01-02 Throttle Position Sensor, why it should be replaced during a major tune up or T- belt work

My Taco had a CEL, for the 1st time in 70K+ miles and almost seven years of ownership. Drove to an Autozone, had the code pulled up, and it came back with a bad TPS.

Picked one a Yota factory TPS from Ebay, for $32 shipped, and got it replaced. MY GOODNESS, acceleration and shifting are so much better now!

Obviously, this crappy inexpensive part had been going bad for some time, maybe even years. SO my question is, why not do it to a major tune up or timing belt job? I mean, I'd search high and low as to the schedule in which to replace it, and all the threads I've seen just say to replace when it goes bad. Well, I believe the TPS in my truck was going bad, long before it blinked as a CEL.

From now on, on my next tune up/timing belt job, the TPS will be part of that job!

 

What ever works for you My TPS is still going strong at 200,000 miles plus.

Then I change batteries every year so it works out

 

Wait, you actually replace your truck batteries, yearly? TPS, is a lot cheaper!

Also, I had seen a small degradation in both performance and fuel economy. It looks like within my current tank of fuel (Ethanol free, Colorado mid-grade of 87, out here regular is 85), I should around or above be 20 MPG.

 

Yes New battery every spring !! along with the fuel filter.

As long as my fuel mileage is between 10 and 12 mpg I am happy

Most times my truck moves it has 800 to 1000 pounds of payload often towing another 2000 pounds if it has performance issues i doubt I would notice.

 

03 and 04 changing the TPS is a $1000 part
You have to buy the complete throttle body due to drive by wire setup. I'm still trying to source that bastard TPS outta China. I can have a special batch run but it will cost 3k for 100 pieces.

 

HOLY CRAP, I had no idea!

True story, I bought my 2002, because I could not find an 03-04. No offense, but glad I didn't!

I just changed the tittle!

 

@The Driver
Was the TPS just a plug-and-play part?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhvswc_au4M

Yes it is. Just get a short phillips screwdriver!

 

There is some adjusting to it. Unless you got lucky when putting it on and the computer was happy with it.

 

I checked other threads here. Their might be some adjusting on the pre 01's, but 01-02's don't need any adjusting. Just be careful to instal, the same way the old one was positioned. Think a distribuitor cap, from the older days.

 

That's why I was asking. I cannot remember where I read or heard that there's a certain way to install it. Something about the right degrees.

 

As long as the adjustment falls within specs listed its ok.

 

On 1st gens. If the mount screw holes are slots, it requires calibration. Round holes are plug and play, no calibration possible.

 

There are literally thousands of "cheap" pieces and parts on these trucks that could be replaced during each major tune-up (or even annually). But we don't replace them all quite simply because it is not necessary and would be ridiculously expensive to try and replace them all. The TPS is just not really considered a normal wear part. It simply isn't a common problem that I've seen. Read through some of those half million mile threads, and I bet there aren't that many TPS sensors being replace then, either.

If it gives you piece of mind to replace it annually now, go right ahead. But personally, I would put my money towards replacing those things that IF they did fail (not just giving a CEL), it would be catastrophic, like ball joints or something.

 

Not all of those parts affect: shifting points with an auto tranny, and fuel economy. This was a recommendation, not a mandate. Do as you please.

The intent was to save others the problems of a 140K+ miles decrease in performance and mileage.

Oh, please find exactly where did I post that the TPS should be replaced anually, go ahead, I'll wait.

Geez, people READ.

 

Calm down buddy, you're reading too much into me using the word "annually". It was just an example of an interval for regular maintenance that people do.

You should try taking your own advice though (read), I wasn't saying you were mandating people do it either, as I pretty clearly stated "if it gives you piece of mind, go ahead" but then offered an alternate reason for why people don't typically replace the TPS as a part of normal maintenance, whatever that interval is (annual, every 100k miles, whatever).

You could say the same thing about all the vacuum lines (very cheap and easy to replace), but most people don't just go around replacing all that stuff on a regular basis unless they suspect something specific is wrong. If you are trying to troubleshoot poor performance or economy, that's certainly something to try.

 

I don't take lightly been misquoted. I choose my words VERY carefully, which is why I detest, to be misquoted.

As for the vacuum lines in my Taco, I learned that they too should be part of a major tune up or timing belt job. I'd say the TPS, the vaccum lines, the spark plugs, cleaning the MAF and replacing the plug wires, should be done every 100K miles or every 10 years, whichever comes first. I replace the fuel filter every 2 years, and the air filter every year.

 

If you detest being misquoted, or having people think you said something different than you intended, or get all but hurt when someone offers a different opinion, maybe the internet isn’t the place for you.

 

At first I thought you were talking about Trump. People always think he said something different. SMDH

 

Listen tough guy, if you were INTELLIGENT enough, to have posted a comment that was actually accurate, I would not have to spend time correcting you. Now please, go finish your GED, or take some reading comprehension courses, as you are obviously lacking the capacity to do so.

BYE FELICIA!