Gas Pedal not Fully Returning to idle

[AmTeC]

So when I let my foot off the gas, the engine doesn't fully return to idle, if it's in park, it idles at around 1200 rpm rather than the usual 800. I have to pull the gas pedal up with my foot to get it to idle at the right speed. I oiled the throttle cable underneath the hood under the rubber boot around the throtte body. I used a few drops of 5W-20 synthetic, That fixed the problem for about 10 minutes before it started coming back. The throttle cable looks brand new and clean, and it's properly adjusted as far as I know. Anyone got any ideas? Is there a place around the gas pedal I can oil too that might help? or should I not be using oil at all? perhaps some grease of some sort?

[Raf99]

Sounds like the cable is bad. ie - you can't oil the middle portion of the cable or inside the whole length. Unhook it from the throttle body and try to move it with your hands. You'll find it probably gets stuck at the same spot. = time for a new cable (although I have never heard of this cable getting stuck before).

But ya, see if you can move it by hand first. Disconnect at either end if possible.

[GTRON]

Might very well be your TPS. Ask me how I know.

Edit: nevermind, sounds like a cable issue, LOL.

[AmTeC]

Sounds like the cable is bad. ie - you can't oil the middle portion of the cable or inside the whole length. Unhook it from the throttle body and try to move it with your hands. You'll find it probably gets stuck at the same spot. = time for a new cable (although I have never heard of this cable getting stuck before). EDIT: just noticed you said I can't oil the middle portion, Hmm... how can a new cable be installed?

But ya, see if you can move it by hand first. Disconnect at either end if possible.

Everytime I oil either end of the cable, the problem goes away for a good 15 minutes. my guess is the cable needs to be removed and greased properly, or maybe I need to increase the slack in the cable a bit. Removing the cable seems easy, What about putting it back in? is it super difficult or should it slide through with ease?

[Raf99]

Everytime I oil either end of the cable, the problem goes away for a good 15 minutes. my guess is the cable needs to be removed and greased properly, or maybe I need to increase the slack in the cable a bit. Removing the cable seems easy, What about putting it back in? is it super difficult or should it slide through with ease?

You're oiling maybe 6" of a cable that's 5-6' long. The other issue is any rust causes metal to expand, so probably rusting inside the rubber jacket where you can't see or get to, or oil. Thus you just replace the cable rather than trying to grease it up. Cable is not hard to swap out, check your manual on how to or search the site. May not want to wait for the day it jams in the opposite position (full throttle)

[Fleetw00d]

If you use a spray lubricant, you could tape the nozzle (like the red straw nozzle that typically comes with brake cleaner) at one end of the sheath and try to force lubricant further in.

Disconnect the cable from the throttle plate and make sure the throttle returns to completely closed after opening it. If it is gunked up, that could prevent it from returning to completely closed. If the throttle body is really dirty, remove it and clean it real well. Get a new gasket and o-ring for the idle screw.

[AmTeC]

If you use a spray lubricant, you could tape the nozzle (like the red straw nozzle that typically comes with brake cleaner) at one end of the sheath and try to force lubricant further in.

Disconnect the cable from the throttle plate and make sure the throttle returns to completely closed after opening it. If it is gunked up, that could prevent it from returning to completely closed. If the throttle body is really dirty, remove it and clean it real well. Get a new gasket and o-ring for the idle screw.

I was just thinking the exact thing! My dad once took one of my seized bicycle brake cables and did that with wd-40, then he put the whole cable in a bucket of grease on a hotplate which melted the grease and allowed it to seep into the cable sheath for 24 hours. Im not sure how effective this would be because the bike was stolen shortly after it was put back together. I guess its worth a shot. The cable moves freely. When I let go of the gas pedal abruptly it returns to normal full idle most of the time, When I push down the pedal very gently, and let go, it gets stuck ever so slightly above normal idle and I have to gently pull up on the pedal to return to idle. The cable has been adjusted by the previous owner so that there is absolutely no pedal play, if thats the right word, its basically adjusted so that there is no useless slack in the cable, you push that pedal ever so gently, it still actuates the butterfly. Someone told me to increase the slack, But I like my pedal feeling responsive, I guess I will try to lube it better somehow, then adjust the slack, and finally give up and replace it

[Fleetw00d]

There is supposed to be some slack in the cable. According to the OEM service manual, with the throttle completely closed, there should be 0.39 - 0.47 inches of deflection of the throttle cable near the throttle linkage (cable pulley on the throttle body).