Throttle Cable Broken?

[freeride53]

After putting my M42 top back together, fired it up to a rough idle.
Checked everything, then noticed that the throttle cable was not staying on tight. Then I noticed that there was a small circular plastic piece moving up and down the cable. The cable does not snag on, thus the car keeps stalling out and idling erratically. Has this ever happened to you, and how did you go about repairing it?

[BMW_325i]

Is this the part # 17 in the below diagram? (took a guess at model/year)

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=AF93&mospid=47305&btnr=35_0123&hg=35&fg=10

[freeride53]

Is this the part # 17 in the below diagram? (took a guess at model/year)

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts...23&hg=35&fg=10

No actually, its the visible part on the cable, and is able to slide back and fourth, about 5 inches..

[Simon S]

Can you take a picture? I can't tell from what you describe is a cable break - or a clip/assembly break deal.

I have read about guys having to use a shoe string or coathanger wire to get home after being stranded by a broken cable.

Damn - now I'm feeling old. 3-4 years ago I thought: "meh - broken cables only happen to rusty-ass early models."

I can tell you they are a wear item - but usually good for 200+K miles with adjustments as they stretch.

These are maintenance parts I ordered from blunttech about a week ago:
2) 13541747519 - Cable clip - $.52 ea
1) 35411158724 - Accelerator Bowden cable - $26

(I picked up two clips because I'm also putting an e36/m42 cruise control cable on)

Should be set for installation with a clip and a cable.

Is this the part # 17 in the below diagram? (took a guess at model/year)

17 is N/A. I have a new cable in front of me - and it has a piece of metal pinched on the end of it (like a bicycle cable end?) - which keeps that little cylinder piece from coming off end of cable.

[Simon S]

the visible part on the cable

que?

[Ryann]

I don't think your throttle cable issue is causing the stalls/rough idle. It could cause a HIGH idle if it were hanging up or something, but not a lack of engine speed.

[Simon S]

If it's what I think it is - you can either just thread it back together and adjust as needed -

or the plastic became brittle and broke. (replacement)

[Simon S]

I don't think your throttle cable issue is causing the stalls/rough idle.

I need to lay off the beer..
Good point there. lol

[Simon S]

oh yeah yeah - you had taken off the valve cover..

Shit - I start thinkin about spark plug wires being routed correctly (?) - or plug wires placed snugly on plug or coil connection points maybe?

Focus on what it was that you "messed with". Shit like this happens to me too from time to time - it is ALWAYS "shit that I messed with".

[freeride53]

que?

Sorry bout that, I can't read :oops:.
Looks more like 15, then maybe 16 &17?
Pics tomorrow before noon.

oh yeah yeah - you had taken off the valve cover..

Shit - I start thinkin about spark plug wires being routed correctly (?) - or plug wires placed snugly on plug or coil connection points maybe?

Focus on what it was that you "messed with". Shit like this happens to me too from time to time - it is ALWAYS "shit that I messed with".

Haha. I numbered the coil plugs, etc, but I'll run through them again and disconnect/connect them.

[Simon S]

Looks more like 15, then maybe 16 &17?

Yeah - those parts start to crumble.

Good luck with troubleshooting - start simple and strive to weed out variables one at a time like a scientist.

Might be the vac hose off the cover - maybe it jiggled loose at it's other end - and is causing the rough idle.

I'm skeptical it's your throttle cable. Pull back on the hinged Throttle Body lever - if there's play in the cable - adjust it out.

[BMW_325i]

Reason i ask about 17 is that recently the pedal went flat to the floor on take-off on my 325i... thankfully no-one was behind me.

Part 17 "KNURLED HEAD NUT" is plastic and mine had cracked over time, enough that it slipped straight off the cable. Lucky that i was able to find it on the road!

As a short term fix it's heat-shrunk to keep it together with a washer and two nuts behind it to keep it on the cable, until a replacement accel cable arrives.


But as everyone says the cable shouldnt be causing a rough idle. If it was adjusted badly then there would either be free play until take-up ie delayed throttle response, or idle would be high.


Part 15 is a rubber grommet to keep the cable tight in the support bracket, and 16 is a bearing which clips into the throttle arm that the cable passes through.