Gas pedal feels like it's rusted when pushed.

[importfanatic66]

I hope everyone is having a great week during the holidays,

I just acquired a 1997 Saturn SL2 dohc 5 spd from my bossman and it runs like a champ. Engine is very strong, 2nd gear kind of grinds a little when shifting, but other than that, I love it.

Now the problem is, when I accelerate at any given time, it feels as though the gas pedal has a rusty feeling to it when pushed down. Sometimes while in motion when I push on the pedal, it kind of jolts the car because it has a little sticky feeling.

Now before I rush and pour WD40 all over the pedal / cables..etc and end up breaking something, I wanted to get some communicty input.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Happy New Years!

[blue92]

I would do a visual inspection first. Look to see if it is rubbing against something, both on the interior side and in the engine compartment. There should be no reason to spray any gunk on it.

[alordofchaos]

Read over the sticky in the General forum

Using the links there or going to YouTube and finding the video by richpin06a, find his video on throttle body cleaning. Remove and carefully clean the back and inside of the throttle body with carb cleaner. You will be amazed at how gunked up it is. The gunk gets on the throttle plate edges and pivot and makes it feel sticky at the pedal.

If I'm wrong, cost = $0

[LabRat]

Both our SL2s had this, problem was cured by cleaning the throttle body. Check the Richpin video as mentioned, also stickied in the HowTo Library.

You start spraying lube on the cable you'll just attract grit which Will then jam the cable.

-LR

[RobertGary1]

Although the full Throttle Body cleaning is a good idea; I bet you could just spray carb cleaner into the mouth of the TB around the pivots while exercising the throttle and resolve this issue.

-Robert

[off-track]

Originally Posted by RobertGary1

Although the full Throttle Body cleaning is a good idea; I bet you could just spray carb cleaner into the mouth of the TB around the pivots while exercising the throttle and resolve this issue.

True Robert but from my experience.. not for long. I tried a shortcut cleaning the first time and a little while later the IAC started sticking as well. It's not all that much more work to pull the TB and clean it completely.

[porphyre]

Originally Posted by importfanatic66

Now before I rush and pour WD40 all over the pedal / cables..etc and end up breaking something, I wanted to get some communicty input.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Happy New Years!

WD40 is not a lubricant.

[Signmaster]

Originally Posted by porphyre

WD40 is not a lubricant.

WD40 is somewhere around 20 percent oil. And the last I checked, oil is a lubricant.




As for the original question, I agree most likely the throttle body. Once you disconnect the cable you can verify that the cable and/or pedal isn't binding. From there take your pick of how to clean the throttle body. I've never had the throttle body off our car, but have cleaned it quickly from the outside a couple of times and have never had any sticking issues since the first cleaning.

[off-track]

Originally Posted by Signmaster

WD40 is somewhere around 20 percent oil. And the last I checked, oil is a lubricant.

Unfortunately it's the other 80% that tends to gum things up over the long run.

[coolgreany]

Originally Posted by off-track

It's not all that much more work to pull the TB and clean it completely.

I can vouch for that - go for it!!

[simkid5614]

Originally Posted by alordofchaos

Read over the sticky in the General forum

Using the links there or going to YouTube and finding the video by richpin06a, find his video on throttle body cleaning. Remove and carefully clean the back and inside of the throttle body with carb cleaner. You will be amazed at how gunked up it is. The gunk gets on the throttle plate edges and pivot and makes it feel sticky at the pedal.

If I'm wrong, cost = $0

^^^^^^^+1 Totally right, Any gunked pedal, just assume it needs cleaning, even electornically actuated vehicles have these problems now. So do a cleaning and while your at it, throw in an EGR cleaning. Remember to get new gaskets if they're torn up.

I would never recommend using WD40 ON ANYTHING on vehicles. Mainly cause there are other safer alternatives and to use whats designed for it.

[RobertGary1]

And the goal is not to lubricate the TB it's to clean it. WD-40 attracts debris which is why it is seldom used today. Best light lube today is tri-flow.

[hi-tower]

Do the TB cleaning. It can only help even if it does not fix the problem (which it probably will). This is now a yearly or even bi-yearly practice for me on both SW's. I even have extra TB's on hand that are already clean from the JY to swap in so it does not take any time at all when it needs to be done. Then I can clean the dirty ones at my leisure for the next swap. It is a 5 minute job to swap. 15 minutes if you actually have to clean it and put it back on. I sometimes take more time just because I am picky at how clean it gets. I do the same thing with the EGR valves.