Sebring Throttle Issues Causing Starting & Fuel Problems

As someone with moderate experience working on similar cars, I dealt with almost identical symptoms on my 2000 Stratus last year. The engine idle was extremely inconsistent and the throttle response was sluggish, leading to higher fuel consumption. After checking the air intake system and finding no obvious issues, my mechanic diagnosed a defective accelerator pedal module, which was causing incorrect throttle position readings. This explained why the engine management system was getting confused about how much fuel to deliver. The repair took about 2 hours and cost 205€ in total. Since the fix, the throttle control has been smooth, fuel economy returned to normal, and starting problems disappeared completely. To help diagnose your specific case more accurately, could you share: Current mileage, Check engine light status, Whether the issues occur more during cold starts, If the engine idle is rough when the car is fully warmed up, Any recent repairs or maintenance performed The throttle position sensor and control valve system on these engines are known to develop issues over time, but proper diagnosis is important since multiple components can cause similar symptoms.

Latest service was 2 weeks ago with a standard oil change. The actual mileage shows 192342 KM. The throttle body and air intake system were inspected during service but not cleaned. The check engine light has been on since the symptoms started. Cold starts are definitely worse, and the engine idle becomes very erratic after warming up. The engine throttle symptoms you described match mine exactly, especially the inconsistent response and high fuel usage. Looking at the repair cost you mentioned, this seems like a reasonable fix to pursue. I will get the throttle position sensor checked first based on your feedback.

Thanks for those additional details. Since we have really similar cars, I should mention that after my throttle control valve repair, I discovered a few more specifics that might help you: The check engine light in my case was throwing a P0121 code related to the throttle position sensor circuit. If you have access to a code reader, check if you are getting the same error since our symptoms match so closely. When my car throttle issues first started, I also noticed the engine would surge between 800-1200 RPM at idle once fully warm, exactly like what you are describing. The fuel efficiency was dropping by almost 25% during this period. One thing to watch for with these models: the throttle valve assembly can accumulate carbon deposits even if it looks clean during a basic inspection. My mechanic showed me the buildup when they removed mine, and it was pretty severe despite looking okay from the outside. Since your mileage is close to what mine was when it failed (I was at 188000 KM), and given the identical symptoms with the engine throttle response, I would strongly suggest getting both the position sensor and the control valve checked. The complete throttle body might need cleaning or replacement to fully resolve the fuel consumption issues.

Thanks for sharing those symptoms, they match mine from last year exactly. I just got the sensor and control valve checked first since that was the least expensive option, but ended up needing the complete throttle body replacement anyway. Having the whole thing done at once would have saved me some labor costs. Since my mileage was pretty close to yours and we seem to be experiencing the exact same throttle control and engine idle issues, I will go ahead and schedule a full inspection and cleaning of the entire throttle assembly rather than just the sensor. Do you recall if cleaning alone solved your fuel efficiency problems or if replacement was ultimately needed? The fuel consumption increase is really hitting my wallet hard right now. I will get those error codes read first though, that was a smart tip about checking the P0121 code. Having that information will help confirm if we are indeed dealing with the same throttle position sensor failure before I commit to any repairs. Thanks for the detailed breakdown of your experience with this.