The wife started the van yesterday and it immediately pegged to the red zone and wouldn't back down. She called me and I told her to turn it off and pump the gas to see if the idle would go back. No luck with that so I told her to turn it off. When I got home I checked it out. There is a bracket at the forward side of the engine (2.1L wasserboxer) attached to the bell housing (?), in a vertical position, that guides the throttle cable on a straight level line to the throttle. The rubber grommet or bushing in the bracket had deteriorated (it was hanging loose on the rear side of the bracket) and the throttle cable hangs up on the bracket causing the engine to idle at the redline. I can get it loose from the engine by working the throttle manually, but can't do it from the driver's seat with the gas pedal. I'm leery of trying to fix this myself because if it doesn't work right it is a severe danger to health and property, i.e. throttle stuck full open. I would like to avoid a tow and try to fix it well enough to get it to the shop in St. Augustine, about 15 miles. I thought I would slit a straw or plastic tube and slide that over the cable and into the hole in the bracket, then tape it up to keep it there. That way the cable can't get caught. Do you think this would work or am I playing with fire? Thanks, Anthony '89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo) |
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