Making the throttle reliable...and how quickly can you kill a TPS?

[sapote]

1. S54 air-management training — identifies the throttle-shaft pot as the rising sensor (closed ~0.5 V to full open ~4.5 V) and the actuator-shaft feedback pot as the falling sensor (closed ~4.5 V to full open ~0.5 V). BMW states the two operate inversely with throttle actuation.

Both sensors are the same part, but the front sensor rotates CW as throttle opening, viewed by driver, and the rear sensor rotates CCW viewed from shaft side, and so their values are on different slopes.

[bimmerfan08]

Another data point for the forum. In 16 years of ownership and ~105K miles of driving (currently at ~177K miles), I've only had the TPS above the oil filter fail (4x). Pulled entries from my maintenance log. If the past is a predictor of the future here, I'm about due again for failure if going by the cadence of replacement. 😅


January 27, 2012 – Mileage: 103,682

• Front throttle position sensor by oil filter housing replaced

May 27, 2015 – Mileage: 158,790

• Front throttle position sensor by oil filter housing replaced

August 29, 2019 – Mileage: 164,782

• Front throttle position sensor by oil filter housing replaced

April 19, 2022 – Mileage: 170,492

• Front throttle position sensor by oil filter housing replaced

[OldRanger]

Another data point for the forum. In 16 years of ownership and ~105K miles of driving (currently at ~177K miles), I've only had the TPS above the oil filter fail (4x).

My experience is the same - only having problems the TPS "by the oil filter housing". Which is fortunate, given the substantial increase in effort to change the TPS on the throttle actuator. Do you remember if your fault codes have always been 118 (or 0x76)?

[OldRanger]

I was curious to know if temperature adversely affected the TPS - given my prior logging sessions where in the shop at 75 degrees.

I did another round of logging today with the suspect TPS that causes EML on track; regretfully I was not on track and not to the same duration, but I did go out for a drive. I wanted to see if higher temperatures affected the TPS.

This time the car was at full operating temperature — ambient 99°F, coolant at 200°F, oil around 215°F. Suspect TPS till installed. I pulled over to get some live values with the engine warm but NOT running. Short version: no change. The TPS disagreement peaks in the 75–95% throttle range at around 6%, just like the cold runs. Same zone, same magnitude, same polarity. Not enough to throw an EML.

[Cubieman]

Is there any options besides the genuine BMW ones as the VDO's have been out of stock for a while.

[bimmerfan08]

My experience is the same - only having problems the TPS "by the oil filter housing". Which is fortunate, given the substantial increase in effort to change the TPS on the throttle actuator. Do you remember if your fault codes have always been 118 (or 0x76)?

From my schwaben code reader (this was Aug 2019)