motor_werke
11-09-2006, 08:26 PM
I though by sharing my experience I can help others who may be experiencing a sticking throttle. A few days ago, every time I shifted gears I would see the tack shoot up 500 to 1000 rpms. I took a look at the throttle cable linkage to the air intake butterfly and noticed that when I manually pulled it open, it would take a full 10 to 20 seconds to fully close. I could feel a firm resistance and noticed that some form of lubricant had become a clay-like substance. I used some electrical contact cleaner to clean the return springs and now the throttle is smooth and the butterfly closes immediately. I sprayed some teflon dry-lube that I have for my bike chain. This works well, and shouldn’t collect dirt. Moral of the story, keep those return springs clean!
This is now on my maintenance routine, as it is something I have been overlooking. Obviously, this only applies to cars with a direct cable throttle linkage, such as my 92 e36. If this is not something you check often, go check, it is not a pleasant experience to have the throttle stick open!!
See the attached images. One is just a shot of the throttle linkage area, the second shows the three springs you need to clean and lubricate.
If this helps anyone, let me know. Hopefully this is of use to others.
This is now on my maintenance routine, as it is something I have been overlooking. Obviously, this only applies to cars with a direct cable throttle linkage, such as my 92 e36. If this is not something you check often, go check, it is not a pleasant experience to have the throttle stick open!!
See the attached images. One is just a shot of the throttle linkage area, the second shows the three springs you need to clean and lubricate.
If this helps anyone, let me know. Hopefully this is of use to others.
