I have been spending the afternoon sorting out some little niggles with my car and not having much luck with the throttle.
When I got the car there was a huge amount of play in the throttle pedal I would have to put it down an inch before the engine reved. This afternoon I have adjusted the cable so its a lot tigher now but there is still 5mm of play in it a bit improvement but not right.
If I tighten it any more the car refuses to start if I rev it as it start it starts ok but the revs die and then it stalls.
On the position I have it now its a lot nicer to drive and the car starts ok. I am slightly worried about the clip though which is used to adjust the throttle it is very cheap and I am worried it may snap while driving due to fatigue from adjustment (I will buy a new one and keep it in the car in just in case).
What would cause my car to not start when the cable is tight? I can only imagine its due to the TPS? Is there anything else I can adjust? I have taken the cable off from the pedal and retatched it and but I cannot see any further adjustments to me made there.
Any ideas?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/04/2009 at 19:43
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Rattle, if you pull it too tight the throttle will be pulled off its idle position. The engine will not start properly unless the engine throttle is set at idle.
Don't adjust it any tighter, otherwise you may keep the idle speed artificially high which can also mess up your emissions come MoT time.
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>>This afternoon I have adjusted the cable so its a lot tigher now but there is still 5mm of play in it
Put the play back into the cable the way it was when you found it, do not try to adjust the play out - it's meant to be like that.
I've lost count of the throttle cables I've had to correct after misguided twiddling by the owner.
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Erm the play made the car very very hard to drive before it is a lot easier now, it idles exactly how it did before too, starts at 1200rpm and goes down to 700-800 exactly how it did before so I can't see how I have done anything wrong, there is still play there just not the huge amount there was before.
There has now way it could have been right before, ,I had to stamp on the throttle just to get it to move the result was I was jerking all over the place. I will get get it all properly checked out when I take it in for a new back box just to be on the safe side.
Three people have driven the car and all commented there was something wrong with the throttle which prompted me to adjust it.
Edit it is a silly cheap design so the throttle can easily become ill adjusted. When I got no play it was ideling at 2000rpm and clearly that was wrong so I slackened it.
Edited by Rattle on 08/04/2009 at 19:24
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>>I can't see how I have done anything wrong
The original play was there by design, and was correct.
The danger is that the cable now becomes too tight at full throttle, straining parts which aren't designed to be strained - have you checked that?
My advice is to put it back to how you found it.
This point about troublesome owner meddling was the very first thing that was mentioned on a fuel injection course I went on to Ellesmere Port when I worked in a Vauxhall garage.
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:(
What is the solution then? If I put it back how it was the car is too difficult to drive so it needs looking at, if if its too light what else can go wrong apart from the obvious which is cable snappage?
I don't think a local back street garage can do any more than what I have done :( Does this mean taking it to the dreaded vx dealer?
Three people have commented how difficult and heavy the throttle was before I adjusted it so there is some fault (e.g not my imagination) before for a good inch if I put the throttle down nothing happened at all, the throttle cable not even move in the engine bay.
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>>is too difficult to drive
You'll get used to it - the pedal spring should be quite light, and the free play shouldn't need much muscle flexing to overcome.
If the throttle is too heavy, check the cable to make sure it isn't kinked or worn. Check the linkage on the engine to make sure it's free and well lubricated.
I would be very surprised if there's a real problem here, and I'll repeat my advice - set it back how you found it.
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Thanks NC
I am sure I will be cursing you for the next few days as my car is more difficult to drive but hopefully you have saved me a big bill. The cable looks ok no obvious kinks but its all protected with plastic sleaving on this engine.
What do you mean by check the linkage is free? I will also spray some WD40 on the throttle body where the coil winds is this a good idea or not?
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Follow up the WD40 with a few drops of clean engine oil.
By free, I mean make sure it hasn't been bent or damaged, and the moving parts do move freely against each other without binding up.
Throttle cables or linkages snapping is no joke - just when you need full throttle, say, pulling out of a junction, the mechanism fails and leaves you with an idling engine!
If you have an assistant, a good way to set the throttle cable up is to take the clip out, and have your assistant push the pedal to the floor. Under the bonnet, hold open the throttle fully, and then set the cable so there's no play - i.e., so at full pedal depression, you just get full throttle, no more, no less!
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as nc says in his post at 19.03 an assistianti is best to set these up to take out the free play but not upset the idle speed or anything
to be honest all 16v corsas ive come across have this problem of jerky take up,i would consider a new cable on them all but the cables always seen free,personally im glad when they are sold so i can buy another cracking 3 pot
ive been struggling on a code 93 on an earlier corsa today you wouldnt want that code rattle as its rattled me today
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Thanks NC :) I am not sure if you've worked on this exact engine but the clip is a very poor design so it could have worked loose from the original VX setup if that makes sense?
I am leaving my car at home tomorrow so I will have a good check over this on good friday.
I am guessing in terms of safety it is better to be too slack and then too tight due to snappage risk?
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No, I haven't worked on this exact engine - too new!
>>but the clip is a very poor design
When set up properly though, there's never any significant load on the clip - it's only if someone tries to make a maladjustment.....
If you set it just so you get full throttle on the engine when the pedal is on the carpet, you'll be fine.
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Thanks NC I've also asked this on the Corsa forums and it seems it is something you have to get used a heavy throttle :(. I know Bellboy is very familier with this engine and it seems he has the same problem.
I am exactly sure where it was before but I have a good idea because the wear is different will try and sort this out on Friday as I won't have an assistant tomorrow and I don't need the car anyway.
I should no better really i remember many years ago a mate had a 1.0 4 speed very early MK3 Fiesta. It would stall at junctions all the time (the engine had no torque and he was a new driver) so he adjusted the needle on the carb, at MOT time the the MOT inspectror near had a fit when he found the emissions were so high!
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OK just to clarify:-
I need to get somebody to push the pedal down to the floor
I then need to remove the clip
I then need to hold the throttle handle open and then put the clip in this position?
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I need to get somebody to push the pedal down to the floor
A broom works just as well. Put the handle on the pedal and wedge the head against the seat back.
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I was thinking about Rattle's problems yesterday, like you do, and I think I have a solution.
As he paid less than he said he was going to, why not take the Corsa to a good garage and have it fully serviced and ask them to weld up the bonnet. Then nearly all the problems would be solved!
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Corsa to a good garage and have it fully serviced and ask them to weld up the bonnet. Then nearly all the problems would be solved!
I doubt it, he'd find a problem with the welds!
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I've already had it serviced well a safety check, oil change and plugs etc. In the end I pretty much ended putting it back how it was but I am getting used to it anyway, I have sprayed it with WD40 and put a little bit of oil in it, it seems to be a little smoother now.
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