HOW TO RESET THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR

The methods of how to reset the throttle position sensor on your car depend entirely on the car model you drive. On some car models, you can reset the throttle body sensor by disconnecting the battery, while on others you need to use a diagnostic tool to reset and calibrate it.

Before you reset the throttle body sensor, you may want to ensure that it’s mechanically calibrated before, if it’s possible on your car model. Here are some of the common methods of how to reset a throttle position sensor.

1. Use an OBD2 scanner 

The easiest way to reset a throttle sensor and calibrate it on most modern car models is to use an OBD2 scanner. However, to do this, you need to make sure that the diagnostic scanner you buy is compatible with your car engine and has a throttle sensor reset feature for your car model.

You can find many obd2 scanners for cheap, but it won’t help if it’s not compatible with your car so you should do a lot of research before you decide to buy one. In addition, in some car models, it is only possible to reset the throttle sensor manually.

2. Push Accelerator

You might be able to reset the sensor without much effort. Turn on the vehicle without starting the engine and leave the key in the ON position. If you have a keyless start, just push the button one time, not enough to crank the engine over.

Hold down the accelerator pedal for twenty seconds. You want it to go as close to the floor as possible. Release it slowly and turn the car off. Now, start the engine normally and go for a drive to see if the situation has improved.

2. Remove Fuse

The sensor is an electronic aspect of the vehicle. It is run through a fuse. By pulling out the fuse, you cause a manual reset of the sensor.

Find the fuse box and the appropriate fuse. This information can be found in the owner’s manual. Pull out the fuse and leave it out for ten minutes. After you replace it, the throttle body sensor should have reset. However, so will anything else that’s also run by that fuse.

3. Disconnect Battery

Whenever you want to reset something electronic, disconnecting the battery can help. Take off the negative cable from the battery.

Allow the battery to remain disconnected for five minutes before reconnecting it. When you do this, everything electronic in the car will reset, including the clock and stereo presets. For this reason alone, most people prefer starting with one of the other methods first

4. Drive the Vehicle

In some cases, it takes driving the vehicle to reset the sensor. Start the engine and drive down the highway at maximum speeds. You want to be consistently over 40 mph.

Once you get the car up to highway speeds, you should slowly accelerate and decelerate slightly. Give a few minutes in between each session. The sensor may reset, providing better responsiveness.

5. Drain Car Power

Even when you remove the battery connection, many aspects of the car can retain power. If nothing else is working, you want to drain the power from every aspect of the car in hopes of resetting the sensor.

Start by disconnecting the battery, both the positive and negative cables. Jump into the car and turn on the ignition and press the brake pedal.

You may want to wait 10 to 30 minutes for this procedure. During this time, any power will drain from the vehicle. Reconnect the battery cables and start the engine. The sensor should be reset.

6. Idle Engine

Crank the engine over and allow the car to idle for three minutes. Once the time is up, turn the car off.

Go ahead and repeat these steps again. In a few models, you can turn the key ON without starting the engine with the same results. Reference the service manual to see what’s appropriate for your car.