Remove this ad
avatar

drewkohls

Advanced Member

Posts: 112

Lead

Jan 1 11 9:50 PM

Tags : :

my 2 aspires, the auto the i just replaced the idle switch in, is now throwing a code that says the tps is stuck closed, should i just try and give the throttle body a good cleaning where the butterfly closes onto it? or could it need adjusting, the idle screw i mean. or, could the tps itself need adjusting. i adjusted it a little the other day and reset the code, but it came back on. and for the speedo being off. its the other car, the 96 manual aspire. the speedo seems off about 7 mph. it has the stock tires on it too. the small 165 13's. before i do much of anything to it, i wanted to get some opinions.

if money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. - henry ford

Quote    Reply   
Remove this ad
Remove this ad
avatar

iceracerdude

Ultimate Member

Posts: 2,121

#1 [url]

Jan 1 11 10:19 PM

Ok, you've got to be more precise and a little less mysterious. I own an OBD2 scan tool, and I don't remember ever seeing a code that describes the tps as being "stuck closed".
First, what "code" did you actually get, and second, how do/did you do this tps "adjustment" exactly.
You've probably just missed engaging the tang on the throttle shaft with the tps is all! You'll have to remove and re-install it, and then ideally check it with a meter (set to ohms) before ultimately plugging it back in.
Technically, you can even check the tps for an rough idea of it's "range" or working continuity while it's off the vehicle by the way.
Don't play with the idle just yet either, lets correct the one thing that we know is screwed up first, before we "fix" anything else.
I know you remember what happened to the last guy got to "guessing" and "adjusting stuff" too fast and without a clue...that ended up turning into "stupid aspires" and "stupid guys on the forum".
The real beauty of that situation is, that's not just "a workin on the aspire" deal you're seeing there, that's actually a chosen or "adopted work-style", that's sure to yield a lifetime of misery.

Learn to shoot trouble in a linear way, be more systematic by correcting/checking/verifing one system before moving onto the next, resist jumping around, back and forth!

The precision is the religion for me!

Quote    Reply   
avatar

drewkohls

Advanced Member

Posts: 112

#2 [url]

Jan 2 11 3:12 AM

adjusting the tps by loosening the 2 bolts and turning it. I'm a carb kinda guy lol. And I'm not too computerized. I'll have to get the exact code to you in the morning. The book is out in the car. I probably did just about nothing to the tps really, as far as I know any ways. But I did get better mpg last night after I did watever I did. Instead of 30 mpg of 50/50 driving I got 32.5. The idle didn't change at all either. I'm gonna change the plugs tomoro too because lord only knows the last time that was done. Maybe that's my sole problem too. I couldn't say for sure. I'd rather get on here and ask opinions and try what you all say before I start messing with too much and make it worse. Like I said. I'm more of a carb kinda guy. A corvair, 85dodge and ford pickups, 74 challenger, 71 vanagon, 68 and 69 vw bugs. I like carbs a lot. But I like the luxury of a newer car too. An aspire is like a cadillac after having an old vw. And the mpg of the aspire is like a prius compared to the trucks and the challenger haha. So forgive my ignorance. I'm young in age, but I'm old for my years. I'm tryin to learn. Just bear with me lol. Thank you for your patience and assistance.

if money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. - henry ford

Quote    Reply   
avatar

iceracerdude

Ultimate Member

Posts: 2,121

#3 [url]

Jan 2 11 9:19 AM

Yeah, I know carbs too, but I gotta tell ya, I sure appreciate fuel injection. Just got finished helping a buddy with his carbed Dodge plow truck. I know you know about ballast resistors, well now he does too lol. He'd was also getting in it and just mashing his foot down, real quick once, and then try to start it (big 4 barrel on it). I've got a new 4 carb syncronizer I've offered to use on it for him, but he's over the carb thing and I believe he's got a victim, I mean a buyer who's interested.
Hey, what about those fan belts on the covairs!? If you have a pic of one, you should post it up so everyone can see what GM engineers were pulling off in the sixty's. You know, just in case you thought those 5/16's bolt heads on the battery terminals was tough to cozy up to. You didn't by any chance have one of those very rare factory turbo editions did you?
To adjust that tps properly, you really need to put a meter on it to tell when it's just starting to react to the throttle plate opening. That will restore the much needed synchronisity between the maf and the tps and eliminate any jerkyness or hesitation on take offs. You know that will net you additional mpg's as well. On the older style tps units (pre 94 style), you could just take the cover off of them and just see when the contacts were moving. As far as adjusting the idle goes, the difference between the older carbed cars and these ecm controlled cars is, you have to "deactivate" the ecm before making idle or timing adjustments. Without doing that, the computer will constantly fight you or keep adjusting to compensate for any adjustments you attempt. You know to place that shorting jumper in the under hood diagnostic access right?
user posted image
user posted image
Place the jumper between the two terminals I've use the whiteout on.

The precision is the religion for me!

Quote    Reply   
avatar

drewkohls

Advanced Member

Posts: 112

#4 [url]

Jan 2 11 5:40 PM

ok. the code is p0510. closed throttle possitioning switch? is that what that is? and i changed the plugs and wires and that didnt help at all.

if money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. - henry ford

Quote    Reply   
avatar

drewkohls

Advanced Member

Posts: 112

#5 [url]

Jan 2 11 5:44 PM

oh, and i dont have any pics of the vair fan belts lol. i thought that was the coolest thing when i first got that thing. and no, unfortunatly i didnt have the turbo monza corvair. it was just a monza 2 door hardtop with the 2 speed powerglide. it got all kinds of looks everywhere i went. wasnt very fast, but it was about the same as the aspires i spose. i got it up to 90mph once. it drove great, and i raced it a little too on the back country indiana roads haha. it did surprisingly well in the turns

if money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. - henry ford

Quote    Reply   
Remove this ad
avatar

iceracerdude

Ultimate Member

Posts: 2,121

#6 [url]

Jan 2 11 11:02 PM

QUOTE (drewkohls @ January 02, 2011 06:40 pm)
ok. the code is p0510. closed throttle possitioning switch? is that what that is? and i changed the plugs and wires and that didnt help at all.

Ok, I know the dtc definitions book reads "closed throttle position switch" for a P0510 code but, The haynes manual specifically for the Aspire reads "idle switch fault" which makes me think maybe this has to do with that adjustable, one wire on/off switch, located just under the throttle cable on the throttle body.
The reason I say that is, the tps codes for a single tps equiped car like ours are the codes P0120-P0124
The purpose of that switch is to supply a ground to the ecu at "closed throttle only" once you're anywhere "off idle or higher" that switch then removes the ground signal.
It can be checked with one of those trouble lights with the point on the end.
You'd just attach the clamp end to the battery positive, put the point end on the switch's connector and then when the throttle's closed it should light the light, when you open the throttle the light should go out.
If the computer thinks it's closed all the time it may simply be stuck shut or just shorted out (possibly from corrosion). You may actually be able to get it working again and not have to replace it. Do not spray it with brake cleaner!

The precision is the religion for me!

Quote    Reply   
avatar

drewkohls

Advanced Member

Posts: 112

#7 [url]

Jan 4 11 1:40 AM

thank you for that. checked it. wasnt working. and still is not working. what ive done is adjusted it in far enough that it now doesnt need to adjust or engage. i tried another idle switch and it did not work, so it's probably a wire thats chaffed and shorted out on the back of the block. i dont really want to get under the car in this wonderful maine weather that we've been having, rain, snow, 25 degrees. and its said to stay consistantly cold and windy and snowy here hah. shocker lol. but i drove the car 20 miles today and the check engine light still hasnt come on. ive let it sit and idle for about 20 minutes before and after work to warm up and the light still hasnt come on. so i hope this has tricked the computer into thinking the idle switch is working now. ill have to get under it come spring when i can take and clean out the garage and put it in there to jack it up comfortably. i looked at my spare motor and the switch on that was the same way as what i just did to mine. so does anyone else do what i just did? also, what do you think about the off speedo with stock tires? a vss sensor? or is it just off to be off? oh, and on the matter of the check engine light, i moved the tps back to where it originally was yesterday, i marked it with marker before i moved it just in case it didnt help anything. much obliged.

if money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. - henry ford

Quote    Reply   
avatar

iceracerdude

Ultimate Member

Posts: 2,121

#8 [url]

Jan 5 11 1:57 AM

That single wire goes to the ecm...you don't need to test the wire.
The switch supplies a ground to that single wire when the throttle closes it.
The design principal of this "single wire type switch" is that it must be securely mounted on metal, so that technicaly it's "exterior case" is grounded. For the purposes of this explanation, that grounded metal source is in fact the manifold.
That way when it operates (correctly) it's able to pass that ground to the single wire, which in turn passes it onto the ecm.

The precision is the religion for me!

Quote    Reply   
avatar

drewkohls

Advanced Member

Posts: 112

#9 [url]

Jan 5 11 2:37 AM

i gotcha. so i was either testing it wrong, or the switches i have dont work, or they both just dont work. either way i look at it, the car is still getting good mpg. the check engine light is still off. and the only thing that i can see that i effected by doing that was the cold engine idle is slightly high. if there's anything im missing do tell haha

if money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience, and ability. - henry ford

Quote    Reply   
avatar

iceracerdude

Ultimate Member

Posts: 2,121

#10 [url]

Jan 5 11 8:33 AM

Cool then! That switch tells the computer "you're idleing for sure", then makes the ecm "fuel map" accordingly. Yeah, It's a mileage thing for sure, and you're good on that now. And not a minute too soon!

The precision is the religion for me!

Quote    Reply   
Remove this ad
Add Reply

Quick Reply

bbcode help