2005 Honda Element throttle body problem?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I recently had a mechanic replace the throttle body on my '05 Honda Element. It was a cheap aftermarket part I got on Amazon, rather than pay $500 for a new Honda part. I had to replace it because it sprang a coolant leak.

So my mechanic put the new throttle body on for me. The car ran fine, but soon after I got a Code 1121, TPS Low Output. I checked the TPS output and found my mechanic hadn’t calibrated the new TPS, with the result that it was putting out only 0.25 volts at idle instead of the required 0.5 volts.

So I did the TPS calibration myself and cleared the code.Then I did the “idle relearn” procedure. All seemed good. Then I noticed a subtle jerk in the automatic transmission when downshifting from 2nd to 1st gear when approaching a stop. It’s not bad, but just enough to be annoying.

I did some Googling and found someone who had the same problem on an Element after replacing his throttle body. He took it in and was told it needed a Crank Pattern Learn procedure. They did the crank pattern learn, and he said it solved his issue.

So I took my Element to the local Honda dealer and asked them to do a Crank Pattern Learn on the ECU. They did, and the service writer said his tech did a post-service test drive and all was good.

Uh, not. The subtle “jerk” on downshift from 2nd to 1st is still there, unchanged. So that was $145 down the drain.

I’m now out of ideas, short of spending $700 for a Honda throttle body, which I really don’t want to do. Any ideas?

2

So, is the OEM part $500 or is it $700? Regardless, you may well spend more than either amount chasing down the problem, which could turn out to be that cheap throttle body or the TPS that was installed in it.

1 Like
3

Well, it’s $500 for the part and probably another $200 for the install. So if I can fix the issue for less than that, obviously that’s what I’m trying to do.

For example, the TPS sensors on these aftermarket throttle bodies are pretty cheap. But I can get a new higher quality Honda TPS for $30 and install it myself. So if someone tells me, yes, installing a new Honda TPS will likely fix the issue, that’s what I’d try first.