Frozen Gas Pedal
 

This is kind of strange because I don't think what I did yesterday has anything to do with the problem I experienced today.

Yesterday, I did some routine maintenance on my 1999 Boxster. I changed the air filter. Added some hydraulic fluid [Pentosin CHF 11S], And tried to change the drive belt, but couldn't budge the nut on the tension wheel, so I left it for another day.

This morning I got in to the car only to find that my gas pedal was frozen. I couldn't push down on it. If I moved it a certain way [or my foot on the pedal] I could just push it down but the motion wasn't smooth, and there wasn't any resistance. Either the cable was stuck, or their was too much pressure/resistance to move it.
Driving the car was impossible. I opened everything up to retrace what I've done, but couldn't figure that anything I did would affect the pedal.

I went over the parts diagram, went to Bentley, started to research on line but their isn't enough on the subject, pedal mechanism, pedal to engine, how it works, etc. to even start to put scenarios together. Also I can't find enough on
even replacing the pedal [with another Porsche pedal, not a fancy Rennline].

Clutch and shifts are fine.

If anyone has run into this situation please help! I'm stumped and have no idea where to begin! Thanks!

The gas pedal isn't connected to the engine mechanically, it's a drive-by-wire system. The pedal mechanism is pretty simple, if you can figure how to remove it (it's simple), it should be pretty easy to figure out what is wrong with it.

I believe that Pelican Parts has instructions on how to remove the pedal assembly.

Thanks, I'll check it out.

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Pretty sure that's not correct, a 99 still has a physical cable, they didn't go e-gas till 00.

Absolutely, 99's cable. egas introduced with Boxster S, 2000.

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Correct. egas with Boxster S.


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This happened to me once and it turned out that I had somehow slid the cable off of the cam at the throttle body. I know you said you went over it, but if you were messing around in the power steering reservoir area, it would be worth double checking.

You'd think that I would have had a slack pedal, but I had the same symptoms you describe. It was years ago, so I don't remember if the cable also got snagged on something or what, but it was definitely at the throttle body.

.

The only other thing that I have experienced related to this symptom is literally a broken throttle pedal. The hinge at the bottom broke and the pedal didn't pedal much after that. Should take 30 secs to visually and mechanically check the pedal itself.

But as PW suggests, its most likely the cable at the throttle body.

I want to go back and address the “can’t budge the nut on the tension wheel” statement. There is no reason to try to pull that nut, it’s fixed and the bolt comes through the back and is basically a stud. Can you clarify? The nut shouldn’t move at all and the tensioner should swing down without too much force. If your tensioner pulley will not move, that’s a bit of a problem and the tensioner needs to be replaced, and you don’t even want to know how much fun that is.

Never said I was taking it off. I follow the advice given in the "101 Projects" book.
24 mm socket turn clockwise to loosen.
Anyway, let's get back to my pedal/ throttle issue, it's probably the cable as l was doing some cleaning after filling the hydraulics.

I think while I'm working there I'll clean the throttle body. I should get into doing it every time I change the oil, which I just did.

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Oh, yes I know it's a pully. Just didn't have the stamina to deal with it.

After I replaced the AOS the other day... went to start it... zero on the gas.

The cable had slipped. Returned it proper... boom.

General concensus: cable.

Just to be clear...
When changing the belt, you don't remove or loosen the 24mm "nut". It's simply a grip point.
When you put pressure on the 24mm nut, the whole pulley swings to the side. This requires some force to move. I use a 2ft cheater bar.

Watch this: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YzIxv9aZGrY

Yeah, I used a 2 ft
Guess I need to eat more Wheaties


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Even with a 2ft, mine is tough to move.

Fixed it!
 

YEP. SNAGGED THROTTLE CABLE.

Thanks for all your help!

While we're still on this...the cable has a lot of play/slack, which is why it probably got caught in the first place. Am I asking for trouble if I try to tighten it up a little? I think I read that there's an adjustment screw but you have to get under the car and remove
some sort of housing to do this.

It's not that difficult to take up the slack. Worth doing. Take a look at this thread for a picture of the part you need to adjust. From memory, you twist the connector on top of the unit a quarter turn, take the slack out and turn a quarter turn back again, done.

Got it. Thanks.

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