GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

While diagnosing a CEL today (0441/2/6, but that's another story), I was checking out values in my Torque App. With the key on, Torque is reporting that my throttle is around 11%. FULL throttle is around 71%. What's going on here? I know the 04 is not DBW. Is it a bad TPS? Does it need recal? Is Torque just displaying the wrong info?

I have no base to judge operation on, all my other vehicles are big V8s that make lots of torque. The Vibe was accepted as gutless, but now I'm thinking I'm missing something that's supposed to be there...

Checked it today while driving to work. Lowest value for throttle is 11.4%. Did a full throttle third gear run to 6000. Torque reported throttle at 74.5%.

I normally drive this thing for economy, shifting at or under 3k. That's the first time I've had it over 5k in two years.

Any ideas?

Since it's a cable throttle, it can be adjusted. Not sure what the spec is supposed to be, but I'd bet that even when the accelerator is floored, the throttle shouldn't open 100%.

With the engine off, try hand turning the cable pulley to 100% and watch how much slack there is in the cable...

I will verify physical opening this weekend, I'm doing an oil change. I think the issue is the TPS is reporting the wrong value.

I'll check and see what the manual says.

Had you ever checked the reading before the codes (which are for the EVAP system)?
11% could be perfectly normal. It's just a number.

No. I'm not really concerned about the 11%. I am concerned about the 75% value.

The issue here is not the throttle, it's that you're taking some arbitrary calculated number from a free app and using some cheap adapter to read values from the car's computer.

It is fine by the manual. As stated in manual: "The throttle position sensor is mounted in the throttle body and detects the throttle valve opening angle. When the throttle valve is fully closed, a voltage of approximately 0.3 – 1.0 V is applied to terminal VTA of the ECM. The voltage applied to the terminals VTA of the ECM increases in proportion to the opening angle of the throttle valve and becomes approximately 3.2 – 4.9 V when the throttle valve is fully opened. The ECM judges the vehicle driving conditions from these signals input from terminal VTA, uses it as one of the conditions for deciding the air–fuel ratio correction, power increase correction and fuel–cut control etc." and the full circuit is powered by 5 volts at the ECM.

If you take the 5 volts, 11% of that is 0.55 volts which is within the 0.3 - 1.0 volt range at closed throttle. The 71% of 5 volts is 3.55 volts which is within range of the 3.2 to 4.9 volts at open throttle. You can watch to see if the percentage value goes up and down smoothly and if the values do not, then you have a problem. There is nothing wrong with the percentages you have at idle and wide open throttle.

THAT is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you so much. I don't have the factory manual for this one, I rely on ProDemand shop software to take care of it. It has all the FSM info, but can be tough to properly search.

Time to track down the EVAP P0441/2/6 codes that keep coming back. New gas cap didn't do it. I'll inspect this week, and hook up the smoke machine!

jayoldschool wrote:Time to track down the EVAP P0441/2/6 codes that keep coming back. New gas cap didn't do it. I'll inspect this week, and hook up the smoke machine!

Check the 1" ribbed plastic evap hose that runs under the passenger side from the EVAP solenoid to the engine. A pinhole leak in this tube can cause those codes. It's not cheap to replace either ~$120 for OEM part.

Will do. That's the first thing on my list when it's up in the air. Wonder if it can simply be replaced with tubing that has the same ID? After that, I've got the full EVAP test procedure printed out on my bench ready to go.