Spirit V6-181 3.0L SOHC (1990)
Throttle Position Sensor: Description and Operation
Throttle Position Sensor (TPS)/Automatic Idle Speed (AIS) Motor
This sensor is used to send input signals to the Single Board Engine Controller (SBEC) to let it know the current angle of the throttle blade. This sensor
is a variable resistor that has a 5 volt reference signal applied to it by the SBEC. The Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) sends signals back to the SBEC in
the range of 1 to 5 volts. The SBEC uses these input voltage signals to determine the current position of the throttle.
An input voltage level of 1 volt indicates a minimum throttle opening or idle condition. An input voltage of approximately 5 volts would indicate a
maximum throttle opening or wide open throttle condition.
The SBEC uses the voltage signals from the TPS and other input sensors to determine the proper air/fuel mixture for certain operating conditions. Some
of these operating conditions are: acceleration, deceleration, idle, and wide open throttle.
