[V8] Major issue: Dead V8

[Ingo Rautenberg]

Roger, how fortunate for this to happen in your driveway with you at the
helm and not on some scurvy, mountainous stretch if road (as happened on my
'91 200q20v)!

Definitely sounds like cruise control rod failure -- where the rod literally
jams the throttle in wide open position -- making whatever you're attempting
to for with your foot inconsequential.

Easy way to check and remedy is to remove the air cleaner cover and then the
air cleaner box (2x 10mm nuts and washers) and then look at the throttle
linkage mechanism and you should see immediately what's amiss.

Good luck.

-Ingo
On Oct 9, 2011 7:03 AM, "Roger M. Woodbury" <rmwoodbury at fairpoint.net>
wrote:

> Well, now.  I had a nasty experience with the V8 yesterday.
>
> The V8 has been resting in its garage all summer. I drove it last in late
> August, going only the mile to the little store to put a few gallons of gas
> into the tank, returning it immediately to its garage.  The summer has been
> a full construction summer and the only vehicles needed for anything have
> been the truck and the 100 Avant, so the V8 has been resting.  I have not
> even renewed the registration on the car since I see no use for it until
> next summer at the earliest.
>
> I started the car, and it greatfully came to life.  I backed it out into
> the
> driveway and let is sit for fifteen or twenty minutes just idling, and
> letting the a/c work before shutting it down.
>
> Later since my wife wanted to go shopping, I figured I'd move the v8 back
> into its garage so she could get by without issue.
>
> I started the engine and put the car into drive, edging forward toward the
> garage door.  It didn't feel right though.  The accelerator felt like it
> was
> hitting something, similar to the feel that it would have if it was hitting
> a bunched up carpet.  I pushed more firmly on the accelerator and the
> accelerator suddenly broke through whatever was making it feel stiff, and
> the engine immediately went to full throttle.  I immediately went to
> neutral
> and ignition off.
>
> Restarting resulted in immediate full throttle once again, so now the car
> is
> sitting just outside the garage, awaitiing further instructions.
>
> I wonder if this is the familiar, cruise control rod failure?  The
> accelerator seems pretty loose and flappy, so something is adrift or
> holding
> it open somewhere.
>
> Any BTDT?  I will not have time to deal with this today nor probably
> tomorrow.  The electrician will be here sometime next week to install the
> new main electrical entrance which will go in the wall of the garage where
> the V8 lives, so for now the car can remain where it is.  But sometime I
> will need to get under the hood and either release the nastiness so the car
> is driveable, or call the flat bed and have the car towed to the wrench.
>
> In three V8's that I have owned this is the first driveability issue I have
> ever had.  (Other than the first one that suffered transmission failure, of
> course).  FWIW, the cruise control on my car is inop due to a failed relay,
> which I have but have never installed. The cruise control circuit is shut
> off.
>
> Roger
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