The TPS sensor is on the passenger side of the throttle body:

Courtesy of Shoebox:

http://shbox.com/1/tps.jpg

Key on, engine off, you should have 5V between the black and the gray wires in the harness. With the throttle closed, measuring between the blue and black wires should show 0.20-0.90V, with stock TB's usually about 0.65V. Open the throttle slowly. The voltage should climb smoothly (no spikes or dropouts) until at WOT it reads about 4V higher than the closed throttle voltage.

 

well i just bought a new tps sensor so i will check on that later, anybody got any feedback on the loud whining noise as i climb in rpm when driving? The previous owner said it started after he got a new gasket/oil put in from the mechanic.

 

-This is not a rhetorical question-
How often do these sensors go bad? I have been reading allot of misfire threads and usually someone always brings it up. I'm not big on the electrical side of the house, it just seems odd that a TPS can throw things so far out of whack.

 

It wouldn't be my first choice of the place to look. But it is possibility. And its easy to check. The PCM has to anticipate the adjustment of the A/F ratio, richening the mixture when the throttle opens rapidly. The rate at which the voltage changes becomes important. It like the accelerator pump in a carb setup.

 

well its not the tps sensor just changed it and same thing crappy idle and hesistant throttle response. I am going to change the spark plugs this week and when my Taylor 8mm wires come in im changing those also. I think it just needs a tuneup since it prob hasnt had one since it came from the factory. Thanks for the help though.

 

Another perfect example of replacing without testing despite the fact that someone gave the testing procedure. Unbelievable. Not to mention this little piece of contradiction

Sounds like you still have a dead cylinder. That would account for the hesitation. When I (we) gave you advice it was on the assumption that everything else was ok. If you would have mentioned the crappy idle, I never would have told you to consider the TPS. See the first quoted paragraph above.

 

well no need to be a [EDIT] about it, just wanting some help here

 

Well i changed all of the spark plugs and man was that a pita. I mean god i didnt unbolt anything and it took me 4hrs. Changed belt with gatorback v and the spark plugs were all black and had a black sticky residue on them.

So when i started it i thought it ran good when i increased the throttle, but when i hit the gas real fast then let off it backfired and seemed like it wanted to stall. Also i went to the back and there was water coming out of the passenger side tailpipe. The car has sat for awhile so im hoping its not a head gasket leak. Here are some pics of the spark plugs. Tomorrow i should get the wires and i will install them, i let the car run in the dark but didnt see anything that would throw a red flag. god this is so confusing lol.

 

Water is one of the main components of the combustion gasses. Completely normal for water to collect in and drip out of a cold exhaust system.

 

ok well there was a lot, i will let it run today for awhile.

 

Did it ever have a cap and rotor at least? Much less the other tune up items

 

i got my wires today which i will install later this week, im hoping its not the opti

 

well the car has 71k on it so im pretty sure it has never had a tune up

 

ok so i put some fresh gas in this car and after i changed the spark plugs the idle seems very good, does have a weird smell coming from the engine compartment which leads me to think its a leak which sucks. As far as the hesistation i believe its my o2 sensors since it popped a code for one of them which i cant remember what it is. The previous owner said somehting about it being bank 2 something 2. Should i just replace all 4 at the same time or will i be fine just doing one for now since im Poor

 

A bank 2 position 2 sensor would indicate a problem with either the O2 sensor or the cat. It would make no sense at all to replace all 4 O2 sensors, when the code may not indicate a problem with an O2 sensor at all.

Get the EXACT code.... then work on the specific problem.