LS 5.3 engine dies while driving DBW Throttle
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On The Tree
Joined: May 2024
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The damn code came back again, P2135 and P0220. The engine died while in traffic and the gas pedal became dead. Back to the drawing board. 
P0220 DTC is pointing at pin B circuit. Not sure what check anymore
P0220 DTC is pointing at pin B circuit. Not sure what check anymore
Last edited by Tma120; Feb 4, 2025 at 05:41 AM.
TECH Regular
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 444
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I have fixed many customer vehicles that intermittently throw this code.
People keep saying shorted for some reason but the code definition is correlation between tps 1 and 2
Any poor connection for half a sec will cause this code.
It's almost always the connector at the throttle body. loose pin fitment or wires breaking down in the bend in the harness
Unless you are using a 2 channel lab scope to graph the tps voltages don't even look at them as it is useless unless the sensor is completely dead or stuck.
use the pid "tps1&2 agree" should always be yes.. wiggle the harness manipulate the throttle at different temps. Use a good scanner with fast refresh rate. A cheap one will not refresh the data it reads as fast as the pcm interprets it. And you will miss it
People keep saying shorted for some reason but the code definition is correlation between tps 1 and 2
Any poor connection for half a sec will cause this code.
It's almost always the connector at the throttle body. loose pin fitment or wires breaking down in the bend in the harness
Unless you are using a 2 channel lab scope to graph the tps voltages don't even look at them as it is useless unless the sensor is completely dead or stuck.
use the pid "tps1&2 agree" should always be yes.. wiggle the harness manipulate the throttle at different temps. Use a good scanner with fast refresh rate. A cheap one will not refresh the data it reads as fast as the pcm interprets it. And you will miss it
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 12
I have fixed many customer vehicles that intermittently throw this code.
People keep saying shorted for some reason but the code definition is correlation between tps 1 and 2
Any poor connection for half a sec will cause this code.
It's almost always the connector at the throttle body. loose pin fitment or wires breaking down in the bend in the harness
Unless you are using a 2 channel lab scope to graph the tps voltages don't even look at them as it is useless unless the sensor is completely dead or stuck.
use the pid "tps1&2 agree" should always be yes.. wiggle the harness manipulate the throttle at different temps. Use a good scanner with fast refresh rate. A cheap one will not refresh the data it reads as fast as the pcm interprets it. And you will miss it
People keep saying shorted for some reason but the code definition is correlation between tps 1 and 2
Any poor connection for half a sec will cause this code.
It's almost always the connector at the throttle body. loose pin fitment or wires breaking down in the bend in the harness
Unless you are using a 2 channel lab scope to graph the tps voltages don't even look at them as it is useless unless the sensor is completely dead or stuck.
use the pid "tps1&2 agree" should always be yes.. wiggle the harness manipulate the throttle at different temps. Use a good scanner with fast refresh rate. A cheap one will not refresh the data it reads as fast as the pcm interprets it. And you will miss it
From reading on the web, both P2135, and P0220 as shown below point to a short to the low reference, pin B for P0220. Had done all kind of measurement on all 8 pins on TPS, nothing sticking out. I have wiggled all those wires, nothing. I can cut the TPS connector that came with the harness and try the factory pigtail shown on the image below ( Left connector is whats on the harness, right connector is a factory one). I can also replace the TAC as suggested in previous post.
TECH Regular
Joined: Dec 2022
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P0220 is tps 2 circuit malfunction
Any malfunction...don't assume short... open will throw same code
Now you got only 3 wires to test there and 6 pins...
Loose pin fitment is likely due to the intermittent nature.
Also lightly pull on the wires checking for one that is stretchy. The wire insulator might be intact but the copper conductor inside could be broken...
Also also a resistance test is only worth so much... you could have all strands broken except 1 in a wire and the ohm meter will read in spec but when circuit is loaded it will not be able to perform... I always load test circuits with a light bulb...the light should be bright...if it's dim then the circuit integrity is compromised
Any malfunction...don't assume short... open will throw same code
Now you got only 3 wires to test there and 6 pins...
Loose pin fitment is likely due to the intermittent nature.
Also lightly pull on the wires checking for one that is stretchy. The wire insulator might be intact but the copper conductor inside could be broken...
Also also a resistance test is only worth so much... you could have all strands broken except 1 in a wire and the ohm meter will read in spec but when circuit is loaded it will not be able to perform... I always load test circuits with a light bulb...the light should be bright...if it's dim then the circuit integrity is compromised
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 12
P0220 is tps 2 circuit malfunction
Any malfunction...don't assume short... open will throw same code
Now you got only 3 wires to test there and 6 pins...
Loose pin fitment is likely due to the intermittent nature.
Also lightly pull on the wires checking for one that is stretchy. The wire insulator might be intact but the copper conductor inside could be broken...
Also also a resistance test is only worth so much... you could have all strands broken except 1 in a wire and the ohm meter will read in spec but when circuit is loaded it will not be able to perform... I always load test circuits with a light bulb...the light should be bright...if it's dim then the circuit integrity is compromised
Any malfunction...don't assume short... open will throw same code
Now you got only 3 wires to test there and 6 pins...
Loose pin fitment is likely due to the intermittent nature.
Also lightly pull on the wires checking for one that is stretchy. The wire insulator might be intact but the copper conductor inside could be broken...
Also also a resistance test is only worth so much... you could have all strands broken except 1 in a wire and the ohm meter will read in spec but when circuit is loaded it will not be able to perform... I always load test circuits with a light bulb...the light should be bright...if it's dim then the circuit integrity is compromised
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: May 2024
Posts: 179
Likes: 12
I do not have crimper tool, but I have 2 or 3 factory connectors I got from the junkyard.
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On The Tree
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if its missing the wedge lock, the pins will be able to move much more than that should and that could definitely cause intermittent problems. trying remove the purple wedge lock from the factory connector and installing it into your harness
Thread Starter
On The Tree
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I will definitely try that. I did pull on those wires at the connector hoping I could reproduce the issue, but that didn't work