The 6 Best Throttle Position Sensors
This wiki has been updated 22 times since it was first published in November of 2018. The TPS sensor is part of a large monitoring system that gathers the information necessary for the control unit to run the engine efficiently. The throttle detector monitors the amount of air entering the manifold by tracking the position of the butterfly plate within the throttle body. Our picks cover some of the quality replacement parts available if yours fails. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Editor's Notes
June 13, 2019:
Replacing a throttle position sensor is, in most cases, a quick and simple task. Generally speaking, throttle position sensors come in two styles: contact type and non-contact type. The contact type sensors such as the Genuine Toyota 89452-85020 and the Walker Products 200-1064 will usually be simple potentiometers that function by a resistance caused in the internals of the sensors by their mechanical connection to the spindle. When the computer sends a current through the sensor, it can determine the position of the throttle plate by its correlation to a particular quantity of current that returns to the control module. These are simple, effective, and durable sensors.
Modern throttle position sensors are typically either Hall-effect sensors or inductive sensors. Inductive sensors work by detecting fluctuations in the magnetic field caused by the interaction between the internal windings of the sensor and the changing angle of the throttle plate. Hall-effect sensors such as the Acuity 1879 have the added advantage that they can sense static magnetic fields like the one created by a stationary throttle plate.
All in-depth repairs or modifications to engines should be performed by trained automotive technicians to avoid personal injury or damage to the equipment.