I've got an '87 S4 5sp and have had the throttle stick twice in the last
month. The first time it happened I was accelerating hard with the pedal
nearly to the floor. When I let off the engine revved to 4 grand. I
tried to lift the pedal with my foot and that didn't work so I immediately
shut it down. I pulled off the side of the road and checked the linkage.
It was stuck about 1/4 of the way and the lower cable was loose. I
thought the cruise control might be stuck. The second time it happened it
didn't rev as high and I hit the stop on the cruise and it didn't make any
difference. So I pulled off the road again and the lower cable was loose
and the return spring needed a little help getting the throttle back into
position. My throttle set up on my car has three cables. A top and a
bottom on the inside and another on the outbound (further to the driver's
left).
Could someone explain which does what? Also it doesn't look like the
linkage adjustment on the motor is sufficient to take up the 1/2 to 3/4
inches of slack in the lower cable? I'm guessing it may be broken or
slipped out on the other end? I haven't looked at the service manual yet
but I thought I would run it by you all first. Another question I have is
that shouldn't the return spring brought in back on its own? Do I need to
lubricate the assembly? I hate to lube it if it shouldn't be lubed?
Scott Smith
==================
At 06:25 PM 5/3/01, Scott Smith wrote:
>I've got an '87 S4 5sp and have had the throttle stick twice in the last month. The first time it happened I was accelerating hard with the
pedal nearly to the floor. When I let off the engine revved to 4 grand.
I tried to lift the pedal with my foot and that didn't work so I immediately shut it down. I pulled off the side of the road and checked the
linkage.
>It was stuck about 1/4 of the way and the lower cable was loose. I thought the cruise control might be stuck. The second time it happened
it didn't rev as high and I hit the stop on the cruise and it didn't make any difference. So I pulled off the road again and the lower cable was
loose and the return spring needed a little help getting the throttle back into position. My throttle set up on my car has three cables. A top and a bottom on the inside and another on the outbound (further to the driver's left).
>
>Could someone explain which does what?
Perhaps the best way, rather than just telling you which is which, is to
tell you how to determine which is which.
One cable will run back to and then through the firewall - this is the
throttle pedal cable.
One cable will run across to the left front fender - this is the cruise
control cable.
One cable will run to the back of the engine - this is the throttle cable.
(If you have an automatic, one cable will run back under the firewall
toward the back of the car - this is the transmission shift cable.)
The throttle cable runs around a pulley on the rear of the engine - you can
see this pulley if you remove the air filter box. From there it runs to the
throttle body.
There are two possibilities:
One of the other three cables is holding the throttle open.
The throttle is sticking, or the cable pulley is sticking.
If one of the other cables is holding the throttle cable, it will be tight.
If the throttle or the pulley is sticking, the cable will be loose,
Since this is a potentially life-threatening situation, speed and
thoroughness are suggested.
>Also it doesn't look like the linkage adjustment on the motor is sufficient to take up the 1/2 to 3/4 inches of slack in the lower cable? I'm guessing it may be broken or slipped out on the other end? I haven't looked at the service manual
yet but I thought I would run it by you all first.
I'm not really sure that trusting this bunch with your life is such a great
idea. There is an old Southern saying that covers this situation: "Bless
our hearts - we mean well."
> Another question I have is that shouldn't the return spring brought in back on its own?
Yes.
>Do I need to
>lubricate the assembly? I hate to lube it if it shouldn't be lubed?
Find why it is binding first.
Wally Plumley
928 Specialists