I've done a bit of research and I'm pretty sure I have a TPS that is going bad, but upon further inspection I'm not sure that's all it is.

It's a 2000 4.0 sport 4wd. Lately if I'm just putting around town it will hesitate at low speeds, intermittently. It's idled fine throughout until today. I'm traveling to Atlanta in it and have had a lot of hesitation/sputtering problems at low RPMs , and it felt like it wouldn't shift out of OD unless I put it to the floor. I pulled off to get some dinner and it idled fine until I popped the hood. It immediately died, and wouldn't crank over without hesitation. I noticed the exhaust manifold looked moist under the throttle cable. It didn't smell like gas, but it kind of looks like it.
It also looks like the tip of the plastic piece in the pic is loose, and will toggle around. Not sure if that's normal or not.


Does this sound like the TPS, and it alone? Or is there some other issues here that I'm not aware of.


Any help would be appreciated!

 

A pad TPS will cause all sorts of issues. Is the rig throwing any codes? From my experience you need to check the TPS and you should probably pull the Idle Air Control Motor and clean the plunger. Might as well do the throttle body also.

A bad IAC will usually result in very poor idle. Usually will die. The jeep will run fine when you give it has but without the butterfly open it won't idle.

A bad TPS will cause delays in shifting, no overdrive, and a searching idle. There are several threads on how to test a TPS.

BTW, they don't like water. I have louvers in my hood so I keep an extra TPS in my glovebox.