# P1543 Help



## soup006 (May 17, 2004)

I thought I would also post here just because this is the general vw area and maybe more people would read it. I replaced the battery in my gf's '98 vw bug. Since then it idles weird and if you really step on the gas, after 3000 rpms it is like the car cuts out. It does not stall when doing this but surges a lot, etc. I got a code p1543 on the car which I learned from this forum means: Throttle Actuation Potentiometer Signal too Low
Any way to fix this without going to VW? The car has been driven about 100 miles since the battery change.
Thanks


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## tkr01 (Mar 25, 2009)

Hello, slightly similar problems that I would like to share with other vw owners. One day I came home and my car would not start due to a dead battery. Also, I had a trouble code P1543. Long story short, after changing the battery my car would not maintain proper idle and constantly die. Even when I would rev it, it would only go up to about 3200 and drop and after bouncing 3 or 4 times completely die. 
The solution: reprogam the throttle control module parameters with a vw scan tool. 

Apparently if the volts drop low enough on the battery, many power dependent computer systems on the car can throw codes and in some cases (P1543) need reprograming. In fact, the vw scan tool even had to clear abs, immobolizer, and a few other trouble codes. Codes of which my home OBD II scanner could not detect. Most in other forums said they changed the throttle control module due to P1543(throttle actuator sensor, low signal). It is possible that the tcm may be faulty. If the throttle control module is replaced, the ECM must be reprogrammed with a scan tool to accept the new module. In any case whether the tcm is changed or not, a computer reprogaming with the vw scan tool will be needed. 

At least this is what worked for me. If this doesn't solve your problem, I hope it at least gives some ideas. Best wishes.


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