On the way to work this morning......
Discussion
I'm considered a key worker so have been using the 350i quit a bit recently with the lack of traffic etc. This morning I was coming off a roundabout onto a short stretch of dual carriage, went to overtake a van with my right foot buried in the carpet and the throttle jammed fully open. Must have hit the rev limiter from 2nd to 3rd, pumped the throttle and wouldn't un-jam. Had to turn the engine off and turn into a dead end at the next roundabout.
The butterfly seemed stiff in the plenum but it soon loosened and all was then and still is good - not sure what the issue could be?
Trouble was I joined the road again and then noticed the battery warning light was on with the temperature going into the red. Nursed it to work with the fan overide and heater on. Arrived with misfiring and steam coming out the bonnet. Let her cool down and found the alternator belt had been thrown off and was luckily buried in the chassis. There is a small crack now in the header tank so need to probably get an ally replacement, but patched that up for now, added some water and will hopefully make it home tonight. Otherwise now working fine.
The butterfly seemed stiff in the plenum but it soon loosened and all was then and still is good - not sure what the issue could be?
Trouble was I joined the road again and then noticed the battery warning light was on with the temperature going into the red. Nursed it to work with the fan overide and heater on. Arrived with misfiring and steam coming out the bonnet. Let her cool down and found the alternator belt had been thrown off and was luckily buried in the chassis. There is a small crack now in the header tank so need to probably get an ally replacement, but patched that up for now, added some water and will hopefully make it home tonight. Otherwise now working fine.
Strange that it should stick? Usually they stick due to the inner cable on the throttle cable fraying and the bits of wire snagging on the outer cable. Have you carefully checked the cable? Also do you have single or twin springs on the throttle return?
I'm assuming that the maxed out engine threw the belt, so no cooling but the expansion tank shouldn't have cracked if the relief cap did its job.
Regarding a new expansion tank, they are quite rare or quite expensive if you go alloy. There are quite a few alternatives including Mercedes and Mondeo units. Second link below is the Hatters Mercedes alternative. Other option is to go with the Chimaera swirl pot option and ditch the expansion tank completely as Glen Wilson has done on his SEAC. It is a very tidy installation.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=13...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Expansion-Tank-coolant-...
I'm assuming that the maxed out engine threw the belt, so no cooling but the expansion tank shouldn't have cracked if the relief cap did its job.
Regarding a new expansion tank, they are quite rare or quite expensive if you go alloy. There are quite a few alternatives including Mercedes and Mondeo units. Second link below is the Hatters Mercedes alternative. Other option is to go with the Chimaera swirl pot option and ditch the expansion tank completely as Glen Wilson has done on his SEAC. It is a very tidy installation.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=13...
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Expansion-Tank-coolant-...
Thanks for the header tank links. I had spotted some ally ones on ebay a few months ago as I'd noticed spray from a pin hole when the car's fan came on. I was broken down at the time with a snapped throttle cable! I just put some superglue on it at the time whilst I looked for an alternative solution and it held fine until today when not having an operating water pump overloaded it and it's split somewhere else but close by. Obviously past it's best.
So it had a new throttle cable a few months ago and has been working fine. When the engine was stopped there was quite a bit of resistance to open and close the butterfly but then it freed itself so I'm not sure what is going on. Single return spring all working fine.
I had this happen on an S3 years ago which was due to bonnet insulation falling down and jamming the butterfly linkage. Probably not helped by wind going through the central bonnet vent as I am going quickly on a motorway a the time. Jammed open when I was coming off the motorway going down the slip road.
So it had a new throttle cable a few months ago and has been working fine. When the engine was stopped there was quite a bit of resistance to open and close the butterfly but then it freed itself so I'm not sure what is going on. Single return spring all working fine.
I had this happen on an S3 years ago which was due to bonnet insulation falling down and jamming the butterfly linkage. Probably not helped by wind going through the central bonnet vent as I am going quickly on a motorway a the time. Jammed open when I was coming off the motorway going down the slip road.
SLB said:
...with my right foot buried in the carpet and the throttle jammed fully open.
Happened to me many years ago. I’d put the mat back incorrectly and the accelerator pedal got caught on the mat - panic at the time for such a schoolboy error. I’m sure your issue is different but I thought I’d share the simple things
I had a similar issue with pedal sticking - but it turned out to be the cable coming loose which i'm sure you'd have seen.
If it is the butterfly it's not wildly hard or expensive to replace the throttle body.
EDIT - this was on a 280i sorry - not sure about the ease of finding one for the v8.
If it is the butterfly it's not wildly hard or expensive to replace the throttle body.
EDIT - this was on a 280i sorry - not sure about the ease of finding one for the v8.
I still can't find an issue in the engine bay so think it was where I had left the cable deliberately long on the pedal end in case I needed to adjust it . There was a small piece of the carpet hanging down and I think they got caught together. I looked at the ally header tanks on ebay and there is a circular 1 litre one which might do but elected to order a Merc W124 one instead. Job for the weekend after next, meanwhile a few more doses of superglue should hold.
mark387mw said:
SLB said:
...with my right foot buried in the carpet and the throttle jammed fully open.
Happened to me many years ago. I’d put the mat back incorrectly and the accelerator pedal got caught on the mat - panic at the time for such a schoolboy error. I’m sure your issue is different but I thought I’d share the simple things
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