Jeep Cherokee 1988 Quick Start Manual page 4

mounted on throttle body and senses angle of throttle blade opening.
A voltage signal of up to 5 volts at wide open throttle is
produced by TPS. Voltage varies with throttle angle changes. This
signal is transmitted to ECU where it is used to adjust air/fuel
ratio during acceleration, deceleration, idle, and wide open throttle
conditions.
A dual TPS is used on models with automatic transmissions.
This dual TPS not only provides ECU with input voltages but also
supplies automatic transmission control unit with input signals
relative to throttle position.
Knock Sensor
Knock sensor (detonation sensor) is located on lower left
side of cylinder block just above oil pan. Knock sensor picks up
detonation vibration from engine and converts it to an electrical
signal for use by ECU.
ECU uses this information to determine when a change in
ignition timing is required. Knock sensor allows for engine operation
on either "premium" unleaded or "regular" unleaded fuel.
When knock occurs, ECU retards ignition timing in one or
more cylinders until detonation is eliminated.
Speed Sensor
Speed sensor is secured by special shouldered bolts to
flywheel/drive plate housing. Speed sensor is nonadjustable and
preset at factory. Speed sensor senses TDC and engine speed by
detecting flywheel teeth as they pass pick-up coil during engine
operation. See Fig. 2.
Flywheel has a large trigger tooth and notch located 12
small teeth before each TDC position. When a small tooth and notch
pass the magnetic core in sensor, concentration and collapse of the
magnetic field created induces a small voltage spike into sensor
pick-up coil windings. These small voltage spikes are sent to ECU,
allowing ECU to count the teeth as they pass sensor.
When a large tooth and notch pass magnetic core in sensor,
increased concentration and collapse of the magnetic field induces a
higher voltage spike than smaller teeth. Higher spike indicates to
ECU that a piston will soon be at TDC position, 12 teeth later.
Ignition timing for cylinder is either advanced or retarded by ECU
based upon "sensor input".
Fig. 2: Speed Sensor Operation
Courtesy of Chrysler Motors.
Engine Switches
Several switches provide operating information to ECU. These