Someone Who Knows About Cars - HELP!

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by SamIam

When he manually moved the parts, my engine started to rev, but then quit when he took his hand off the parts.

Sounds like you're working fine to me!

[plthijinx]

another thing sam, and this is solid advice. IF your throttle sticks open while driving turn the ignition key back one notch to shut the engine off! then throw the transmission in neutral. i don't think it's possible to turn the key all the way off while in drive (assuming automatic). don't want to lock the steering wheel while in motion! that would suck a little. anyway, keep in mind when the engine shuts down you will loose power steering and power brakes. you'll still have them albeit they will just be more stiff and require a little more effort to actuate/use. had my throttle stick open on the Fixed Or Repaired Daily and had to do the above steps. turns out it was the throttle body cover or whatevthehell its called. i dunno. i got pissed off at it and ripped it off.

happy motoring!!

[tw]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

I've always found it to be pretty safe on damn near everything. What does it dissolve?

Cleans. Frees sticky mechanisms. Drives out moisture. Loosens rusted parts. And then gets sticky with age.

Spray it on a heavily rusted bolt and nut. Repeat the process every half hour. Eventually it will soak in and loosen that rusted nut.

A homeowner had sprayed WD-40 into every door latch. So much that a sticky film was binding every door latch. Each disassembled latch took hours in a paint stripper to remove that WD-40 film so that locks stopped binding.

Most 'guys' learn WD-40 myths. Only a minority learn reality. For example, if WD-40 really eliminated squeaks, then it never need be applied again.


That throttle cable must always be under spring tension so that the cable cannot disengage from that 'curved piece'. If a sticky part or missing spring results in loss of tension, then that throttle cable might disconnect. But again, pictures do not show how and where cable attaches.

Having sprayed WD-40 all over everything might have temporarily loosened the stickiness. Temporary cured a symptom.


What plthijinx has recommended should be practiced at least once by every driver. Learn how it is done where learning can be done safely. And before that 'knowledge' becomes necessary.

A moving car (with properly designed steering) does not need any power steering when the car is moving.

Also learn how often power brakes still work without an engine. And learn what eventually happens after hitting those brakes many times.

Power assist still works many times after an engine is off (if a check valve has not failed). But eventually its vacuum becomes 'used up'. Everyone should understand how to brake when power assist finally loses vacuum. A driver who has learned the 'feel' would not suffer a catastrophic surprise when brake assist fails unexpectedly.

All drivers should know how to power off an engine while the car is moving. Or how to shift to neutral. Few will need to learn that. But an informed driver knows how. Again, best place to learn is in a safe environment such as in a large, empty parking lot.

[tw]

Originally Posted by classicman

I was referring to that IDIOtw.

If that was a joke, then apply for a refund from your clown school. (Or was that finishing school?)

Considering quality of your humor, I guess that sentence is also your idea of humor. Each of your last ten posts are jokes? Silly me. Jokes are supposed to be funny. I mistakenly thought you were posting your routine cheapshots.

Excuse me while I go elsewhere to laugh.

[plthijinx]

oh yeah forgot to mention, at the flight school i used to work for the owners wife had the throttle stick open on his pick up truck. she panicked and didn't know what to do. she didn't turn it off. what happened?? engine blew and caught fire. so yeah, practice what myself and tw talked about above. you may never need it but if you do you'll be glad you knew what to do.

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

Sounds like you're working fine to me!

LOL! Jimmy can rev my engine any time he wants, but unfortunately he considers me a platonic friend and has a huge crush on a woman who is not interested in him. Ain't that the way of the world?

Originally Posted by plthijinx

another thing sam, and this is solid advice. IF your throttle sticks open while driving turn the ignition key back one notch to shut the engine off! then throw the transmission in neutral. i don't think it's possible to turn the key all the way off while in drive (assuming automatic). don't want to lock the steering wheel while in motion! that would suck a little. anyway, keep in mind when the engine shuts down you will loose power steering and power brakes. you'll still have them albeit they will just be more stiff and require a little more effort to actuate/use. had my throttle stick open on the Fixed Or Repaired Daily and had to do the above steps. turns out it was the throttle body cover or whatevthehell its called. i dunno. i got pissed off at it and ripped it off.

happy motoring!!

Thanks for the good advice! The truck is a standard stick shift, but you're right, I wouldn't want to turn the engine completely off. I assume I'd want to apply the brakes in addition to the other things?
At any rate, my problem was the opposite. I tromped the gas pedal all the way to the floor and the truck did nothing. It didn't stop running, but it didn't start running either, if you know what I mean.

@tw: Mac did spray the cable. I went out and checked and it feels suspiciously slick. Still, the truck continues to run just fine. We'll see what it does when it has to go to Durango and back tomorrow (100 mile round trip). Keeping fingers crossed!

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by SamIam

LOL! Jimmy can rev my engine any time he wants, but unfortunately he considers me a platonic friend and has a huge crush on a woman who is not interested in him. Ain't that the way of the world?

You are so preaching to the choir, sister!

[classicman]

Originally Posted by tw

Excuse me while I go elsewhere.

Please do so. Since you've been so long there haven't been many, if any cheapshots.
But you jump right back in and take one at me.
Like a car would be fixed by spraying WD-40 and DUCT TAPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you actually and honestly think that was serious or were you as usual just being a dick. The rest of us all know the answer. Therefore the only question remaining is - Are you man enough to apologize? Unfortunately, those of us who have read enough of your posts here also know the answer to that one.

[monster]

Oh dear, war of the Dicks. DON'T CROSS THE STREAMS!

What does tw need to apologize for? I prolly missed that 'cause I only speak Bitch. And Jive.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by monster

I only speak Bitch.

See there is something we can agree upon.

[SamIam]

In tw's defense, I think he gave me some good advise. And Classic made me laugh at the thought of covering all the parts of my engine in turquoise duct tape.

This a car thread. If people want to get into character assassination, politics is down the hall. And I'm sure UG would love to give everyone pointers.

[ZenGum]

Wut she said.


What would be a good lubricant to use? I know with locks you want graphite or a similar specialist powder. Some hinges prefer a light machine oil. I learned as a kid that putting in both types of lubricant is not a good idea.

But yeah, sticking accelerator cable? bit of a worry.

[tw]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

What would be a good lubricant to use? I know with locks you want graphite or a similar specialist powder.

Graphite is not good for locks. It tends to wash lubricant out of the tumblers. Then months later, nothing keeps moisture out of those tumblers. Moisture freezes the lock.

I use a grease that is water resistant. Once applied, then locks should never need lubrication again. One of the best is wheel bearing grease. Most all good greases are based in lithium. Some are more water resistant than others.

Cables typically use a plastic sheath that is self lubricating. Some lubricating oils actually act like sand on those self lubricating plastics. Generally I might touch a dab of water resistant grease where the cable enters it sheath. Just to keep water out. But for the most part, a best solution is to do nothing. To not contaminate that self lubricating plastic.

Meanwhile the subversive extremist is still posting his usual cheapshots. Contributing nothing useful in this (or other) threads. Even discussing dicks here as if that had any purpose besides posting cheapshots. Why do UG and classicman both do this? Wacko extremists.

SamIam - you must always be able to rotate that curved piece counter clockwise with your fingers. Motion must always be smooth. The spring must always and smoothly return that curved piece clockwise. As long as all motion is smooth, then a binding throttle cable probably does not exist.

You can also rev an idling car engine by simply rotating that curved piece. Your only concern is keeping fingers and hair out of any exposed fan belts and away from the radiator fan. That radiator fan can suddenly turn on when you do not expect it. Nothing else in there should remove body parts.

All are strongly encouraged to do, at least once, what plthijinx has recommended. Every driver should understand how his car performed when engine power is lost. In particular, how steering works and how many times brakes can be applied before power assist is lost.

[tw]

Reviewing those pictures, a yellow arrow on the right point to where the cable attaches to a clamp. Did Jim move something there? Nothing should have moved. Those nuts, once attached, should not move. That cable should never become loose from its clamp. Are those nuts loose (also called finger tight)? If yes, they must be wrench tightened. And then dap nail polish in a small spot where that nut touches threads. Nail polish acts both as a glue and identifies a 'lose' nut.

[SamIam]

Originally Posted by tw

When accelerator is pressed, that cable should retract to the right. That is the first thing to inspect (with engine off). When a driver (assistant) releases the accelerator, then that cable must move leftmost. And always be under tension. Movement should always be smooth...

You must be able to rotate the curved piece counterclockwise with your hand. It must also move smoothly. And the cable should retract accordingly - and smoothly.

Jim and I checked this yesterday, and the cable retracted accordingly when I pressed the accelerator with the engine off. He also tried rotating the curved piece and that was fine, too.

You can also rev an idling car engine by simply rotating that curved piece. Your only concern is keeping fingers and hair out of any exposed fan belts and away from the radiator fan. That radiator fan can suddenly turn on when you do not expect it. Nothing else in there should remove body parts.

Yeah, Jim also did that when the accelerator wasn't responding. It reved real nice. But when he took his hand off, it went back to barely responding. I am very curious as to why it did this. One of life's mysteries, I guess.

[quote=tw;756751]

Originally Posted by tw

Reviewing those pictures, a yellow arrow on the right point to where the cable attaches to a clamp. Did Jim move something there? Nothing should have moved. Those nuts, once attached, should not move. That cable should never become loose from its clamp. Are those nuts loose (also called finger tight)? If yes, they must be wrench tightened. And then dap nail polish in a small spot where that nut touches threads. Nail polish acts both as a glue and identifies a 'lose' nut.

He checked to see if the screw was tight. I don't know about the nuts, but I'll check myself today. Can I use turquoise nail polish? Pretty Please?

You have been extremely helpful. Many thanks!