Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 207
Likes: 1
From: Illinois
Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help!
Ok guys, please help me out with this one if you can. So I'm cruising around yesterday...everything seems just fine until I accelerate probably half-throttle from a red light. I let off around 38 MPH or so, WELL, the Corvette didn't want to let off. It kept accelerating, causing me to rapidly catch up with the car in front of me. So I put the gearshift in Neutral, and it races quickly up and up. NOT GOOD. I give it a good rev, and the RPM goes down to around 700 or so. WHEW. I pull over to the side, shut the car off, wait a minute or so, then start back up. Seems fine. Nope - as soon as I take off again, here we go again! - does the same thing. So I shut the car off again, and repeat the process, except this time babying it home, not letting the RPM's get over 1,500. No problem getting home.
The only wild card in this is that for the very first time since I've had the car, and conveniently right before this happened, I shifted from "overdrive" mode to "drive" mode without the car being completely stopped. I was probably rolling along at about 2 mph or so. Would this be a contributing factor as to what went wrong? (Obviously I'm just guessing.)
PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN OFFER ANY SUGGESTIONS! THANKS!!
The only wild card in this is that for the very first time since I've had the car, and conveniently right before this happened, I shifted from "overdrive" mode to "drive" mode without the car being completely stopped. I was probably rolling along at about 2 mph or so. Would this be a contributing factor as to what went wrong? (Obviously I'm just guessing.)
PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN OFFER ANY SUGGESTIONS! THANKS!!
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 20,315
Likes: 245
From: Summerland B.C. Canada
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (Skippy)
I'm sure pushing the o/d switch has nothing to do with it. Pop your hood and with the engine off slowly press the gas pedal and release,get out and look to see if the throttle plates are stuck open. Try this several times pushing a little deeper on the gas pedal each time. At one point you should find where it gets stuck. The cable may need a little lube,tweaken or maybe a new return spring. Good Luck!! :cheers:
Racer
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 431
Likes: 0
From: Nova Scotia Canada, Eh.
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (Skippy)
Have a really good look at that throttle body. It may need some serious cleaning, or it may be worn. I had a sticking throttle a couple years ago; it was the dirty throttle body. I take it out and clean it thoroughly in the spring tune up each year now and don't have a problem.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 207
Likes: 1
From: Illinois
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (AGENT 86)
Thanks both of you for your thoughts. Of course, now I have another question - what should I lube the cable with, and should I use any kind of special cleaning agent to clean the throttle body?
Pro
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 573
Likes: 0
From: ALAMOGORDO NM
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (Skippy)
This very same thing happend to me last summer. It turned out to be my TPS. I thought it was my throtle body throtle linkage also so, I got some WD40 and a tooth brush. Then I just scrubed the heck out of it. I had a clean Throtle body, it just wasn't the problem, the TPS was.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,228
Likes: 1
From: Dallas Texas
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (86VETTEMAN)
You might want to look through the TSBs as I know I have seen this problem listed more than once, with much worse results... Luckily you had the presense of mind to put the car in neutral! I am not sure if this site has all the TSBs, but I know corvetteactioncenter.com has them.
Good luck!
Good luck!
Racer
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 431
Likes: 0
From: Nova Scotia Canada, Eh.
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (Skippy)
For cleaning the throttle body, use throttle body cleaner if it's still on the car. They are usually labelled oxygen sensor safe. If you have it off the car, you can use carb cleaner, assuming it will be dry before it sees operation. To lube the cable, white lithium grease seems to be the popular suggestion from GM for that kind of stuff.
This is the cheapest fix for the problem, if this doesn't fix it, I agree with 86vetteman and ninetyfivevette, it may be the TPS, but at least you've ruled out the throttle body.
This is the cheapest fix for the problem, if this doesn't fix it, I agree with 86vetteman and ninetyfivevette, it may be the TPS, but at least you've ruled out the throttle body.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 471
Likes: 0
From: Queens NY
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (shansen)
The TPS could also be the culprit, like they said. I had one go on my old L98 IROC.. i gave it a little throttle then the next thing I knew it was at 7,000 RPMS... damn that sounded cool :D
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 207
Likes: 1
From: Illinois
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (CarAteMyMoney)
Well, boys, it's rant time... :rant: What I discovered under the hood makes me just a little angry with my dealership here in town. I had a cracked fuel injector about a year ago-had the dealer do the work. Yesterday when I finally got time to look under the hood, the accelerator cable was actually CROSSED with the other naked cable (not sure what that cable is - but anyone with a TPI engine knows what I'm talking about.) These two cables had been re-installed improperly, and the accelerator cable was sticking in the rubber cable housing when RPM's reached about 2,500. Wow, I can't believe that I didn't notice this for a year. :jester
Only thing is, the car did exactly what CarAteMyMoney's car did - I had it in neutral running, took it up to about 2,000 RPM, then Whoa Baby - way past redline just like that. Luckily I was able to get to the keys quick enough to prevent a driveway parts swap meet. So, I'm guessing (hoping) a new TPS will be the remedy. We'll see.
Thanks, all of you for your input, I'll post something when I find out what the cause was!!
Only thing is, the car did exactly what CarAteMyMoney's car did - I had it in neutral running, took it up to about 2,000 RPM, then Whoa Baby - way past redline just like that. Luckily I was able to get to the keys quick enough to prevent a driveway parts swap meet. So, I'm guessing (hoping) a new TPS will be the remedy. We'll see.
Thanks, all of you for your input, I'll post something when I find out what the cause was!!
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 105
Likes: 2
From: Frankenmuth MI
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (Skippy)
I had the same problem too. I took my TB off this winter and cleaned it with carb cleaner. I'm putting it back on within the next week. Hopefully this will do the trick because mine was pretty dirty and needed the cleaning.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 207
Likes: 1
From: Illinois
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (86VETTEMAN)
Well, the word from the vette mechanic is that the only cause of the problem is the frayed accelerator cable. He says that when it gets stuck, a racing engine is the result. I'm not sure I'm convinced, but I suppose we'll find out soon enough if that is all the car needs (not a new TPS.) Is the condition of the TPS something that a diagnostic analysis would pick up?
Any opinions?
Thanks..........
Any opinions?
Thanks..........
Pro
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 573
Likes: 0
From: ALAMOGORDO NM
Re: Sticking throttle?? = HOLY S**T!! Please Help! (Skippy)
If there is a problem with the TPS, there should be a code. I think 22 or 23, I can't be sure though. If you need a new one, it needs to be set at 54 milivolts.