Sticky accelerator and maf questions

[schultz]

Hello,
My first question, probably of many:-
My recently acquired terrano has a sticky accelerator pedal. I've read that if you spray the rotating barrel thingy at the top with wd40 it should loosen up. I have done this but it is still notchy, maybe not as bad as before, but not good. Someone mentioned taking the item off and stripping it down but I cannot find any instructions on this. I don't want to mess it up so does anyone have any advice on this?
Secondly, the maf unit on the air intake. The car was suffering from intermittent severe loss of power. I was advised to remove the unit and spray the wires etc with wd40. I did this and I think it has solved the problem, but I also have some spray-on switch gear cleaner and lubricant and was wondering whether a squirt with this would be better.
Regards, John

 

[Toolbox]

Firstly with the accelerator potentiometer, never having stripped one down I cant really help you, there was a post some time ago that a member stripped and cleaned his with very good results, I think it’s a process of removal and methodically taking apart making sure you note what way it comes apart so you can reassemble it correctly.

Secondly WD40 is a no no when cleaning the MAF it will leave a residue on the wire and not work correctly. The switch cleaner is a better idea shouldn’t leave any deposits and evaporate away.

 

[schultz]

I've squirted the maf sensor with electrical contact cleaner so that should be clean.
Sprayed the throttle position sensor with wd40, but it is still sticky. If you try to ease off the accelerator qently you can feel the notchiness and then it sticks fully just before getting to idle position. When that happens the engine management light comes on. Flick the throttle so that the drum fully closes and the light then goes off. The accelerator pedal unit appears to be fastened to the bulkhead by 3 nuts, one is at the bottom and two are side by side near the top. They are all easily accessible, so, unless there are any hidden fasteners, it would look to be fairly easy to take them off. Nissan say the pedal and position sensor are only supplied as a single unit - cost £460 plus vat !!!!
A mate who is a mechanic suggested that the inlet butterfly might be sticking due to general gunge which would give the impression that the pedal end is sticking, but it is sticky whether the ignition is on or not, so I cannot see how that could be.
Anyway, will persevere.
John

 

[schultz]

I've managed to source a used accelerator/sensor unit for £50 from a breaker. Fitted it today, only takes 10 mins, and it works a treat, smooth as you like. I'll have a look at the old one in due course and see what's causing it to stick. My main suspicion is the plastic drum for the sensor spring, one end rotates and the other doesn't. Silicone lubricant is looking like the favoured option.
John

 

[frosty]

i had the same problem, got a replacment off ebay for £30, and it also did the trick, i stripped my original down but still have no idea as to why it was sticking. it ended up in the skip.
tony

 

[mav]

Posted on behalf of Chaster,

I have had a very sticky accelerator for over 12 months. Causing engine warning light to illuminate intermittently and making me into a kangaroo type driver.
Tried all the likely "cures"---WD40 etc. time and time again but improvements were only marginal and short lived.
In desperation gave the whole throttle assembly a thorough spraying with a weakish solution of washing up liquid (which rhymes with dairy). Hey presto! Job done! Plenty of the green stuff in my Wife's 'workshop' if it needs repeating but for now it's great to be in charge.
Feels fantastic to be rid of the jerky engine control and to chose which revs I want and not those which the transmitter decided to give me.

Chaster.

 

[schultz]

Thank you for that. Seems well worth a try. If nothing else , should have soft hands :smile:
John