[Snowball]

My new to me 2009 Passion is giving me some hassle. The triangle light for the ESP came on the other day and then off again later in the day. There was an ignition cycle and a couple of hours from when it was on to off. Today, I drove home from work and went in the house. I went to leave again about a half hour later and the car started fine but the ESP was on again along with the check engine light and the car wouldn't move. I could shift gears but couldn't get the engine RPM up over an idle. So after a couple of hours I tried again and same issue. I just put an ELM wifi reader on it, cleared the codes and now it seems fine.
I've read about others with these issues but I don't know where to start since it's intermittent.
Thoughts???

 

[jwight]

Knowing what those codes were would be a start......

 

[Snowball]

Yeah, it's been a while since I've used that scanner and totally missed the codes.

 

[Snowball]

Ok, it did it again today. I was leaving work and the triangle came on again. I read the codes and it gave me two,
P3128
P2121
I couldn't get the car above 65 and the RPM was limited so everytime it went up hill, the car would slow down. Speed was totally dependent on the flatness of the road. Manually shifting I was able to get around the side streets and up a couple of hills that way.
I cleared the codes when I got home and the problem hasn't returned yet.

I'm a little baffled, I think the computer is limiting the RPM but I'm not sure why? Brake switch?

Any help is appreciated!

 

[dhlairbusb4]

Well, you have cleared the codes, might also try a battery disconnect and reconnect. Not sure how long to leave it in disconnect, maybe overnight?
But I would wait to see if the codes return first.

 

[toaster]

Ok, it did it again today. I was leaving work and the triangle came on again. I read the codes and it gave me two,
P3128
P2121
I couldn't get the car above 65 and the RPM was limited so everytime it went up hill, the car would slow down. Speed was totally dependent on the flatness of the road. Manually shifting I was able to get around the side streets and up a couple of hills that way.
I cleared the codes when I got home and the problem hasn't returned yet.

I'm a little baffled, I think the computer is limiting the RPM but I'm not sure why? Brake switch?

Any help is appreciated!

My 2009 had the exact same issue and codes as yours. Beware of hill starts as the clutch is slow to engage and it will coast back when it is in this mode. I too was clearing the codes and thought it was a one-time affair... then it happened several more times over a period of many months.

The solution was to replace the accelerator pedal. I found a used one on eBay and have had no problems since. The part number is A451-300-06-04. You can try checking that the electrical connector to the pedal is secure and terminals clean, otherwise I'd suggest a replacement.

~toaster

 

[Snowball]

Thanks toaster! I was trying to decide if it was the pedal or TPS. The P2121 code is specifically for the pedal so I believe you are correct. Was the pedal replacement difficult?

 

[Snowball]

Now that I think about it, a previous owner installed a go pedal from Madness. I wonder if that has something to do with the problem

 

[MB DNA]

Now that I think about it, a previous owner installed a go pedal from Madness.

Do yourself a favor and disconnect the Go Pedal as the electrical connection can cause issues.

Reverting to bone stock will allow you to focus on the smart while eliminating the add-on device.

 

[toaster]

Thanks toaster! I was trying to decide if it was the pedal or TPS. The P2121 code is specifically for the pedal so I believe you are correct. Was the pedal replacement difficult?

Very easy, just 2 plastic nuts and the electrical connector. It may be easier to access the electrical connector if you first unbolt the pedal.

Now that I think about it, a previous owner installed a go pedal from Madness. I wonder if that has something to do with the problem

I agree with MB DNA, disconnect the Go Pedal and see if that fixes the problem. If yours is as intermittent as mine was, it may take a while to verify that the problem has been resolved.


~toaster

 

[Snowball]

This morning the car was fine and no issues all the way to work. It is a little cooler in the mornings here in Michigan (mid 60s) and much hotter in the evenings (80+). I thought this could be a thermal problem since I only see the issue after the car has been in the heat. Since it was a Florida car though, I have eliminated that as a possibility.
As I was leaving my street this morning, I disabled the Go Pedal (no lights on) so the device should just be a pass through and have no effect on the throttle. I'll leave it like this for a couple of days to see if the issue shows up again. If it doesn't, I think I will take the Go Pedal out and return to stock as suggested (thanks BTW). I like to "tuning" effect of the Go Pedal but I really don't need it as I don't expect this to be a performance car.

Love the car and I'm having a lot of fun driving it. My daily commute is about 40 miles (city and highway) so the mileage savings are great for me, even using premium fuel. I've been getting 42 mpg combined since getting back from Florida. Compared to my 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan that would get 26 in a good week.

 

[MB DNA]

As I was leaving my street this morning, I disabled the Go Pedal (no lights on) so the device should just be a pass through and have no effect on the throttle. I'll leave it like this for a couple of days to see if the issue shows up again.

Turning the Go Pedal “off” would not eliminate what could be an in-line electrical connector issue?

 

[Snowball]

Turning the Go Pedal “off” would not eliminate what could be an in-line electrical connector issue?

No it wouldn't. I'm trying just turning it off first to see if the operation of it is the interference problem. If it isn't, the next step is to remove it completely and see if it is the connectors as you mentioned.

 

[Snowball]

So, after two full days the issue with the red triangle seems to have improved. After turning off the Go Pedal device, I haven't had any new codes or issues related the the throttle sensors. I think I will remove that device and that should clear up the intermittent problem I was having.

I new problem came up yesterday though. I was turning left through an intersection and the car lost all power. The engine was still running but would not move forward. As I coasted to the side of the road, I shifted into neutral and back to drive and the car bucked pretty hard and took off again as normal. No error codes came up and no warning lights were displayed.
About 6 miles later I was again turning left and the car died again. This time everything shut down, engine included. I coasted to the side of the road and stopped the car. Shifted into neutral and it would not restart. So I shifted into park and it fired right up like nothing happened. Again, no codes or warning lights persisted.

I gingerly drove it around town close to home after that with no other issue happening. I drove to work this morning and again, no problems.

I'm starting to suspect the SAM unit in this one is on the fritz. With a few problems like this that seem unrelated and are intermittent, I don't know what else to suspect. :shrug:

 

[Igor Barbaros]

Sam's are expensive. Before buying one I would suggest go through every wire that you can see and make sure it's not loose or corroded. Native even make some new ground straps

So, after two full days the issue with the red triangle seems to have improved. After turning off the Go Pedal device, I haven't had any new codes or issues related the the throttle sensors. I think I will remove that device and that should clear up the intermittent problem I was having.

I new problem came up yesterday though. I was turning left through an intersection and the car lost all power. The engine was still running but would not move forward. As I coasted to the side of the road, I shifted into neutral and back to drive and the car bucked pretty hard and took off again as normal. No error codes came up and no warning lights were displayed.
About 6 miles later I was again turning left and the car died again. This time everything shut down, engine included. I coasted to the side of the road and stopped the car. Shifted into neutral and it would not restart. So I shifted into park and it fired right up like nothing happened. Again, no codes or warning lights persisted.

I gingerly drove it around town close to home after that with no other issue happening. I drove to work this morning and again, no problems.

I'm starting to suspect the SAM unit in this one is on the fritz. With a few problems like this that seem unrelated and are intermittent, I don't know what else to suspect.