Your Escape TPS Sensor is a device that’s connected to the throttle body of your Escape. As you drive and depress your gas pedal, your throttle blade swings open to allow more air to enter your engine. When this happens the Escape TPS Sensor reads the angle of your throttle and relays this information to your Ford engine computer.
The engine computer in your Escape uses this information to control the fuel delivery to your Ford. When this sensor goes out or there’s a problem with the TPS sensor, your engine computer will lack the proper information to control your fuel delivery. There are several OBDII check engine codes for your Escape TPS Sensor, and some of the more common ones are below :
Common Ford Escape TPS Sensor Trouble Codes
- P0121: Throttle Position Sensor Circuit Performance Problem
- P0122: Throttle Position Sensor Circuit Low Input
- P0123: Throttle Position Sensor Circuit High Input
When your Ford Escape check engine light turns on, you’ll need to use the right OBDII scan tool to analyze the code. These devices easily connect to your On Board Diagnostic computer and can retrieve the stored code and also erase your check engine light.
Symptoms of a failed Escape TPS sensor
When your throttle sensor starts to go bad, there are several other ways to recognize something being wrong other than your Check Engine Light. Here’s just a few of the common issues when the throttle position sensor in your Ford Escape goes bad.
- Engine pinging
- Engine running too lean
- Poor gas mileage
- Bad acceleration and performance
- Inconsistent throttle response
- Engine increasing engine speed or revving on it’s own
If you have any of these issues in your Ford SUV, today I’ll be showing you how to test it. Today’s test vehicle is a 2004 Ford Escape with the 2.0 liter engine in it.
The Ford Escape comes in two different engine sizes and configurations. One is the 3.0 liter Duratec engine and the other is a 2.0 liter four cylinder engine. To complete this guide you’ll need to use a digital multimeter which can be found here.
Testing your Escape TPS Sensor for Power
The Escape TPS Sensor is a three pin unit that’s mounted to the side of your throttle body. Reaching the TPS in your 4 cylinder Ford Escape is easy to do, and it’s usually recommended that you remove the intake piping before you begin.
First you’ve got to turn your Escape ignition to the “ON” position so that your engine sensors are powered up. Now locate and disconnect the throttle position sensor. As previously stated this is a 3 pin unit, and you’ll be testing the ENGINE side of the harness.
The first wire you will be checking is PIN 3 or the wire from the harness that leads to PIN 3. Remember that you are testing the FEMALE ENGINE harness side of the Escape TPS Sensor.
When testing the ENGINE harness, never force the multimeter leads into the housing or the metal pins. Doing so could end up damaging the connector.
With your key turned to the ON position, you should have 5 volts at this wire. Now that you’ve tested for the power signal, the next wire to check is ground. The low reference ground wire should be the one that leads to PIN 1.
If you have power and ground at the ENGINE side of the Escape TPS Sensor harness, the last step is to check the TPS signal. To measure the throttle position sensor signal, you need to plug the sensor back in. The wire you need to measure is the one leading out of PIN 2, and you need to pierce it with the red lead of your multimeter.
Doing so will allow you to read the voltage being sent to your Ford engine computer real time. You do not need to start your engine for this part of the test. Now with the throttle plate at the closed or default position, the signal from this wire should read .3 to .9 volts of DC power.
Now have a buddy push your gas pedal all the way down. You can also push the throttle body open yourself by hand, and while measuring the voltage signal wire you should see between 3.9 and 4.8 volts of DC signal.
If your Escape TPS Sensor doesn’t return these values, it’s time for a replacement throttle sensor. Once you install the new sensor, you need to measure the signal voltage to calibrate or tune the TPS until it works right.
Have any questions about this How To DIY guide to testing your Ford Escape TPS Sensor? Leave us a comment below and let us know!
