So here I am, doing about 75 down I-40 this afternoon, accelerating, when suddenly the gas pedal just drops from under my foot to lay dead on the floor. I move it with my foot, realize the engine isn't revving or anything, that I just have no gas pedal any more. Thank god I was in the rightmost lane, and not stuck in traffic or going uphill or anything, else it could have been damned ugly.

Anybody even heard of this happening before? Its a pretty stout cable, blows my mind to think it could just snap like that. And what's worse, nobody HAS it! Spent the whole afternoon calling parts places and scrapyards with no success, and the dealer can't get it for me till Wed. Anybody have any ideas on finding a replacement?


And here are some pics:






The other half is still attached the the throttle body.

5/23/2009 12:31:57 AM

hmmmm...duck tape...

seriously though, never heard of that happening on a car before. No auto parts stores carry that? That's hard to believe. Napa? Car Quest? Autozone? Advanced? O'Rileys?

Year, Make, Model?

5/23/2009 12:38:43 AM

Its an 03 Chevy S10 pickup, 4-cyl 2.2L. Only 98k on it. Already called all those places, nobody can even order it but the dealer.

What gets me is its so clean. Looks almost like it was cut, not frayed or rusted or anything like that. I'm pondering if it might have gotten partially cut when someone was working on my truck at some point, maybe laid a tool in the wrong place during an oil change/etc.

5/23/2009 12:45:10 AM

My advice would to be get the actual replacement, and do not jimmy rig it. You could find a similar steel cable and then some how hook it up so that it will work, but you never know when it may fuck up again and leave you stranded.

I checked some places that I normally look for parts and they didn't seem to have anything of the sort, best thing I came up with were the tailgate cables . I would just get the part from the dealer in this case. Shit happens, might as well fix it right the first time so you don't have to worry about it.

5/23/2009 12:56:42 AM

What's the other end of the cable look like?

Was it possible that it was rubbing on anything at all?

That does look sketchy. I'm not seeing how the cable would've rubbed on anything due to normal use. Maybe I'm missing something, though.

5/23/2009 1:27:47 AM

I had this happen once ... on a cheap ass Chinese pocket bike.

5/23/2009 1:30:58 AM

Other end was harder to get a decent picture of, since I had to hold up the throttle to see it. It looks even cleaner though. Nothing nearby it could even rub against, and the cable shows no signs of it.

5/23/2009 1:42:05 AM

that's what you get for fornicating with my sister and not having the decency to return her calls. do it again and i'll cut a more important line.


also, on a serious note, if you're interested in selling your truck let me know. I'm looking for an s-10.

[Edited on May 23, 2009 at 5:53 AM. Reason : sadfs]

5/23/2009 5:53:04 AM

looks like it time to got to the junk yard. ive broken a few cables on older cars. that looks like a clean break. easy fix though

you cant call a junk yard on a part like that. VERY FEW places keep inventory on cables

[Edited on May 23, 2009 at 9:09 AM. Reason : lol]

5/23/2009 9:06:47 AM

on my dsm I swapped in a brake cable from a bicycle. It's the same thing but has a protective coating on it and $cheap

5/23/2009 9:35:17 AM

This is how you get home when that happens. String runs out the passenger window, around the radio antenna, then back in to the throttle body.

It's a lot of fun to drive a manual with your hands.

5/23/2009 12:08:04 PM

My buddy's snapped on his 86 mustang last week. He rigged it with a paper clip and made it to work on time.

5/23/2009 12:14:03 PM

You got both halves? CRIMP SLEEVE

5/23/2009 12:59:14 PM

^$0.30 solution ftw

5/23/2009 1:02:32 PM

^^ That will work

5/23/2009 1:18:57 PM

picture/frame hanging wire will work as well until you get enough time to buy the replacement.

5/23/2009 11:13:38 PM

rig the throttle 3/4ths open and apply the brakes as necessary, lol

5/24/2009 5:58:08 PM

Quote :

"CRIMP SLEEVE"

FTW

5/24/2009 8:09:28 PM

Quote :

"rig the throttle 3/4ths open and apply the brakes as necessary, lol"

Haha, I also imagined this as a solution when I read the title. What a bad idea, but could be funny.

5/24/2009 8:52:46 PM

Gonna hit up a few junkyards on Tues. If that doesn't work, I've gotta drive to VA to the closest dealership that actually has the cable. At least its cheap, they want $40 for it (well, cheap for a dealership part).

5/25/2009 1:05:08 AM

WAIT A DAMN MINUTE

got a bicycle laying around?


I completely redid my throttle cable on the truck with a brake cable and 2 cable locks (piece of metal with set screw). It has held for 4000 miles with no repercussions.

5/25/2009 9:37:06 AM

pretty sure I posted that 2 days ago.

yeah, yeah I did.

5/25/2009 11:19:08 AM

YES INDEED

YOU DID

5/25/2009 12:57:56 PM

HOLY FUCK

DO YOU WANT A FUCKING COOKIE

OR DO YOU WANT TO SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT ON A TWICE PROVEN METHOD? HMMMMMMM


HMMMMMMMM

5/25/2009 1:21:59 PM

dont go to the dealer. seriously man

5/25/2009 10:09:19 PM

^^ can we share a solo in the spotlight?

5/25/2009 10:53:33 PM

^^ There's NOWHERE ELSE. Seriously, nobody else can even order the shit.

As to rigging it with a bicycle cable/etc, fuck that . . . . after having it go out once on the middle of the interstate, I've no desire to risk it again. This I kinda want to do right.

5/26/2009 3:22:40 PM

there is no rigging, if it's done right, it's done right.


In fact, I'll pm you when my throttle cable fails

5/26/2009 3:32:02 PM

I think what you want to do is buy an old RC car and pull the steering servo and receiver from it. JB Weld the steering servo to the throttle body and wire the servo arm to the throttle. Zip tie the receiver somewhere nearby so you can hook the wires to the servo. Now you got remote control throttle!!!1

[Edited on May 26, 2009 at 3:33 PM. Reason : l]

5/26/2009 3:32:11 PM

^ until the batteries die

5/26/2009 3:36:11 PM

^^make it blue tooth to.

5/26/2009 6:48:44 PM

^^ add a digital voltage readout and charge the battery every couple of days

5/27/2009 12:49:52 AM

^ or you could link it all via radio hack voltage adapters to the cars electrical system....

5/27/2009 1:26:20 AM

bubblegum and duct tape ftw

6/25/2009 11:20:11 AM

youre a waste of life

[Edited on June 25, 2009 at 11:24 AM. Reason : failures ]

6/25/2009 11:23:10 AM

6/28/2009 9:48:00 PM