Broken Accelerator Cable
Moderator: Fatmobile
Broken Accelerator Cable
During the first year of ownership of this brand new 1982 diesel Westy the accelerator cable broke at the crimp where it attaches to the pedal linkage. It was a manufacturing defect with too tight of a crimp, and poor design. It broke just as i was accerating up a freeway onramp in San Diego during morning rush hour. A broken accelerator cable lets the engine run as though you had the pedal to the metal. So I managed to get on the freeway as there was no turning back and no road shoulder to escape to...no choice. Then I exited at the first off ramp and parked in a shopping center. Up to this point I knew something was broken because the pedal was "limp". So I crawled underneath and found the break at the crimp. What to do. Fortunately the 17 years of owning a '61 beetle trained me to be prepared. I took some green vinyl covered garden wire and fashioned a splice between the cable and pedal. Drove it that way for many years. Then finally replaced the fix with a small turnbuckle that would never wear out.
1982 Vanagon Diesel Westfalia