2007 Ion - throttle / pedal position sensor problem

[Ohio_Mike]

2007 Saturn Ion 3 with 2.2 liter engine.

Son was driving it. He said the check engine light came on, and there was a loss of power. I just read the codes:

P0121 – Throttle / Pedal Position Sensor / Switch A Circuit Range / Performance
P2135 – Throttle / Pedal Position Sensor / Switch A/B Voltage Correlation

So I did a little research. There is a throttle position sensor on the throttle body. Could this be the culprit? If so, I don’t think I can purchase just the sensor – I think I have to purchase a whole new throttle body.

A little more research shows there is an “accelerator pedal position sensor.” Is this a different sensor? Is it a sensor attached to the pedal?

[fdryer]

Examine your throttle body. If it has a steel cable to operate the throttle valve then your pedal isn't electronic.

Improvements in throttle bodies allows replacement of its throttle position sensor. Check rockauto online for parts or GM online parts.

[ruley73]

Originally Posted by Ohio_Mike

2007 Saturn Ion 3 with 2.2 liter engine.

Son was driving it. He said the check engine light came on, and there was a loss of power. I just read the codes:

P0121 – Throttle / Pedal Position Sensor / Switch A Circuit Range / Performance
P2135 – Throttle / Pedal Position Sensor / Switch A/B Voltage Correlation

So I did a little research. There is a throttle position sensor on the throttle body. Could this be the culprit? If so, I don’t think I can purchase just the sensor – I think I have to purchase a whole new throttle body.

A little more research shows there is an “accelerator pedal position sensor.” Is this a different sensor? Is it a sensor attached to the pedal?

Your 2007 Ion 2.2L has throttle-by-wire so it has an accelerator pedal position sensor and a throttle [plate] position sensor. The former almost never fails. The latter is part of the throttlebody and not serviceable. Before replacing any parts, I would try removing the throttlebody and cleaning it thoroughly with throttlebody cleaner and a brush or some shop rags. I'm sure it's really dirty if it's never been cleaned before and there's a good chance it will fix your problem.

There's no special programming required after doing this, but you'll need to clear the codes so the ECM can relearn the throttle plate's fully open/closed positions. This may take several drive cycles and the engine will idle high (around 1000-1500 RPM) until it's complete. It took about a week of daily driving for the idle in my Ion to return to normal after cleaning the throttlebody.

My 2007 Chevy Equinox behaved the same way after cleaning the throttlebody just a couple months ago. It wasn't throwing any codes beforehand. I just cleaned the throttlebody while replacing the lower intake manifold gaskets. The last time I cleaned it was over 10 years ago, so it was pretty dirty.