Ok, well decided I would adjust my TPS today after I had got done adjusting my timing ('85 GSL-SE).

Anyway I fixxed myself up a little light and pluged it in, the very first time when I turned the ignition to accesory one light flashed on and then went off. I came back inside and did some further reading to make sure I had everything set up right, went back out and started playing with the TPS adjustment screw, re-plugged the light in and both lights came on.

Continued adjusting my TPS all the way down, and all the way back up, did so about five to six times. Both lights stayed on the entire time, neither light went off at anypoint. So I decide to give up and just set the idle by sound. Did that by adjusting both the idle screw and the TPS, got it set to ~1k and called it good.

Went inside and re-read the "TPS Adjustment For Dummies thread" went back out to recheck everything and turned on the car to rev it up to make sure I still could.

However I could not, I was slowly taking it up the RPM ranges (or attempting to) but when I reached 1,600 it would choke and drop down to about 1100-1300 then surge back up to ~1600 or so. I adjusted the TPS all the way up and then all the way back down, no change still choking and surging at ~1600.

I did the same with the idle screw on the upper intake manifold and still no luck. I then got an idea, I turned off the car, unplugged the TPS wire, then started it back up and low and behold I can rev it up with no choking or surging.

Sound like a bad TPS to anyone?

Will it damage the car to run without a TPS until I can get one ordered? If not what will it do?

Thanks,
Adam

 

Does sound like a bad TPS to me, to be sure you can check the resistance with a multimeter (it's in the haynes manual IIRC, mine's in the car so I don't have it here) to find out for sure. You should be able to drive w/o a TPS, the EGI uses the AFM to work out the air/fuel mixture for the most part, the TPS is just for accel enrichment and emissions type stuff -- it won't run great, but it should be drivable.

 

Just what I wanted to hear, thanks for the quick reply and help.