What problems can a faulty throttle position sensor cause in a car?
2 Answers
A faulty throttle position sensor can cause the following problems in a car: unstable engine RPM, persistently high idle speed that won't decrease, difficulty starting the engine (especially cold starts), and unstable idle or no idle at all. The throttle is a controllable valve that regulates air intake into the engine, primarily controlling and adjusting the engine's air intake volume. Throttle failures can be divided into two types: 1. Hard failures refer to mechanical damage: The resistor part of the potentiometer is made by spraying a carbon film on a polyester substrate, which is actually a very basic manufacturing process with low wear resistance; 2. Soft failures refer to contamination or misalignment: Car owners are often troubled by the need to clean the throttle, mainly because the throttle opening is too low most of the time.
A faulty throttle position sensor can cause a series of annoying problems in your car. My vehicle experienced this issue before - the engine kept shaking at idle, feeling like sitting on a massage chair, but it was truly irritating. When pressing the accelerator, the response was sluggish with insufficient power, making hill climbing or overtaking difficult. Sometimes the idle speed would be too high or too low, forcing me to constantly adjust gears, while fuel consumption noticeably increased, costing me dozens more in gas money each month. When the check engine light came on, I had the OBD scanner checked at the repair shop, which revealed sensor signal errors causing ECU control chaos and inaccurate air flow measurement. If not repaired promptly, it may lead to other issues like excessive emissions or starting difficulties, affecting daily commuting convenience. Therefore, it's best to seek professional inspection as soon as problems are detected.
