Does bad TPS cause limp mode?

[72chevel]

Hey I got P1121 on my ep3 k20a3
P1121 - Throttle Position (TP) Sensor Circuit Intermittent High Voltage

I verified in K-pro that it only reads 0 never changes car won't rev over 2200 (limp mode)
so question is will the TPS problem cause the limp mode or do I possibly have other problems
also anyone know if I can use my TPS sensor off my K24a1 on the ep3's?

[MugenReplica]

Sounds like your TPS sensor.

A local guy to myself had this exact same problem this summer after a RRC manifold install. He called me up to see if I could figure out the problem and it ended up being his TPS. He bought a BLOX TPS sensor and all was fixed until the BLOX TPS sensor broke in half. Come to find out while he was swapping the PRB manifold to the RRC manifold, he bent one of the three prongs inside the TPS sensor. After bending it back and putting it all back together it ran fine. Maybe just food for thought if you've messed with your TPS.

I'm not sure if the K24a1 TPS sensor would work, but it won't hurt to try.

[72chevel]

Hey thanks for the reply! I have not been under the hood since winter began and I only have 50k on this car so I am not sure why its giving problems. I'll give the K24a1 sensor a try. If that does not work what brand sensor would anyone recommended BLOX? HR?

[MugenReplica]

Hey thanks for the reply! I have not been under the hood since winter began and I only have 50k on this car so I am not sure why its giving problems. I'll give the K24a1 sensor a try. If that does not work what brand sensor would anyone recommended BLOX? HR?

OEM would be best, but BLOX would be fine at $80/free shipping. Honestly the only reason BlOX failed on the local guys RRC manifold is that his AC hose was not bolted down and it hit the top half of his new BLOX TPS sensor and knocked it off. The BLOX is two plastic pieces whereas the OEM is a single sealed plastic piece.

Here's one for sale.....
http://compare.ebay.com/like/310265792953?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&rvr_id=198176848764&crlp=1_263602_309572&UA=WXF%3F&GUID=3283ef1312d0a06437c2b6e2ffc47b98&itemid=310265792953&ff4=263602_309572

[72chevel]

Well got it all apart. At first glance it looks like the K24a1 TPS will not work it operates counter clock wise and the K20a3 operates clock wise. I'll just have to wait for my new one to get here.

[talonXracer]

The K24A1 TPS is only usable on the CRV and the base RSX K20A3. they are reverse clocked and the mounting tabs are in different locations.

The ONLY aftermarket TPS that is worth a plug nickle and not fail within weeks is the Hybrid Racing TPS.

I had blown through a Omni power and a Blox in a very, very short time.

[72chevel]

Well I got my TPS from hybrid racing and put it in cleaned the IAVC while I had it apart. It was miserable working on it at -14 degrees. re calibrated the tps in Kpro and it now is functioning... Worked great for 2 days and now I am getting limp mode back intermittently and no cel. Any ideas?

[72chevel]

Update: I hooked up the laptop and the tps in Kpro is not registering anything big fat 0. I re calibrated it and it comes up with -5 for the throttle off position and at WOT it registers 60% !!!??? after that kpro still does not read anything. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[KevinEP3]

My car would go into limp mode if I went around a curve too fast. It ended up being because it was low on oil.

[sicivicguy]

WOW... I cant believe how many people have problems with their TPS... I had bought a OMNI one and it only lasted like three weeks. I guess when I fix the EP then I'm a have to buy me a BLOX or better aftermarket TPS.

[72chevel]

Yea I am going to change the oil today make sure thats not the problem. Also found some info in the service manual how to check the wires at the tps and the ecu. One thing I don't understand from reading dozens of theads last night about "limp mode" and "tps" most people state they have limp cut out at like 4k rpm when mine acts up I can not go over 2k rpm so to even get to work I have to take back roads in 5th gear going like 35 miles an hour!

[talonXracer]

Replace the TPS

What is your CEL #'s?

Without a TPS the ECU can not operate the VTEC system, so it limits the RPM's below the VTEC point.

[72chevel]

Talon that makes sense vtec is set at 2200
I spent some time on the lap top in the car and found something interesting:
At first when I was checking if Kpro was registering anything on the tps sensor it was starting to register at about 1/2 throttle so I went back to the tps calibration and re ran the open and closed throttle and bang worked just fine. Came out about an hour later and its not functioning again. So ran the tps calibration again and it works again. Drove around for about a half an hour and it started not working again so I keep having to run the tps calibration to keep it working. I am thinking it might be sensitive to warm and cold? I will check with Hybrid and see if there is any "warranty" on the TPS.
Thanks for posting ideas I was about to light a match and walk away :mbiggrin:

[KevinEP3]

Yea I am going to change the oil today make sure thats not the problem. Also found some info in the service manual how to check the wires at the tps and the ecu. One thing I don't understand from reading dozens of theads last night about "limp mode" and "tps" most people state they have limp cut out at like 4k rpm when mine acts up I can not go over 2k rpm so to even get to work I have to take back roads in 5th gear going like 35 miles an hour!

Mine was 4k too.

[72chevel]

I talked to Hybrid racing and they are sending me a new sensor hopefully that will fix this! I took it on the highway and did some data logging and it was acting really weird set the cruise at 60 and just watched the log and it was not running very smooth surging and cutting out the inj signal was all over the place.

[72chevel]

I got another new sensor from HR and put it in. Could not get it to work... Started continuity tests on the wires in between the ecu and the tps they were fine. Finally got some where when I was wiggling the wires going into the ecu it all of a sudden started working just fine. so I reseated the connectors real good and drove 140 miles to my nearest Honda dealer with no problems. Stopped at a gas station and when I came back out the check engine light had came on so I checked the codes and there was like 6 of them!!!!! So I said screw it traded the ep3 in on a silver insight :mcool: