Sticky throttle cable? / m42

[Simon S]

Since completing a heavy refurbish, including new throttle cable on my m42 car – the throttle will occasionally become stuck around 3200 rpm.

A quick dab on the gas pedal will knock it loose – but I’m getting tired of doing that.. and it’s awkward with passengers or with anyone else I let drive the car.

At first, I thought putting miles on it would cause whatever it was to ‘break in’ – but after ~3K+ miles, the condition continues.

I’m not sure where to start. Has anyone else experienced/fixed this condition?

Thanks much for any input.

[MR.LUGO]

I've had the same problem but only happens to me when im like flooring it for a while. I think the pedal spring just needs to be adjusted.

[AndrewBird]

Lube the cable?

[Ian Bowers]

Look near the throttle cable's connection to the throttle body, there's a little plastic piece that breaks in half. It lets the cable pull off and get hung up, I have had it happen on mine as well.

[Simon S]

I've had the same problem but only happens to me when im like flooring it for a while. I think the pedal spring just needs to be adjusted.

Yeah - it'll happen when I've got my foot in it.. and at highway/freeway speeds - like I'll let off the gas - but it doesn't slow down. Not sure how the pedal spring(?) would affect it.

Lube the cable?

Yes captain obvious.. 80% sure I lubed it upon install – but just now gave it another shot with cable lube I use on bikes and cycles. It would piss me off if the fix was that easy.

Look near the throttle cable's connection to the throttle body, there's a little plastic piece that breaks in half. It lets the cable pull off and get hung up, I have had it happen on mine as well.

All the hardware including clips are/were new – and looked fine. I opened the hood and watched (engine not running) while applying throttle pedal in various positions of travel. Didn’t see where any binding or catching at the Throttle Body was happening.

Cable housings free of kinks. Cable tension was bang-on proper.


In any event – I installed a missing HVAC panel screw inside on the center dash while tinkering around.. maybe that’ll help..

[TimKninja]

theres a bracket tab like thing behind the lever for the gas pedal, closer to the kick panel near where the cable goes through the firewall, make sure the pedal is contacting that right, or it'll cause the pedal to not reset itself right.

[Simon S]

theres a bracket tab like thing behind the lever for the gas pedal, closer to the kick panel near where the cable goes through the firewall, make sure the pedal is contacting that right, or it'll cause the pedal to not reset itself right.

10-4.
Thanks for the prompt here - as I can investigate the cruise-kill switch on the clutch pedal 'while-I'm-in-there'. (cruise control hasn't worked - and I suspect the kill switch is bent too far away from clutch pedal for it to allow C/C to function)

Will report with results w/in a week or so..

[Simon S]

Follow up:
It was in the cruise control linkage.
Adjusting some slack in the c/c cable fixed it.