Some Newbie Questions...

Hello all. I have been lurking here for a little while, and I must say I have learned a lot!

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not too mechanically inclined, and what mechanical savvy I do have doesn't relate well to cars.

Usually a quick search answers all my XJ questions, but I did a couple of searches on this, and didn't come up with an answer.

I may need to replace my TPS, but I'm not sure if there is another fix. My XJ's (00 4.0 Sport, 116k) check engine light went on the other day during a rough idle after start up, and I took it to Auto Zone and thier computer got a TPS code. I bought a new one there and figured I'd replace it. I did the same thing on my old Cutlass, with no problem.

I'm having trouble removing one of the screws, and I sprayed some WD40 on it, and also unplugged it and checked the contacts. Everthing seems ok, no bad connections or broken wires. Before I go back to trying to replace this, is there anything else I can do? It is a intermitent problem, but a problem nonetheless. My truck stalled out for the first time the other day.

And if I do need to replace the TPS, is there a specific way to put it in? I vaguely recall needing to put it in my Cutlass a certain way as there are moving parts inside.

Thanks,

Ted

i had one of those screws strip out.... i had to insert a putty knife in, twist, while unscrewing the thread, (easier with the throttle body removed, if your gonna re-tap the threads anyway)
i then chased the threads, and used a bolt from an extra TBody i had lying around


the tps must be adjusted, using a voltmeter, but the expertise found in search exceeds mine,

xcm said:

i had one of those screws strip out.... i had to insert a putty knife in, twist, while unscrewing the thread, (easier with the throttle body removed, if your gonna re-tap the threads anyway)
i then chased the threads, and used a bolt from an extra TBody i had lying around


the tps must be adjusted, using a voltmeter, but the expertise found in search exceeds mine,

Click to expand...

After 1991, the TPS does not need to be adjusted. Just stick it in and go.

I don't know why they make those ***ing bolts so tight, but they do. Just work away at it and hope it doesn't shear.

Basic anti-shear technique: do not just keep turning the screw outward. Wiggle it back and forth. Take your time. No matter how long it takes to do this, it won't take as long as it will to remove a broken bolt and tap out the hole. Remember this. It won't likely take an hour, but if it did you'd still be ahead of the game. If you do get real movement outward, stop as soon as it seems to bind up, screw it back in, and repeat, trying each time to increase the amount of turning. Once you have even a little movement, douse it with penetrating oil, WD-40, diesel, kero, or whatever you customarily use for penetration before screwing it back in. Keep doing this. If you get any movement at all, you'll win the battle if you're gentle and patient.

If the torx head strips out, you can sometimes use a dremel cutoff wheel to cut a slot in the screw and use a regular screwdriver. For an extreme case you can also cut/grind/drill the head off the screw. Once you've pulled off the TPS, you will then have a nice long shank sticking out, which you can grab with small vise grips. You'll still have to be extra careful not to shear it, but it's a lot easier to wiggle out.

Thank you for the advice! I'll get to it this week.

I never needed to install the new TPS. It seems whatever the problem was went away after I sprayed some WD40 (its all I had at the time) on it to try to loosen the bolts. Haven't hada rough idle or engine light sisnce.