P2138: Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch D/E Voltage Correlation

Short answer: P2138 means “Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch D/E Voltage Correlation”. It is a standard OBD-II code, so the basic meaning is the same on every car. Below is what it means on each of the 6 cars we cover, with a link to the full page for each car.

Standard OBD-II code Same meaning on all cars (SAE J2012).

P2138 on each car

Symptoms

1. Check engine light on
2. Symptoms of a P2138 code can range from stalling when you come to a stop, total lack of power, no acceleration, sudden loss of power at cruise…
3. Potential Causes of P2138 DTC
4. It's been my experience that the wiring connector or "pig tail" on the throttle body gives problems in the form of a poor connection.The female…
5. Possible bare wire on pigtail shorting to ground
6. The top cover on the throttle body distorted preventing the gears from turning properly

Likely causes

1. Fault in the part or circuit named in the code

What to check, in order

1. Read the code with an OBD-II scanner
2. Check the throttle body and pedal sensor connectors
3. Clean a dirty throttle body; do not force the valve by hand
4. Clear the code; some cars need an idle relearn after cleaning

Causes and checks above are the general meaning. The exact test steps and values differ by car: open your car’s page.

All fault codes