P0124 means Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch A Circuit Intermittent. The throttle position signal is dropping out or jumping, usually from a worn sensor track or poor connection. It is a generic OBD-II code, so the definition is the same on any make, but the most likely cause varies by engine; confirm with a scan tool and the service information for your vehicle before buying parts.
What P0124 means
Most vehicles built in the last two decades use electronic throttle control instead of a throttle cable: the accelerator pedal carries two or three position sensors, and the throttle body has a motor and two position sensors of its own. The computer compares the redundant sensors constantly, and any disagreement triggers reduced-power mode as a safety measure. Older engines with a throttle cable control idle with a separate idle air control valve.
P0124 symptoms
- Surging or bucking at steady throttle
- Intermittent limp mode
- Erratic idle
Common causes of P0124
- Worn sensor contact track
- Loose or corroded connector
- Chafed wiring
How to diagnose P0124
- Sweep the throttle slowly while watching for dropouts on a scan tool
- Wiggle-test the connector and wiring
Can you drive with P0124?
Use caution until fixed.
P0124 tips
A worn spot in the sensor track often shows as a dropout at the same throttle angle every time. Graph the signal on a scan tool while slowly opening the throttle: a clean sensor draws a smooth line, while a worn one shows sudden spikes or dips at the same point on every sweep.
Will P0124 clear itself?
If the fault stops, the computer turns off the check engine light by itself after several drive cycles without seeing it again, and the code stays in memory as history for a while. Clearing P0124 with a scan tool after a repair is fine, but if the cause is still there the code returns, sometimes within one drive. Disconnecting the battery also clears codes on most vehicles, but it erases learned fuel trims and idle settings as well.
Related codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| P0121 | Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch A Circuit Range/Performance |
| P0122 | Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch A Circuit Low Input |
| P0123 | Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch A Circuit High Input |
Guides that help
When it is more than a sensor
Throttle and idle codes are fixed at the throttle body, the pedal, a sensor or a leak. If those check out and the engine still runs poorly, a compression test separates a control problem from a worn engine; compare engines by code on our engines page.
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