How do you do this? I need to test my TPS, and I read the article for it and it said tools needed: jumper wires (make them).

How do you make them, or can i buy them? Is there a technical name for them?

 

There's no special tool. I use Radio Shack jumper wires to patch into the upper two TPS wires. I don't know the part # offhand... the jumper wires are for electronics use. They come in a pack of 8 (two sets of red/yellow/black/green), and have small aligator clips on them. I just bought another set a few months ago, I think they were $4.

If you want to get fancy, you can go to your local Pep Boys/Strauss/etc and buy the appropriate weatherpack harness connectors (prewired) that mate with the TPS sensor's connector (male) and the engine wiring harness (female). Then, patch your voltmeter into the top two wires.

But, the alligator clip method works just as well. The clips just fit into the sensor's connector. When I clip them onto the wiring harness, I clip them so one side of the clip goes inside (to touch the terminal), and the other side hangs outside the plastic. I stagger them so they're not all on one side. Then, I slide my multitester probes underneath the top two on the harness side.

You could make your own, too. Just get three lenghs of wire, and shove 'em in there. Make sure you don't cross the wires (top most on TPS goes to topmost on harness connector, etc). Problem is, you might not get a good connection that way.

[edit] You've got a 2.8? We use a slightly different spec than the one in the thirdgen.org tech article (on IAC & TPS). We use 0.55 volts at +/- 0.05 v for idle.

 

I saw somewhere to just shove a paperclip in the backside of the connector. It's worked fine for me several times.

 

Mid America Design sells the tool. It plugs in line, and IIRC it's around $30.
I have also seen it at Eckler's from time to time.

 

Lingenfelter sells one for like $12. Makes life much easier for a cheap price.

 

ALWAYS use a digital volt meter when checking. An analog one won't be accurate enough.

You realy shouldn't back probe the weatherpack connector becuase it will alow moisture in, defeating it's wetharproof characteristics and inviting corrosion a few years down the road.

 

I just use Diacom


Brendan