Caution: Cruise control or a case of lack of it!
03-31-2017, 12:14 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Caution: Cruise control or a case of lack of it!
Seems there is just no end to it with these machines!
Having done a bunch of inspection and maintenance items over the last couple of weeks I now have only one item left to do from my original list [the PSD flush].
Given today is Friday and that is the holy day in this part of the world the roads tend to be quiet mid-afternoon so a favourite time of mine to take a short cruise. Fired her up, the starter solenoid rattled- sod it- battery gone [they only last about two years here before the heat gets them]. Had to wait until the shops opened at 5.00pm to get one, no problem - straight back home and 15 minutes later the GTS was ready to fire up. Within a few minutes I was cruising down a local dual carriageway and engaged the cruise control to help avoid getting any tickets. Peeled off the highway into a nice sweeping right hander- give it some gas- show time!. Coming off the bend [and the gas] the car felt as though it wanted to run on. Through two sets of lights that were both on green for me then onto another carriageway- bit of gas- flash past everyone else and nice open road. Going up a steep hill I back off the throttle but the car continues to accelerate albeit slowly- huh? Put some brake on and it slowed down but the throttle peddle felt "strange" as though it was sticking or something- urrgh- no twilight in this part of the world and the light was failing- no issue- drive home carefully and avoid other cars. Gets back home pulls into driveway and switched it off whilst rolling to ensure the automatic garage door did not get pancaked.
Opened the bonnet and with a rag manipulated the throttle quadrant- something definitely wrong- felt as though the throttle was about 1/3rd open. Suddenly heard this "twang" and the throttle seemed to seat correctly.
It seemed as though something jumped on the cruise control cable so undid the nipple and to my surprise the adjuster pushed straight through the support bracket. Easy to see what had happened- the thing has 4 lugs that lock it in position- two of the lugs had sheared off- seems this allowed the assembly to slip through the support bracket and then wedge itself stopping the throttle from returning correctly.
This could have been real nasty had the throttle jammed open a little more. I was able to control matters but really with hindsight I probably should have stopped there and then when it happened. So for you chaps with S4 and GTS variants and especially automatics be warned about this. That adjuster seems innocuous enough but I reckon it could easily have caused a disaster in different circumstances. Looks like a new cruise control cable will be needed- no cruise control until it is fixed.
The mission continues!
Rgds
Fred
Having done a bunch of inspection and maintenance items over the last couple of weeks I now have only one item left to do from my original list [the PSD flush].
Given today is Friday and that is the holy day in this part of the world the roads tend to be quiet mid-afternoon so a favourite time of mine to take a short cruise. Fired her up, the starter solenoid rattled- sod it- battery gone [they only last about two years here before the heat gets them]. Had to wait until the shops opened at 5.00pm to get one, no problem - straight back home and 15 minutes later the GTS was ready to fire up. Within a few minutes I was cruising down a local dual carriageway and engaged the cruise control to help avoid getting any tickets. Peeled off the highway into a nice sweeping right hander- give it some gas- show time!. Coming off the bend [and the gas] the car felt as though it wanted to run on. Through two sets of lights that were both on green for me then onto another carriageway- bit of gas- flash past everyone else and nice open road. Going up a steep hill I back off the throttle but the car continues to accelerate albeit slowly- huh? Put some brake on and it slowed down but the throttle peddle felt "strange" as though it was sticking or something- urrgh- no twilight in this part of the world and the light was failing- no issue- drive home carefully and avoid other cars. Gets back home pulls into driveway and switched it off whilst rolling to ensure the automatic garage door did not get pancaked.
Opened the bonnet and with a rag manipulated the throttle quadrant- something definitely wrong- felt as though the throttle was about 1/3rd open. Suddenly heard this "twang" and the throttle seemed to seat correctly.
It seemed as though something jumped on the cruise control cable so undid the nipple and to my surprise the adjuster pushed straight through the support bracket. Easy to see what had happened- the thing has 4 lugs that lock it in position- two of the lugs had sheared off- seems this allowed the assembly to slip through the support bracket and then wedge itself stopping the throttle from returning correctly.
This could have been real nasty had the throttle jammed open a little more. I was able to control matters but really with hindsight I probably should have stopped there and then when it happened. So for you chaps with S4 and GTS variants and especially automatics be warned about this. That adjuster seems innocuous enough but I reckon it could easily have caused a disaster in different circumstances. Looks like a new cruise control cable will be needed- no cruise control until it is fixed.
The mission continues!
Rgds
Fred
04-01-2017, 02:42 AM
#3
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
It surely was a "wake up call".
Not the kind of thing you instinctively go looking for especially given the amount of time I have just spent going over the car.
Just when you think you understand these things they go and find yet another way to bite you up the *** -urrgh!
Rgds
Fred
Not the kind of thing you instinctively go looking for especially given the amount of time I have just spent going over the car.
Just when you think you understand these things they go and find yet another way to bite you up the *** -urrgh!
Rgds
Fred
04-01-2017, 11:50 AM
#5
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Not the same failure mode, but it reminded me of something that happened to me 10+ years ago. See Stuck Throttle (in the Mountain Twisties, no less!).
The throttle quadrant needs to be a regular maintenance item. Inspect, lube, etc. Hmmm.... haven't done mine for a few years, now that I think about it.
The throttle quadrant needs to be a regular maintenance item. Inspect, lube, etc. Hmmm.... haven't done mine for a few years, now that I think about it.
04-01-2017, 12:19 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I had no problem this morning with the cruise control nipple disengaged. '
Took a look at it this afternoon after preparing for the PSD system flush [tomorrow hopefully].
Came up with a temporary [?] solution by clamping a narrow jubilee clip around the damaged surface to stop it pulling out of the bracket- it seems to be holding OK for the time being- see pics below
Rgds
Fred.
Took a look at it this afternoon after preparing for the PSD system flush [tomorrow hopefully].
Came up with a temporary [?] solution by clamping a narrow jubilee clip around the damaged surface to stop it pulling out of the bracket- it seems to be holding OK for the time being- see pics below
Rgds
Fred.