1995 Suzuki Esteem Throttle Position Sensor

Tiny
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  • 1995 SUZUKI ESTEEM
  • 1.6L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 185,000 MILES
Hello, I have a 1995 Suzuki Esteem and I'm trying to adjust my TPS.

In the manual it says to insert 0.45 mm (0.018 in) thickness gauge between throttle stop screw and throttle lever and turn TP sensor counterclockwise fully and then clockwise gradually to find position where ohmmeter reading changes
from continuity to infinity (no continuity).

The problem is that no matter where I turn the TPS it never changes to continuity with the.45mm thickness gauge. I have to take the screws out and turn the TPS further clockwise to get continuity. I've tried with two different TP sensors. What could I be doing wrong?
Thanks!
Thursday, October 29th, 2015 AT 5:06 PM

14 Replies

Tiny
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I GRABBED THIS FROM "PRODEMAND"

SEE 2 PIC BELOW

LEMME KNOW IF THIS HELPS

THE MEDIC
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Thursday, October 29th, 2015 AT 6:01 PM
Tiny
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Thank you!

That's the same documentation that I have. The problem is step 1. When I put in the.45mm thickness guage, the sensor never has continuity. It's always infinite no matter where I turn the sensor. I've tried with a different sensor (although used) and same result. I've ordered a new sensor which I should get tomorrow so I'll try again.

I just find it strange that two sensors would be bad.
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Thursday, October 29th, 2015 AT 7:17 PM
Tiny
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I JUST LOOKED THIS OVER AGAIN

MAYBE YOU HAD A DYSLEXIC MOMENT (MAYBE NOT) I GET ALL FLUSTERED HUNTING AND PECKING TOO!

IN YOUR INITIAL QUESTION

YOU SAID

" and turn TP sensor counterclockwise fully and then clockwise gradually to find position where ohmmeter reading changes"

IN THE "PRODEMAND" SCREENSHOT (MY PIC 1 - SENTENCE 2)

IT SAYS THAT JUST THE OPPOSITE

CW THEN CCW

WHATCHU THINK?

THE MEDIC
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Friday, October 30th, 2015 AT 3:36 PM
Tiny
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Ah, interesting! Yes, the documentation I have from alldatadiy (I attached a screenshot from their site) and the screenshot you sent do say the opposite.

So I purchased a brand new TP sensor and installed it today. I'm still getting the same result. With the sensor installed, and with a 0.45mm thickness gauge between the stop screw and the throttle lever, I get no continuity whatsoever, no matter where I turn the sensor (either starting counterclockwise and moving clockwise, or starting clockwise and moving counterclockwise).

Could something else be out of adjustment on the throttle body itself?

I'm at a loss.
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Friday, October 30th, 2015 AT 4:34 PM
Tiny
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NEVER HAVING MESSES WITH YOUR RIG

(IMMA JEEP GUY!)

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT AS YOU INSTALL THE TPS, YOU CAN (TWIST OR OTHERWISE) THE TPS BODY SO THAT THE INITIAL "INDEXING" MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAT "JUST SLIDING IT IN PLACE?

SAY THAT EITHER METHOD: CW CCW OR CCW CW IS DOING THE SAME THING, WILL NOT READ WHAT IT SHOULD?

STUPID QUESTION - IT AIN'T POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE TPS ON UPSIDE DOWN?

THE MEDIC
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Friday, October 30th, 2015 AT 4:48 PM
Tiny
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IS UP A YEAR OR DOWN A YEAR A DIFFERENT TPS?

THE MEDIC
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Friday, October 30th, 2015 AT 4:50 PM
Tiny
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The first year the Esteem was made was in 1995, so I can't go a year back, but I checked for 1996 and 1997 and they are the same model.

No such thing as a stupid question at this point! No, there's only one way to install it. You bring up a good point about installing it. I've been placing it then turning it counterclock wise to seat it, but maybe I should be going the other way? I'll try it.
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Friday, October 30th, 2015 AT 4:55 PM
Tiny
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I tried the other way and it doesn't work. Here's a picture where the TP sensor sits. It's as almost I need to adjust the paddles that are connected to the butterfly valve shaft, and turn it slightly counterclockwise. Does that make sense, or is that asking for major trouble if I try to adjust that?
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Friday, October 30th, 2015 AT 6:07 PM
Tiny
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The other thing I thought about is that I've been doing these tests with the engine completely cool. Should I be doing it after the engine has warmed up?
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Friday, October 30th, 2015 AT 7:22 PM
Tiny
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YOU MAY HAVE TO RESIZE YOUR PICS SMALLER TO MAKE 'EM WORK HERE

I HAVE TO RESIZE ALL THAT I TAKE WITH MY REBEL T3, THE KODAK SURE SHOT HAS NO PROBLEM AT ALL. I USUALLY SIZE DOWN TO ABOUT 900 X 788 (GIVE OR TAKE) 449 KB FOR THE ONE I USED AS AN EXAMPLE. I HAVE A HARD TIME FIGURING OUT THIS COMPUTER CRAP. SEEMS LIKE BY THE TIME I CAN NAVIGATE THIS SITE DECENTLY, THE BIG GUYS CHANGE SOMETHING!

DOES YOUR REFERENCE HAVE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS? (THIS ONE DOES NOT)

JUST SAW YOU POSTED AGAIN.

I WOULD THINK THE TPS ADJUSTMENTS WOULD BE BASIC "ON OR OFFs" DEPENDING ON THE BUTTERFLY/ SHAFTS POSITION, I WOULD NOT THINK TEMPERATURE WOULD AFFECT THAT.

I ALSO READ THAT (ALREADY KNEW THIS) BIG TIME IMPORTANT!

DO NOT INTERCOURSE AROUND WITH THE IDLE SCREW! IT IS SET AT "BASE IDLE" ALREADY (KINDA SPECIAL WAYS TO GET COMPUTER CARS TO "BASE IDLE", IT'S NOT BY EAR/ NOT LIKE A CARBURETOR VEHICLE!

I LEARNED THIS THE HARD WAY ON MY DAD'S '86 T-BIRD, I'D MOVE THE SCREW AND THE THROTTLE POSITIONER WOULD COMPENSATE! MOVE IT AGAIN, SAME THING! (IDLE SPEED NEVER CHANGED) AFTER NOT COUNTING TURNS, THE CAR HAD NO CLUE WHERE THE BUTTERFLY WAS, EVERYTHING TRIED TO COMPENSATE FOR MY "LEARNING EXPERIENCE".

IT CAME DOWN TO A KNOWLEDGEABLE FRIEND AND ME STICKING MY FINGER BETWEEN THE THROTTLE POSITIONER AND THE THROTTLE LEVER, WHICH SORTA TRICKED THE POSITIONER TO BACK UP (TRYING TO REDUCE HIGH IDLE SPEED) AS SOON AS IT WAS ALL THE WAY BACK, HE UNPLUGGED IT.

I COULD THEN ADJUST IT LIKE A "CARB CAR". THE T-BIRDs BASE IDLE WAS 400 RPMs, ONCE I GOT IT THERE, HE PLUGGED THE THROTTLE POSITIONER BACK IN. AS SOON AS IT TOUCHED/ PUSHED IDLE (THROTTLE LEVER). THE COMPUTER KNEW "ZERO". IT CONTINUED TO PUSH TO MAYBE 850 RPMs. MORAL OF THE STORY, THE COMPUTER NOW KNEW WHEN AND WHERE THE BUTTERFLY WAS.

(THOUGHT I'D BORE YOU WITH THAT ONE)

I'M GUESSING/ HOPING THAT HAROLD YOUR NEIGHBOR GUY DID NOT "HELP YOU OUT" IN THAT DEPARTMENT WHILE YOU GOT THE BOTH OF YOU A GLASS OF TEA!

IF THE WAS MOVED, THE SHAFT IS NO LONGER "ZEROED" TO THE COMPUTERS SETTINGS

INSTALL INSTRUCTIONS?

THE MEDIC
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Friday, October 30th, 2015 AT 7:54 PM
Tiny
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Thanks for your reply!

I ended up adjusting the TPS where it changes from continuity to no continuity WITHOUT the 0.45mm thickness gauge, and the car does not jerk anymore when pressing or letting off of the accelerator. There's no physical way to get the adjustment to work with the 0.45mm gauge in there.

So now the car shifts well and there's no jerkiness, although it idles REALLY low to the point that it died a couple times at a stand still after the car warmed up.

As far as the idle screw, I have not adjusted that, but are you talking about the throttle stop screw? That has the painted line on it and it's still intact so I know that Harold didn't mess around with the throttle stop screw!

The manual does say that adjusting the idle speed screw is ok. I've attached the pic I tried to earlier (which I wasn't able to move the paddles at all), and I also attached the instructions about the IAC/idle speed.

Thanks again!
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Friday, October 30th, 2015 AT 8:09 PM
Tiny
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I TALKED TO ANOTHER FELLER ABOUT THE FEELER GAUGE SITUATION, THE ONLY THING HE COULD THINK OF THAT MIGHT AFFECT THE POSITION OF THE BUTTERFLY/ SHAFT WAS MAYBE CARBON ON THE THROTTLE PLATE. YOU MIGHT TRY CLEANING BOTH SIDES OF THE PLATE AND DOWN THE THROAT WITH THROTTLE BODY CLEANER, COULDN'T HURT NUTHIN'.

REMOVING THE IAC AND CLEANING IT AND DOWN IN IT'S HOLE WITH THROTTLE BODY CLEANER MIGHT IMPROVE STUFF TOO.

SHOULD YOU NEED OTHER PARTS, NOW OR LATER, THIS OR A SIMILAR METHOD MIGHT SAVE YOU SOME $. YOU CAN KINDA SEE HOW TO MAXIMIZE ON YOUR ORDERS. LIKE MY PAL NEEDING 6 GOLF CART BATTERIES, HE SIMPLY MADE 6 SEPARATE ORDERS USING THE SAME PROMO CODE AND SAVED $40 PER BATTERY, THEN PICKED 'EM ALL UP AT THE STORE WITHIN AN HOUR. SEE THIS LINK

https://www.2carpros.com/questions/2001-dodge-neon-milage-just-want-put-fliuds-their-locations

I PERIODICALLY LOOK FOR NEW BETTER PROMO CODES ON THE NET, "TRT3O" HELPED ME RECENTLY, SAVING ME 30%, "A124" STILL WORKS, BUT NOT AS IT DID. I USUALLY GATHER UP A BUNCH OF CODES, MAKE MY ORDER, THEN DO "DRY RUNS" WITH EACH CODE (SUBMITTING AND THEN REMOVING IT) TO SEE WHICH DOES ME THE MOST GOOD! MANY TIMES THE CODES ARE EXPIRED WHEN YOU TRY 'EM. THE "GIMME CODE" THEY PROVIDE AT THE HOME PAGE, USUALLY CAN BE BEAT BY ONES FROM THE NET.

THE MEDIC

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Saturday, October 31st, 2015 AT 2:58 PM
Tiny
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So just to wrap up this thread, I ended up adjust the TP sensor *without* the 0.45mm feeler gauge. The car has been running great and no CEL, so I'm not sure if it was a misprint in the manual, or it was already adjusted at the manufacturer accounting for the 0.45mm gap. Either way, it's working good now!

Thanks again for all your assistance!
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Thursday, November 5th, 2015 AT 6:25 PM
Tiny
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SEEMS LIKE YOU DID ALL OF THE WORK

I'M GLAD YOU GOT IT SQUARED AWAY!

HOWEVER,

I STILL FEEL THAT YOU WOULD BE MUCH HAPPIER IN A JEEP CJ-5, CJ-7, OR EVEN A WILLYS! EVERYTHING IS SO SIMPLE, AND THEY'LL LAST FOREVER!

COME BACK TO SEE US AGAIN!

THE MEDIC
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Thursday, November 5th, 2015 AT 8:04 PM

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