As some of you may already know, I've been experiencing problems with the TPS several times on my Park Avenue. They actually seem to overheat and emit white smoke, mostly while idling at a traffic light or in a restaurant drive-thru. They have all seemed to "smoke" 4 or 5 times before the car will actually set a code and turn on the service engine soon light. The TPS has been replaced many times, and the FIFTH ONE started the smoking last Sunday. It was installed at a local dealership, and I explained the situation to them when the work was done, telling them how it seems to overheat several times before it actually fails. They could find nothing wrong, and no cause for the overheating of the TPS. They told me when the last one was installed that I had a one year warranty, and that it would be replaced free of charge if it failed again within that year. With only a couple of weeks until the warranty expires on the TPS, I took the car back to the dealership Monday to have it checked. Again, they found no reason for it to be overheating and smoking, and said that it had not set any codes yet. The SES light is not on yet. The only symptom I'm getting so far, other than the one "smoking" episode, is a faster than normal idle at cold start-up. So, I'm out $78.00 for their attempt at diagnosing the problem, with no answers.

Has anyone ever heard of this, or have any idea why it is happening?

Your TPS sensor only uses 5 volts to operate and to burn up that many sensors I would look for a short to 12 volts on the wires .... rubbed wires from the fuel injectors , alternator & etc. HTH
John