so keep checking on that. One check would be to verify that the throttle position sensor electrical voltage divider is working properly. It has three wires and is mounted on the throttle body (what you termed the carburetor) and so if you have an ohmmeter you could pull the plug and measure between the center pin and either side pin while you move the throttle slowly to see if you note any discontinuity in the resistance reading. The wire colors are black/light blue, orange/dark blue, violet/white for identification. It may also be a failing MAP sensor, but again you would want to wait until the fault code appears.
Another possibility is that you have a loose nut on the intake manifold which is allowing a leak of air which dilutes the mixture intermittently. Take some starter fluid in a spray can and put very small squirts (to minimize the risk of fire)around the borders of the manifold while the engine is idling. If you note any momentary change in the idle speed that would be a spot to examine.
Roland