VW Golf MK4 - Throttle jammed

[Kernel Kev]

Hello all,

My Golf will sometimes just start to rev the engine and the revs keep climbing, almost like the throttle is jammed open. This happens maybe once a month and will happen at any time, idle or as I am going along at speed. I have to shut the car off, fight the now powerless steering and get my hazards on. I then turn the car back on and all is fine. To me, this maybe rules out mechanical fault like the throttle body getting jammed, and more an electronic issue.

The idle is a bit lumpy and sometimes the car will stall, and this for some reason tends to happen more when I am in reverse and then come to a stop.

I have read about the Mass Air Flow that sits next to the air filter, could it be this playing up? Or an ECU thing? What would you recommend I look at?

As I say, this isn't just the idle going up a bit, the revs do not stop (it climbed over 4k revs with clutch in before I turned off the engine once).

Thanks

[TooMany2cvs]

Which engine...? Petrol or diesel?

[cuprabob]

I would check the throttle body, although if it's sticking I would expect the EPC light to come on.

[Kernel Kev]

It's a 1.6 8v petrol engine