Signs & Symptoms of a Bad Throttle Position Sensor

A throttle position sensor is used to monitor the position of the throttle in an internal combustion engine. The throttle position sensor is usually positioned directly on top of the butterfly system.

Motor Activity

  • A bad throttle position sensor may cause the car to unexpectedly buck or jerk around. It may also cause random surging of the engine when the car is idling.

Stalling

  • Cars with a faulty throttle position sensor may randomly stall for no apparent reason. This can happen whether the car is in motion or simply idling.

Accelerating

  • One of the signs of a bad throttle position sensor is a slight hesitation in the response time of your engine when you are attempting to accelerate.

Highway

  • If your car randomly increases its speed while driving on the highway, you may have a problem with your throttle position sensor.

Engine Light

  • When you have a problem with your throttle position sensor, your car's service engine light should come on to notify you that there is a problem.