Engine surge and code PL00220

[peti]

I have 2000 V70 non turbo. Been having some very subtle surge problem, usually when I get going but also at speed. It feels like the car surges and lags back and forth, not enough though to show up on the tachometer.
I just scanned the engine and got this code: P00220, pedal position sensor.
Could this be my problem, or is this something else?
Thank you in advance, Peti

[jda2000]

is the cruise control feature working fine?

[peti]

Yes, cruise control is fine, what I forgot to mention is that the check engine light does not come on.

[jclipper7]

I'm not sure if you've found the problem yet but I wanted to share what I leared about the pedal position sensor. If the PPS code is valid it is much more likely that it is either a wire/harness issue or a resistance to ground issue. I disassembled my PPS last week because I had a similar surge issue and suspected it. I've read several times from the techs that post here that they've never seen a PPS fail. After inspecting it I can see why. The sensor is a type of linear variable transformer that has no internal friction contacts, relays, or switches (steady state). Basically the pedal rotates the equivalent of a transformer core to transform either voltage or current from a high regulated side to a sensing side. There is no adjustment either. The "click" you feel when you depress the pedal may be the point in the sensor where the "kick down" occurs, but it is not part of the the actual sensor, it is part of the rotating mechanical side and is normal and designed to be that way. I hope this helps. I wish I had taken pictures when I had it apart but forgot. -John

[mikealder]

One of the easiest ways to visualise how an LVDT/ RVDT works can be seen on This web page, not too sure if its of any use but it might give you some ideas on how to test the unit on the bench if you have access to a basic sig gen and scope - Mike