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Cause

Open circuit in throttle motor wiring

A break in the wiring driving the electronic throttle's motor, so the module cannot move the plate at all. The consequence is deliberately severe: an unmovable throttle means the module has lost control of engine airflow, so it commands a reduced-power mode immediately and the vehicle limps.

The plate returns to its default position, which is a slightly open limp position rather than fully closed — engines are designed so that a loss of throttle control leaves enough airflow to run and move the vehicle off a carriageway. A car that will only crawl, with a throttle circuit code, is this working as intended.

Test at the throttle body's connector, which splits the circuit in one measurement: a drive signal present there puts the fault in the motor, absent puts it in the harness or the module's output. The harness flexes with engine movement, so the break is usually where it crosses to the body or passes a bracket — and worn engine mounts make it more likely by increasing the movement the loom absorbs.

Typically a moderate job.

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Some of these codes mean you should stop driving

2 of the 2 codes this can cause indicate a fault where continuing to drive risks damage or is unsafe. Which one you have matters more than the cause does — read the code's own page before deciding.

Codes this can cause (2)

Codes where this is a likely explanation first, rather than merely a possible one.

Information, not instruction

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Have anything you intend to act on checked by a trained person against the manufacturer's own procedure for your vehicle. Nothing here replaces that procedure.

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