E38 accelerator problem
Printed From: Bavarian-Board.co.uk - BMW Owners Discussion Forum
Category: Technical & Model Specific Forums
Forum Name: BMW 7 Series
Forum Discription: This forum will deal with any issues on the BMW 7 Series (E23, E32, E38, E65, E66, E67 & E68)
URL: http://www.bavarian-board.co.uk/forum_posts.asp?TID=49460
Printed Date: 25-April-2024 at 16:20
Topic: E38 accelerator problem
Posted By: elk
Subject: E38 accelerator problem
Date Posted: 07-February-2013 at 12:26
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My 728i sport, E38 has been sitting in the garage for three months. The battery died, unusually. I have replaced the battery but there is now no response from the accelerator pedal. The gear shift indicate all of the gears, and the car moves under tick-over, but nothing else. There is no message regarding the transmission. The accelerator pedal just moves up and down with no resistance. Is there likely to be a broken cable or something more sinister? I would be grateful for any relevant information. Thanks. |
Replies:
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 07-February-2013 at 13:02
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Could be a broken cable.
Reach under the inlet manifold to below the throttle butterfly valve and you will see two black plastic quadrants with cables on them. You should be able to move the back quadrants and this will increase the revs of the engine. If the engine revs chances are it is a broken cable and you should be able to feel the throttle end of the cable at this location.
Link to picture of throttle butterfly.
http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=GE22&mospid=47508&btnr=13_0408&hg=13&fg=15" rel="nofollow - http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=GE22&mospid=47508&btnr=13_0408&hg=13&fg=15
The quadrants are at the bottom of part #1.
It has the same engine as my E39, an M52 block, so I am assuming that the throttle works in the same way as my E39 did but I could be wrong. It may have an electronic throttle in which case it may be linked to an electrical fault and not a mechanical one.
Did you replace the battery with one of the correct size? If there is insufficient electrical power you may not be able to operate the car properly.
HTH
keep us posted Andrew ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: elk
Date Posted: 07-February-2013 at 17:16
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Spot on Andrew, thanks very much. The cable is loose at the manifold end but attached to the pedal. The cable is not broken so must have come away from the quadrant somehow. It is difficult to see and I have torn my fingers to shreds trying to fell what has happened. I am unable to re-attach the cable end for some reason, there doesn't seem to be anything to latch the ball behind. I may have to resort to the dealer as what cost!! Thanks again, Elk. |
Posted By: thepits
Date Posted: 07-February-2013 at 17:27
 - eek. Good Luck ------------- Cats know your every thought. But don't care. |
elk wrote:Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 08-February-2013 at 08:34
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I wouldn't go to a dealer. They wouldn't know what to do with a car of that vintage anymore. BMW won't deal with many cars anymore that have a throttle cable in them as they are all fly by wire nowadays.
Go to a good local BMW independant or indeed any decent local garage. There might be something you are missing. As you say it is a pig of a part of the engine bay to get too. I wonder if you can see more by looking up from underneath which you would get on a ramp or lifiting table at a garage. ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |
Posted By: elk
Date Posted: 08-February-2013 at 10:35
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Thanks Andrew, BMW independents are hard to find round here. In the absence of a Haynes manual for the car, I wondered if anyone knew of a diagram showing what the connection looks like so I know what I am doing under there. There may be other models that use the same connection that do have a Haynes Manual or similar. Thanks again, Elk |
Posted By: Andrew Rolland
Date Posted: 08-February-2013 at 12:44
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The E39 haynes manual covers that engine which is a re-print of the E46 manual!
Haynes have been penny pinching and used the same photos of the engines in both the E46 and E39 manuals ------------- Be exclusive and drive a Petrol 5 Series! Current '13 62 F10 535i MSport Auto Previous '04 04 E60 545i SE Auto '03 53 E60 545i SE Auto (Stolen) '98 S E39 523i SE Auto |