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The TPS Harness from Hell


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2003 VQ35DE with Drive by Wire

I took off my intake for regular maintenance, as well as changing spark plugs. To clear room, I disconnected the TPS sensor on the Throttle body from its harness. Last week i started putting stuff together, and the TPS harness won't go onto the TPS plug. 

 

I need insight on whether the harness is broken, damaged, or if my methods are inadequate. But first pictures, so that you all will have a better idea of what I'm talking about.

 

This is the Harness:

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This is the plug on the TPS:

 

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Here's what I know so far: The springs (you can see their white/clear tops in the top section of the harness) are contacting the guides on the TPS (the two guides with the rectangle between them in the last picture). I cannot push the springs far enough out of the way to change this. Even after lubricating the springs and TPS plug, I can't get the springs to slide past the guide. This contact causes the sliding/locking mechanism on the backside of the harness to get pushed back when sliding the harness onto the TPS plug. Or, if you slide the locking mechanism all the way back, put the harness on the TPS plug, and then try and push the locking mechanism all the way forward, the TPS plug gets pushed off the harness. It was my initial assumption that the springs are supposed to slide past the guides, but I'm not super confident on that. 

 

So, lets say the springs are supposed to contact and push against the guides. If that's the case, then fine. I'll push harder, but I've already poked holes in backside of the sliding mechanism from pushing with a flathead screwdriver. 

 

If I take the springs out of the harness, it doesn't lock onto the TPS plug with any force other than the friction between the two surfaces. I can pull the harness off without touching locking/sliding mechanism on the backside of the harness.

 

The harness appears to be in working shape and not damaged, nor do I recall any snapping noises when I pulled it off the TPS plug last week. When just inspecting the harness, if I push the locking mechanism all the way forward, it clicks into place, seeming to suggest that it works.

 

Any insight is greatly appreciated, as my truck has now been sitting in the driveway for a week. I'd have to tow it to a shop or drive it to one with the TPS harness shoddily connected, and I'm not sure what a shop would do or tell me to do at this point.

 

 

 

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EL-38 of the '03 manual shows how to get those apart, but not how to put them together again. Looks like to get them apart, you push the slider forward (towards the TPS). From that I'd guess that you'd stick it back together with the slider still all the way forward, and the slider would then return on its own to the locked position as the connector seated. Maybe having the slider fully forward lifts the springs that are getting in your way? I didn't even know those connectors were a thing, so that's all I've got. Good luck!

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8 hours ago, Slartibartfast said:

EL-38 of the '03 manual shows how to get those apart, but not how to put them together again. Looks like to get them apart, you push the slider forward (towards the TPS). From that I'd guess that you'd stick it back together with the slider still all the way forward, and the slider would then return on own to the locked position as the connector seated. Maybe having the slider fully forward lifts the springs that are getting in your way? I didn't even know those connectors were a thing, so that's all I've got. Good luck!

That’s how I poked holes in the slider with a Flathead... had it in the locked position and started pushing, but thanks for replying

Edited by PathyDude17
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  • 3 weeks later...

Finally, I have a full update to this problem:

 

Short Version: Broken Harness, replaced with harness from 02 Maxima.

 

Longer Version: No one makes thst 6 pin harness for the TPS on an R50. It doesn’t exist. The closest thing I could find was a build your own harness for an Xtrail that was identical to the eventual maxima harness. I tried the x trail harness, but even after I built it it didn’t work, which ended up being a good thing. I found a TPS harness on an 02 maxima at a junkyard. Again, it looks exactly like the x trail one I used. Not only is the maxima harness an actual fix (I already test drove and successfully performed relearn procedures), it has a better locking mechanism- a simple lever that is released with decent effort, but otherwise stays perfectly locked into place. Glad to finally have her back and running again.

Edited by PathyDude17
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another update
 

@deltaR50 provided me with a website that carries a generic VQ35DE harness that resembles exactly the maxima one. It can be purchased as an already assembled pigtail, which is awesome: https://www.wiringspecialties.com/vq35-throttle-motor-connector-tps-dbw/


 

Here’s a video for visual on the maxima harness: 

 

 

 

Edited by PathyDude17
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