TPS Problem/Question - Honda Prelude Forum

vipastyle · 04-21-2005, 09:13 AM

I think my idling problem (surging up and down) might be from my TPS. If the car is running and I unplug the TPS and plug it back in the surging stops. Does this conclude my problem as a bad TPS?

Where can I get a TPS sensor? Honda only will sell the whole throttle body. Will I need to just go to a junkyard?

rayslude · 04-21-2005, 09:15 AM

ebay, they are like $10, also have you tried adjusting it?

aneurysm · 04-21-2005, 09:21 AM

Yes, your problem certainly sounds like a TPS problem. My car was doing the same thing not too long ago.
Before you buy a new one try this:

1. remove your throttle body
2. drill out rivit heads or cut a slot in them to turn them out to remove the TPS
3. reinstall TPS with new machine thread screws or bolts

Once you have new screws in it you can reinstall the TB. With the car running you can manually adjust the TPS if you leave the new screws a little loose. When you remove the rivits you will see that there is about 2mm of movement in a circular direction.
Turning the TPS will produce these results:
1. Too far towards the passenger side will make the idle surge.
2. Too far towards the drivers side will make you idle smooth, but it will stick when you let off the gas while driving

It took me some time, and moving it a hair at a time, but eventually I found the sweet spot where it did not surge or stick the idle.

Good luck, let me know if you have more questions.

brad

vipastyle · 04-22-2005, 09:31 AM

Sounds good, thanks. The whole drilling out the TPS scares me but I'll figure it out. I tried removing it by loosening those two screws but the didnt fit any alen wrenches I had, so I wasn't sure what they were for. Helms didn't have any information on it either. So I guess I'll have to go ahead and remove the TB anyways. Thanks!

Tannie

4thGenReady2Go · 04-23-2005, 02:16 PM

^^ they're not torx screws, are they?

aneurysm · 04-23-2005, 06:04 PM

no, they are not torx. Essentially, when the TPS is installed from the factory, they use regular screws/bolts, but once its mounted they shave the heads off or smash them down so it cannot be removed.
Your options to get it off are:

1.use a small hand saw, like a hack saw or metal saw, and cut small grooves into the heads, then use a flat head screw driver to back them out.
2. use a metal cutting drill bit and drill off the heads of the screws. Once you break the head off of the screw shaft you can remove the TPS, then use pliers to back them all the way out.

Once they are removed just find two machine thread screws or bolts to replace them with.

brad