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Electronic Throttle Control Light/Limp Mode issue.

42K views 24 replies 13 participants last post by  Old Dogger 
#1 ·
I purchased my Jeep used around two years ago from a private seller, it is quickly turning into one of the largest mistakes I have ever made. I need any help/info I can get from anyone.

It is a
2009 Jeep Wrangler Sahara
47,000 miles
Automatic Transmission

When I purchased the vehicle, the previous owners failed to mention the issue of the ETC light coming on randomly and putting the car into limp mode, they told me when I purchased it, the problem had been fixed it was a problem with the APP sensor. The dealer replaced the pedal, the wiring harness, the whole thing. I drove it for 6 months without a problem, the first year the light came on maybe twice, it was not a big deal just had to cycle the engine and the light was gone. This summer it comes on 4-5 times a day, I cannot complete most drives without it turning on, the only way to get it to shut off is to cycle the engine. I have now taken it to 3 mechanics, including the dealer and none of which can find a problem.

I have had the throttle body replaced, all of the wires relating to the pedal/throttle body had their voltages checked, the computers have been flashed and reset countless times.

I will give you all the information I have about the error:
The car is spitting out the code P2122, and randomly sometimes P2138 will show up.

The engine does not need to be running for the ETC light to come on, if the key is in the on position without the engine running it will randomly turn on, and stay on until the battery is completely shut off.

It seems to happen much more frequently when the temperature is hot outside 65+.

It only comes on when the engine is up to temperature.

The check engine light does not come on, only the ETC.

The issue has gotten progressively worse the longer I own the car.



Any thoughts, suggestions, possible fixes. Please let me know, being my daily driver this issue is rage inducing. I need to get this issue resolved, I am planning to sell the vehicle. In its current state though that would not only be unethical, I am pretty sure illegal. So please if you have any idea what could be causing this problem, please let me know.

If you need anymore info, just ask.
 
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#2 ·
Man, I feel your pain. I bought my JKU slightly used and it was completely trouble free for the first 6 months. Then the ETC light came on. It went to the dealer 5 times for this problem and still not fixed. The dealer replaced the throttle body, power train control module and pedal assembly and the light still came on. I played around with the harness connection at the throttle position sensor and found the little wire anchors were putting lots of tension on the wires. I disconnected the anchors and the frequency of the ETC light went down by several days. The dealer replaced the harness at the throttle position sensor and all was good for 4 days then the light came on again. I then disconnected the anchors again. I was wondering if there was possibly some kind of interference with the wire harness so I put some pipe insulation on the harness and zip tied it on. That was 5 days ago and no ETC light so far.
 
#4 ·
I just read your post and it was like I was reading a transcript of what my 82 year old father has been going through with his 2007 JK Sahara. His has been at the dealership for a month...Yep, a MONTH at this point. I registered for the site hoping to find some answers for him. They are supposedly waiting on a wiring harness to replace the whole thing to the tune of $1700.00. I really thing this should be a class action issue seeing that Jeep/Mopar/Chrysler seems to be turning a deaf ear to it.:atomic:

If the Pipe insulation works, let me know.
 
#6 ·
So far, the pipe insulation has worked pretty well. I drove just over 1,000 miles with no ETC light where as before the insulation the light came on at least 1 or 2 times a day, every day. When I hit 1,200 miles after installing the insulation in the picture, the ETC light came back on. So, I insulated about another 12" of the wire harness down where is runs along the driver side of the engine. That was two weeks ago and the ETC light has stayed off. I went by my dealer and showed the service manager what I discovered and he said that really high heat will affect the conductivity of the wires so that is what could be throwing off the signal from the sensors.
 
#5 ·
I too have an 09 that had this problem in the beginning. dealer replaced some parts but the issue would return. relieved the pressure on the harness and forced the connector together on the throttlebody better and have not had a problem for the last 3 years. good luck.
 
#9 ·
It is just regular old pipe insulation from Home Depot. I check on it every couple of days and it has not melted at all. It is not in direct contact with any metal parts of the engine. The insulation has been in there for over one month now and it is holding up fine. Here is a picture with the extra insulation that I added. I used 1/2" dia. insulation.
 

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#11 ·
I have now had the pipe insulation installed on the throttle position sensor wire harness for over 2 months and the ETC light has completely stopped coming on. And the pipe insulation looks like new, not even the slightest bit of melting. Evidentially it can easily handle the heat under the hood.
 
#12 ·
Looks good Freedom. Such a simple fix to what you have turned into a simple problem!! Maybe Chrysler should pay you for research and development... haha.
 
#13 ·
A couple of weeks after I had put the insulation on and the ETC light went off, I went back to the dealer to show the service manager. He just shook his head that something so simple and inexpensive could fix the problem. The did take pictures under the hood to send to Chrysler. I doubt a check is in the mail though. :)
 
#21 ·
I too am chasing this gremlin in my 2007. I replaced the throttle body and tried cleaning the connectors with contact spray, but still get the light. Usually it only comes on at idle. Also getting a p0507 code, but I think there is a vacuum leak at the throttle body gasket as I didn't change it. I thought about just trading in for a newer model, but I just got everything the way I want it with lift, tires and accessories!
 
#24 ·
Well I came across this problem with my 08 jku. I cleaned the throttle body and reset the peddle and it went away for a few days. Came back today. So I changed the IAT sensor and reset the peddle and reved it a few times and it came back. At several stages I've checked for error code but it would not throw me any codes! So I shut it down and grabbed some stuffand went to get my battery tested. The flashing light was gone and never came back the entries drive to and from oriellys. If it comes back my next step is to uninstall my peddle commander and see what happens.

Any new thoughts on this mystery issue?
 
#25 ·
Well I came across this problem with my 08 jku. I cleaned the throttle body and reset the peddle and it went away for a few days. Came back today. So I changed the IAT sensor and reset the peddle and reved it a few times and it came back. At several stages I've checked for error code but it would not throw me any codes! So I shut it down and grabbed some stuffand went to get my battery tested. The flashing light was gone and never came back the entries drive to and from oriellys. If it comes back my next step is to uninstall my peddle commander and see what happens.

Any new thoughts on this mystery issue?
Welcome to the Forum, from Cave Creek AZ.
 
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