TPS replacement (pictures inside)

JCM55555 · Mar 6, 2011

Cool!

Notice any difference? I can see quite a difference in angle between the old and new sensors.

Kevin The Clean 1 · Mar 6, 2011

I was wondering this too.

Wurger · Mar 6, 2011

Great writeup and excellent pics! From now on it will be a DIY, like it or not :grinyes:

Thanks!

vantaam5 · Mar 6, 2011

They are at the same angle once installed,as the position of the bolts and of the shaft of the butterflies is the same.

leviathan · Mar 6, 2011

nice. just did mine as well. ground down a phillip's bit, as well and didn't need to remove the fuel rail cover/cable ducting at all. from the looks of it, you didn't either, though i guess it would have given you more room to work (wasn't worth the time to me):

mjch · Jun 7, 2011

What if you wanted to remove the cable ducting for better clearance and to get a good look at the hoses underneath? I have searched for a couple of days to find the procedure to release the connectors that secure the cable ducts, and all I have found is a utube video that says to lift them straight up (tried one that way and it broke plastic) and another that states using dentist tools will release them, but no procedure.

I think this would be a valuable addition to this DIY.

Can anyone insert their knowledge and successful experience?

herrubermensch · Mar 6, 2011

Interestingly, I replaced these on my engine about six months ago, and the first thing Mr. X noted when dyno tuning my car was that they were not responding to throttle position the way they should and "needed adjustment." I did not know that TPS could be "adjusted." Anyone know what Mr. X was talking about? Is there some sort of calibration procedure that needs to be performed after replacing these pups?

--Peter

leviathan · Mar 6, 2011

possibly they were referring to resetting the parameters of the accelerator pedal position?

herrubermensch · Mar 6, 2011

That's what I thought--adapting the pedal position sensor! But Mr. X said no, that voltage was correct at WOT and that it was the new TPS that were spitting out the wrong voltage.

--Peter

mmzcee Discussion starter · Mar 6, 2011

On the drive home, my engine still kicked into limp mode and my throttle was very jerky whilst trying to maintain 65-80mph on the highway. It was doing this prior to the replacement as well.

I'll try the resetting pedal sensor procedure and do a bit more testing...but perhaps the new TPS requires some time to recalibrate with the system?

Although I was under the impression TPS sensors were plug and play.

UkraineE39 · May 19, 2014

Did you figure out what your problem was?

leviathan · Mar 6, 2011

uh oh. i hate that feeling. should just be "plug and play" as far as i know (not saying much--very new to the car--but i did read up a good bit on this procedure). i was getting codes and would get thrown into limp mode before the replacement, as well, but haven't had any problems since. then again, i didn't have a jerky throttle. not sounding like that was/is your primary problem (were you getting codes specific to the engine bay TPSs?)? what is the procedure for resetting the throttle pedal parameters?

herrubermensch · Mar 6, 2011

leviathan said:
what is the procedure for resetting the throttle pedal parameters?

Key in position two with engine off. Slowly but steadily depress accelerator until it is all the way to the floor. Turn key off. Let sit for 10 or so minutes. If that doesn't do it, repeat. Sometimes, I have had to do the foregoing, then slam the accelerator all the way to the floor and THEN turn off the key for 10 or so minutes before the PP sensor adapts. It's a sensitive little bugger and extremely difficult to replace. I know because I ultimately had to replace mine, and it took and entire afternoon, removal of the lower part of the dash, and lots of bleeding and cussing before I got it done.

--Peter

mkaehly · Mar 6, 2011

Nice TPS report!

BrendanSC · Jun 7, 2011

Anyone who has done their CPS is familiar with the brackets the wiring box/duct sits on as they have to be removed then. I think if you really wanted to move the wiring to unscrew TPS you could either remove those brackets or unplug the coils and it would move enough either way. Do it at the same time as either the CPS or spark plugs.

Maybe this isn't what you want to hear but I used a small, locking needle nose pliers to remove the old screws and replaced them with hex head bolts. Took maybe an hour. I initially tried the cut-off phillips bit but that still didn't fit well and was just rounding out the screw head anyway.

mjch · Jun 7, 2011

I have done my CPS and was successful without removing the cable duct that parallels the fuel rails. Each duct has 3 or 4 connectors with spring clips that are very difficult to get a good view of or any tools on.

Someone had mentioned going after the spring clips with a dentist's tool, an I have a good assortment of those tools, just can't figure out where to pick and apply pressure to remove these as they were designed to be removed.

gixxeridaz · Feb 8, 2013

myn just started doing this, has resetting worked for anyone or only a temp fix

Nvable · May 20, 2014

How did you realize it was software related? Thanks in advance.

mmzcee Discussion starter · May 21, 2014

I had Shark Injector software installed, flashed back to stock and it fixed the problem. Got an updated 'M5Board' version of the Conforti tune from TMS and have had no problems since.

MMMotorsport · May 21, 2014

Replace the phillips screws

I highly recommend replacing the *&^%$ philips screws with proper hex or torx bit units. It will ease the replacement for the next time if required:

http://www.m5board.com/vbulletin/e39-m5-e52-z8-discussion/167754-tps-diy-4.html

UkraineE39 · May 24, 2014

Thanks for this thread, saved me ALOT of money. Anyway just wanted to share my experience with this diy. I was able to squeeze vice grips with a bit in between the bolt and the plastic wiring harness to get the bolts off.
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UkraineE39 · Jun 1, 2014

Maybe this video will help somebody one day

Rhamy · Feb 10, 2020

Thanks for this. I was only changing my TPS but now I will also get all 4 cam sensors as well.

Delo_Mio · Jun 11, 2014

Having a hard time removing wiring box. And im nowhere near a dentist to even have those pick tools.

BloodRedM5 · Jun 11, 2014

You can get plastic ones at the dollar store (or Walmart) near the toothbrushes. They brake easily, so buy a few.

Also I ended up buying a dental kit from eBay with 7-stainless steel body/tips for $10. They work better as each tip has a different angle, actually helping to get to those areas nearest the firewall.

Delo_Mio · Jun 13, 2014

Hello all,
I just finished Replacing my TPS and the car doesnt feel as responsive as before.

Feels like i need to press the pedal a bit further to get to a certain range. Rpm range.
Not by much but i feel a difference.

Is the car is still adapting to the sensors?
Or maybe i need to adapt to the new sensors?

I was only able to get to about 5k in 2nd on my drive to work.

I know I probably need to do WOT in order to fully calibrate properly.
A buddy told me it might be in Limp Mode. I told him it
Cant be because I've felt Limp Mode. It'll say Trans Failsafe Mode.
Its not to that extreme.

Any thoughts?

UkraineE39 · Jun 16, 2014

Strange. I did not have to do any calibration at all after my tps replacement. :dunno:

curtissp321 · Jun 16, 2014

Hi - did you change the TPS's because of any particular issue, code or symptom?

Simon

Delo_Mio · Jun 16, 2014

They were originals at 123k. Car would'nt turn over. When it did idle was choppy and it ran in limp mode. It threw a salvo of codes all of which indicated TPS.

swingwing · Apr 12, 2016

Just did this job at 138K miles. No record of prior replacement so I think removed sensors were original to the car. I was able to get the screws loose with a pair of vise grip thin nose pliers, so didn't need to take off the wiring covers. I replaced those screws with M4 screws for future accessibility.

curtissp321 · Apr 12, 2016

Hi - any particular issue or just a PM?

If you test the sensors do they track consistently or are they showing issues when bench tested?

Thanks

Simon

GreenM5 · Apr 12, 2016

A nice and easy way to do it without having to spend $30 extra on tools. I did mine on the belief that it was the direct cause of a buck/hesitation whenever quickly going on the gas, PO only did highway miles and was very light footed with the beast.

Have you noticed any difference? My throttle is super sensitive now.

swingwing · Apr 12, 2016

I did a short test drive yesterday after buttoning everything up, and car seemed to be more responsive. Hoping to get it out on the road soon for a proper thrashing - so far this car tells me the harder I push it the better.

Terabass · May 13, 2024

I got the following codes yesterday while driving:

P0121 - Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch 'A' Circuit Range/Performance Problem:
This code suggests there is an issue with the throttle position sensor (TPS) or its circuit. The TPS monitors the position of the throttle valve and sends this data to the engine control module (ECM). A fault here can cause erratic engine behavior, poor fuel economy, or issues with acceleration.

P0221 - Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch 'B' Circuit Range/Performance Problem:
Similar to P0121, this code indicates a problem with a different aspect or circuit of the throttle position sensor system. Often, this relates to a secondary sensor or a redundancy built into the system to ensure accurate data is supplied to the ECM.

I had no performance change/hickup when the Engine Fail Safe activated. The car did not create any noticeable performance problems while driving under normal conditions, but while accelerating it did feel more sluggish. If I did not get a check engine light and Fail Safe Activated mode warning, I would likely not have noticed.

It looks pretty certain it is the throttle position sensor issue, but I want to double check with those who have experience, make sure this is not the pedal position sensor acting up.
What do you folks with experience think of this issue?

Sailor24 · May 13, 2024

Terabass said:
It looks pretty certain it is the throttle position sensor issue, but I want to double check with those who have experience, make sure this is not the pedal position sensor acting up.
What do you folks with experience think of this issue?

It is a funny circuit, there is a path to follow no matter the codes even if pedal codes. Step one replace the TPS, easiest and cheap and if never replaced before have significant use. Always the first step because the exact same volts that go through the pedal are the exact same volts, even though switched for one or the other that go through the TPS. Next you would go after the pedal if no actuator codes but if you have actuator codes things change a bit.
This could just be a one time glitch but those usually turn into TPS problems down the road, but sometimes they come with no codes so it would be a good time to take the cars hint.

TPS replacement (pictures inside)

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