Where is the throttle position sensor located on a 99 xj six cyclinder.

My 99 jeep with 165,000 has started to surge at traffic lights and I think I may need to replace this, it has never been replaced.


I have several questions if anyone knows.
I am not sure where to find it?
and
Can I maybe clean the connections instead of replacing it?
also
Can you just replace it or do you need to adjust the new one with a special meter.

Thanks all

Jackate

it's right on the throttlebody near the firewall on the drivers side. No special meters required at all, undo 2 torx screws and replace with a new one. you can try some dielectric grease on the connector, but that will probably just prevent future water damage

sumofatguy said:

it's right on the throttlebody near the firewall on the drivers side. No special meters required at all, undo 2 torx screws and replace with a new one. you can try some dielectric grease on the connector, but that will probably just prevent future water damage

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x2.

my CEL claimed a bad TPS. 2 torx screws and its off. i did it in the parking lot as soon as i got the part and drove home with a smile.

CEL. Hmmmm. Does Jackate have one of these?

cruiser54 said:

CEL. Hmmmm. Does Jackate have one of these?

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Cruiser54, are you hinting that the OP should TEST his way to a solution? The first thing I always do is throw parts at a problem--NOT.

OP--when was your last tune up? Do you have a CEL? Bothered to have the codes read, FOR FREE, at most any chain parts store?

joe_peters said:

Cruiser54, are you hinting that the OP should TEST his way to a solution? The first thing I always do is throw parts at a problem--NOT.

OP--when was your last tune up? Do you have a CEL? Bothered to have the codes read, FOR FREE, at most any chain parts store?

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If I don't throw parts at a problem. I try to find someone online to tell me what they did, out of many logical possibilities, that fixed their similar symptom, and do what they did. NOT!!!!!!

Thanks all, I am going to pick one up at the auto parts store, and replace it.

I will post how it went, and the result.

Thanks all for the help..

jackate said:

Thanks all, I am going to pick one up at the auto parts store, and replace it.

I will post how it went, and the result.

Thanks all for the help..

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unless you have a CEL, the TPS may not solve your problem.

seems like there are many other possibilities your problem could be

I did not check the Computer Codes, I had a check engine light a few weeks ago about "left bank something" was wrong. I put fuel injector cleaner in and reset the computer, and have been ok.

I think it worth changing the TPS from what I read on this board, many people who had engine rpm spikes at lights who changed the TPS corrected the problem.

I had good success on this board, except for a overheating problem, I had a few years ago, where I failed to miss my radiator was bad.

I changed my water pump, thermostat, and replaced a fan relay because of a weird overheating conditions that would happen out of the blue.

The jeep would run at normal temp and then surge to hot and return back to normal one minute later, It did this on and off sometimes not happening for weeks, then finally it overheated and I had to change my head gasket and radiator and it was fine.

My jeep in 11 years old, and I know I have not put more than $3200.00 in parts and labor for all those years and that includes a new AC evaporator with labor.

Thats less then $300.00 a year, some people spend that much just on oil changes a year.

for what its worth,

i beleive the TPS could work intermittenly... for years ive had isolated problems with the motor randomly cutting out when pulling up to a stop light, the engine holding high RPMs that are fixed by me tapping on the gas, and just general studdering off the line from a dead stop. these were all problems made extremely pronounced when my CEL came on. now that it has been replaced i havent had any of these problems.






but to the original poster, what makes you think your TPS is bad? as 89xj said there is the possibility for it to be something else. i mean... its a $30 part which wouldnt hurt to replace after 11 years. but there are also ways to test the sensor. i cant give you any links though.

Have you cleaned your IAC? It's right there by your TPS, I think, and really easy to do.

96PAXJ said:

Have you cleaned your IAC? It's right there by your TPS, I think, and really easy to do.

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Ditto on cleaning it. I'd buy a $20 meter and learn how to use it before replacing a $30-$40 part that may or may not be bad.

On the overheating issue, did you even replace the lower rad hose? The symptoms there sound more like the lower hose collapsing than a bad radiator.

VAhasnoWAVES said:

x2.

my CEL claimed a bad TPS. 2 torx screws and its off. i did it in the parking lot as soon as i got the part and drove home with a smile.

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Watch those torx screws though... They are natorious for stripping inside the head, and the head is somewhat recessed in the TPS.

I had to use a small mill bit on my Dremel to grind the head off one I stripped. After that, the TPS just slid of the remaining shank, and I used some small channel locks to remove it.....

Ivan said:

Watch those torx screws though... They are natorious for stripping inside the head, and the head is somewhat recessed in the TPS.

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They're also notorious for being ungodly tight too!

IAC (Idle Air Control) was also the first thing that came to my mind for the OP's problem. TPS's throw a code sometimes when they go out....it all depends on how they go. I've put 2 TPS's on my Jeep in the 5+ years i've owned it. The first one I replaced was due to it failing with out a CEL, and the second one was due to it filling up with dust which then turned to mud as I washed the engine down from a wheeling trip. That time it DID throw a CEL and my shift points were all kinds of wrong.

Thanks all, I winged it and just replaced the TPS, without testing $54.00 dollars. The screws were tight but came out without stripping, also the screws that came with the new sensor from autozone were to big and would not of worked.


I will post the results in a month, if the rpm surging at traffic lights stops.

As far as the overheat I had years ago, I did change the lower hose, but I was told new hoses are molded now compared to years ago, so I believe they don't collapse like they use to. My problem had nothing to do with the hose.

Thanks again,

Jackate

I Wanted to post the Solution.

I cleaned the Throttle body, IAC, and changed the TPS (Probably was fine as other posters said).

I also ran the bg44 kit through the jeep.

I changed the upstream 02 sensor, because I got a cel of "P0171" and it was original to my 1999 - 4.0 - 175,000 mi, I also changed it because my gas mileage was bad.

I also changed the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor.

I may not of needed the Bg44 or TPS, but at least it is running good again, and I got a backup TPS if ever needed.

Thanks all for the help. It was all good advice...