How to Reset a Throttle Position Sensor?

throttle position sensor monitors the level at which the throttle valve or bade is open, which can be determined by level at which the accelerator pedal is pressed.

This system controls the amount of air that flows into the engine’s intake manifold, that is, when it’s opened wide more air flows in, and when nearly closed little air flows in.

It’s crucial that you can reset the throttle body sensor if that becomes necessary. It might be challenging to identify the source of engine problems in your car. The throttle body system is just one of many parts that cooperate to provide the engine with smooth acceleration.

So, how do you reset the throttle position sensor?

To reset a throttle position sensor, you need to detach the battery, reattach the battery, set the ignition to electric, push the throttle pedal down, and then turn the key to the off position. Learn about carburetors here!

What is a Throttle Position Sensor?

A throttle position sensor (TPS) monitors the level at which the throttle valve or bade is open, which can be determined by level at which the accelerator pedal is pressed.

This system controls the amount of air that flows into the engine’s intake manifold, that is, when it’s opened wide more air flows in, and when nearly closed little air flows in.

Information obtained from the throttle position, and how quickly is open and closes is send to engine control module. This information is use to decide how much fuel is injected into the engine and the spark timing.

The throttle position sensor is usually located on the body of throttle and when its malfunction the check engine warning light is trigered. The driver will also notice symptoms such as surge, rough idle, hesi or stall.

This is because the engine contorl module will not understand what the throttle position is and won’t be able to correctly set the fuel mixture or ignition timing.

How to reset a throttle position sensor

Follow the step below to reset your car throttle position sensor:

How to Reset a Throttle Position Sensor

Detach the battery

Be sure to disconnect the battery for at least five minutes before moving on to the next procedure.

Reattach the battery

When the five minutes are up, reattach the battery but don’t try to do anything else.

Set the ignition to “electric.”

Put the key in the ignition now and switch to electric so that your car’s entire dashboard illuminates.

Push the gas pedal all the way down

You should perform the subsequent procedure three times. First, slowly depress the gas pedal all the way to the floor. It should only take around four seconds, and after the pedal touches the floor, you should leave it there for additional three seconds or more.

Similarly, if you depress the accelerator pedal, you should release it gradually, taking four seconds again. Repeat this process three times.

Turn the key to the off-position

After completing the fourth procedure, you should turn the ignition switch to the “off” position and remove the key for approximately 10 seconds. The operation is successful if your idleness is still there.

If it isn’t, you might have to go through the third & fourth procedures again to get it to stay stable.

Alternatively, you can try disconnecting your battery’s negative cable for around five minutes in order to reprogram your throttle position sensor. In addition, you can take the fuse out of your engine control module.

Resetting a Throttle Position Sensor

Some of these techniques are technically a throttle recalibration, but many people refer to it as a throttle position sensor reset anyway. While it is not possible to list out every throttle position sensor reset procedure, we can show you a few examples. Here’s how to reset the throttle sensor on two popular vehicle ranges:

Ford Throttle Position Sensor Reset Procedure

Ford vehicles with an electronic throttle body (drive-by-wire) can reset the throttle position by doing the following:

  1. Isolate the negative battery cable terminal from the negative battery post using a towel or piece of cardboard. You MUST keep the negative battery terminal from touching the negative battery post. This is important as it will prevent the car battery from shorting out during the next step.
  2. Use a jumper wire to connect the negative battery terminal to the positive battery terminal. Normally, this is a very BAD idea, but in this case the negative battery post is not included in the wiring circuit, thus preventing a short circuit. What this does is drain the capacitors in the onboard computer, wiping away the stored throttle sensor values.
  3. Remove the jumper wire after two minutes (remove the positive battery terminal jumper wire connection first, then negative battery cable terminal).
  4. Reconnect the negative battery terminal.
  5. Turn off all accessories.
  6. Turn the key to the “ON” position, but do not start the vehicle yet. Wait for the initial dash warning lights to turn off.
  7. Once the initial dash warning lights turn off, start the vehicle.
  8. Let the vehicle idle for 15 minutes. Do not touch the gas pedal during this time.

Nissan Throttle Position Sensor Reset Procedure

This procedure should work for 2002–2009 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles:

  1. Disconnect the negative battery terminal and wait one minute.
  2. Reconnect the negative battery terminal.
  3. Start the engine and let it idle until it reaches operating temperature.
  4. Turn off all accessories.
  5. Turn the steering wheel to the middle so that the front wheels are pointed straight.
  6. Turn off the engine.
  7. Turn the key to “ON” for two seconds and “OFF” again for 10 seconds. Repeat again, leaving the key in the “OFF” position.
  8. Turn the key to “ON,” but do not start the vehicle. Do not touch the gas pedal yet.
  9. Wait three seconds and then press the gas pedal firmly to the floor five times in a row, completely releasing the pedal each time. This must happen within five seconds.
  10. Wait seven seconds.
  11. Press and hold the gas pedal to the floor for 20 seconds. The CEL will flash and then stay illuminated. Once the CEL stays on (not flashing), within three seconds release the gas pedal.
  12. Start the engine and allow it to idle for 30 seconds. Do not touch the gas pedal.