B*tch tried to kill me!

[NuddyRap]

Wow, thanks for the responses everyone, I didn't expect quite so many!

I've just approached the beastat the vet's and head vet Dom showed me an incorrect specification of throttle cable, probably put in by the last people to perform heart surgery. Hence the reason it snapped as it was too thin for walking such a murderous .

Supateg said:

This is the best post I've ever read on here.

Best comment ever - Thanks mate!

DCerebrate said:

What did the Astra driver make of it all - or did they just sail off into the distance?!

After what seemed like many hours of watching, resorting the astronomic method of observing reflected light for redshift I was finally able to determine that the pale, sick looking wide eyed bloke in the Astra staring at me like I was the ghost of driving past hadn't just managed to catch up, but was infact just about pulling away from me after hitting the kill button. But it took a few measurements to verify this and a second opinion from a passing snail. I'm not sure whose bowels opened wider, but if his bowels move as slowly as he was driving, I imagine he's probably just about to turtle now. And has been enduring two days' worth of questions about why he's walking so strangely.

ClassiChimi said:

sounds like you saved a bad accident

purpleliability said:

Well done for keeping it sticky side down!

TvrJohn said:

Well held that man, epic save
relax

Thanks! I've no doubt that for a many people that could have been a very serious accident and had I been on a different kind of road, I would probably have been through some hedges with various pieces of me adorning various rooms and light fittings in a remote farmhouse that had just found itself to be fitted with a racing-V8 powered abattoir.

Incognegro said:

OMG Im trying to think of anything that could have caused this as if it was totally out of the blue Im thinking do I get into mine again??!

Do one thing every day that scares you....
Another reason to keep it

Boosted LS1 said:

To cut a long story short it wouldn't shut down even after I'd killed the ignition. It stopped when the float bowls emptied.

So you too have boring, straight a-roads to thank for your survival!

gruffalo said:

Had this, caused by a frayed cable.

Best thing is to just hit the red button but leave the car in gear

Great advice that should probably be pinned on every car forum everywhere and be in the driving theory test - better to find out beforehand than at the moment you need to find it out!.

mybrainhurts said:

My brain hurts...

Happened to me once...
In a Morris 1100...

My brain would hurt too after 84,000 posts! You could fill a book yourself . My Celica used to do it because of some dodgy factory mats, but without the benefit of RWD unlike your Morris to make your last seconds on earth fun - but the Celica's was quickly fixed by dragging the mat with my foot.

[FarmyardPants]

In a situation like that the temptation is to use the clutch but the brakes should be stronger than the engine and I think just the brake pedal until you gather your wits enough to find the ignition button (and safe bit of road) is the best idea. Easily said from my armchair I know, I would st myself too .

[NuddyRap]

FarmyardPants said:

In a situation like that the temptation is to use the clutch but the brakes should be stronger than the engine and I think just the brake pedal until you gather your wits enough to find the ignition button (and safe bit of road) is the best idea. Easily said from my armchair I know, I would st myself too .

Not far off what I did and in line with conventional wisdom, but I just had to stop the damn thing accelerating as soon as possible since I didn't fancy wearing an Astra for a beard, so the clutch went in and the anchors went down. If I'd have just stood on the brake, even with all of my might, I'd have hit it since I just didn't have room to beat the forward surge and also halve my speed.

I can honestly liken it to being punched in the head. There was the same half a second of my head snapping back and thoughts of "Oh st where did that come from?"

Edited by NuddyRap on Thursday 26th May 16:56

[FarmyardPants]

NuddyRap said:

I didn't fancy wearing an Astra for a beard

[Jabbah]

Incognegro said:

Sounds like best advice. However would the best thing be to just turn the "silver key" to off?

Pretty sure it says never to turn the engine off using the silver key in the handbook.

[Incognegro]

Yes it does mate, your right! However when it flicked on me and ended my drive I was just thinking maybe it's not the ideal way but it will bring you to an abrupt end (maybe in more ways than one) lol

[Mr M]

At least you are still around to tell the tale. Sounds horrible. Presumably the cable should be able to take what it was given and I would wonder why it wasn't changed as part of a service or even checked as part of a service. Maybe is wasn't fitted correctly when it was last changed.

[Byker28i]

I have two return springs on mine, both going to different places, one fitted by factory, the other when it was mapped as it was felt it had too light a spring and could possibly stick.

[ukkid35]

On a 4.5 there are five throttle return springs:

Each throttle pot has a return spring
Each spindle has a return spring at the back of the engine, but they are prone to failing (and the replacements aren't exactly cheap)
Plus one afterthought type spring attached to the airbox bracket.

Joolz has a very effective upgrade, replacing the short airbox spring, with a much longer spring that exerts a more constant force. Highly recommended.

However nothing is going to cope with a frayed throttle cable - that will always shake things up.

[NuddyRap]

Byker28i said:

I have two return springs on mine, both going to different places, one fitted by factory, the other when it was mapped as it was felt it had too light a spring and could possibly stick.

I'm looking at and thinking about some means of alternate restraint to prevent such a reoccurrence, but given that it'll soon be rebuilt by Power anyway, hopefully I'll never experience that again.

[Montauge]

Byker28i said:

I have two return springs on mine, both going to different places, one fitted by factory, the other when it was mapped as it was felt it had too light a spring and could possibly stick.

Byker, could you post a photo of your two springs? I was thinking of fitting a stronger spring to mine or shortening the existing one as I don't like the current feel, but a second one sounds like a better idea.