I have here what looks like a throttle position sensor and it looks like a lot of Honda TPS's but it's backwards or something. I took some pics. What could this be from?

outside


plug


inside


turns counterclockwise?

 

Looks like that is a Honda TPS. If I remember correctly, when you install these onto the TB you have to rotate the TPS rotor/pin 180° to load the spring before you put it on. That is why it rotates counter clock wise, as it sits now it is at the WOT position....

 

or if it does in fact rotate backwards, it is from an 88-91 EF DPFI engine

 

Sorry, I just checked one of the TPS sensors that I have here (D15) and when you install it on the TB it's more like 35°-45° that it has to be rotated. It is spring loaded as and as it sits off the throttle body it rotates CCW and snaps back CW.

Guess the only way to tell is to take a multimeter and check the resistance.

 

If I don't rotate it, the resistance is about 50 ohms.

As I rotate counterclockwise against the spring it goes up and up and up and I have to change scale on the multimeter and it tops out at about 5000 ohms about 90 degrees around and then it's infinity from there up.

 

So what you're saying is the resistance goes down (allowing voltage to go up then?) as the throttle is opened?

But doesn't this face the wrong direction for the 88-91 D15 engines? I know those are reverse rotation and all, but I thought they kinda looked the same as the other Honda TPS's, just rotated the wrong way.

 

Yes, the Honda TPS specs are approx. 0.45v @ closed throttle and 4.5v-5v @ wide open throttle.

It's facing the same side of the engine, However it is in the upward direction, where mine is in the downward position. It's about 45° difference. I'll trade you! I would rather have the connector facing up than down. That does face the same way as the DPFI throttle body TPS though!

 

OK so this would theoretically work on other engines like B and F engines but it's no good for D15 with DPFI. Darn. I was hoping this might have been one of those.

Maybe it's supposed to be for something else like a G engine, the 2.5TL Acura or something? I can't find a good pic online of how those are situated. Maybe I should go spend a morning in a junkyard looking at TPS's in various cars and see if I find anything like this. Or maybe they used it in Passports or something, of course those I guess had Isuzu engines. I don't know.

 

Theoretically I think one could get it to work on most Honda throttle bodies. If you need it for a DPFI D15 give it a try!

 

Well I bought a '90 DX sedan at an impound auction, and it'll start and idle but it doesn't want to drive or rev up or anything. A friend gave me this thinking it might be the right one and I'll just have to have the car towed home so I can try it out. I have until Thursday to move it off the lot before they charge me for storage.

For a free part and a $250 car I guess it's worth a shot. If it doesn't work and the original TPS is shot then I have some junkyarding to do. Car's probably all original and with 244K on it I'm sure one from a lower mileage car will be ok if this one isn't going to fit.

Thank for the assistance, and if it doesn't work I guess I'll give it back.