05 Town and Country accelerator binds/will not depress

Wife's 2005 Chrys. T&C, 45K miles, 3.3 eng., accelerator will not
depress--just rarely/intermittently--when light changes and you attempt to
accelerate, or in stop-and-go traffic, or from stop sign--ALWAYS from idle.
After tapping pedal lightly w/foot 1-2-3 times, it depresses normally and
pulls right off. Car starts, accelerates, stops, maximum-accelerates,
quick-stops, with absolutely NO driveability issues ever. The pedal and
cable are free all way to throttle body--cruise cable also. You cannot make
it stick with engine off, even by closing throttle valve lightly, yet
completely against its stop. Cannot make it duplicate problem while
driving--just rarely it does it w/NO warning. Been serviced regularly,
including air filter changes even before getting dirty. Very few short,
cold drives. Otherwise, it's perfect, and just began this about 3K miles
ago.
Ready to sell retail to get top $, but gonna fix this 1st--already
installed new brakes and like-new tires from our replacement 2007 just like
it w/17K miles.
Anyone seen same symptoms? I have ideas, but just theory, as I have
NEVER experienced it or heard of it, even with the literally 1000's of efi
vehicles we've sold thru our used car dealership.
Thanks for advice. sdlomi2

 

This is not really clear to me what you are saying. If you are talking
about the blade/cable sticking from a dead stop you will need to clean the
throttle body bore and blade. There is a TSB addressing this problem. If
you are saying the vehicle hesitates and lack of power you may need to
have the scan tool connected to see whats going on.

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

Thank you for reply. I am talking about the blade/cable sticking from a
situation of being stopped and idling--NO hesitation, surging, cutting off,
stumbling issue at all. It operates perfect other than about one time out
of 75, when you attempt to take off from having stopped at a traffic light
or from having stopped at a stop sign, the accelerator feels exactly as if a
block of steel were placed between the pedal and the floor. Pressing harder
seems to not help at all. Only when you use normal force for a 2nd or 3rd
or maybe even a 4th attempt does it depress normally and accelerate
normally. It never lets you depress it slightly and then bind--it always
binds from its at-idle position. Never tried to exert maximum force to make
it "break loose"; that possible action causes you to react like: if I do
that and it DOES "break loose", it will surge ahead so hard it might hit the
car just ahead.
It feels just like it might if the blade were welded shut; or like it
would if the cable went to a carb and someone had welded the bellcrank
solid. And you never feel it pop loose, break loose, unstick--it just feels
completely normal on that 2nd or 3rd attempt of pushing normally, feeling
the bind, taking foot completely off pedal; pushing normally again, feeling
the bind again, taking foot off again; pushing normally again and this time
it accepts that normal push and accelerates completely normally, just as it
had on the previous 74 times you stopped for a traffic light and then
accelerated when the light turned green.
It is not a "gummy" feel or a "springy" feel; it is a "solid-bind" feel.
One's mind can almost visualize a metal rod rotating so as to solidly-block
the blade exactly at its idle position, and then rotating away between 2
successive pulls on the throttle cable--these successive pulls may be 2nd
and 3rd or 3rd and 4th, never as many as 5 or 6 blocked attempts. There is
no in-between feelings on the blockage, like half blocked or partially
blocked: it is definitely a go or no-go situation.
Thanks again for any insight.
Sam

 

Like Glen said the first time, clean the throttle body.

 

Clean the throttle body to see if that corrects the problem

Glenn Beasley
Chrysler Tech

 

SNIP<

blocked: it is definitely a go or no-go situation.

Hey Glenn, and thanks. I followed your advice & cleaned the TB.
Finished job by using very fine steel wool to polish the ends of the
butterfly/blade and internal wall of the bore where they made contact.
We'll know after about 73 more 'cycles'. There's nothing else other
than the "idle-control device" that could cause such a bind.
Thanks for the advice.
sdlomi2

 

The "idle-control device" (IAC motor) has no effect on the opening, closing
and/sticking of the throttle. It is a computer controlled vacuum leak that
bypasses the throttle plate and in no way can cause your symptoms.

 

The IAC motor would have nothing to do with a sticking blade. And in the
future I wouldn't recommend using a steel wool to clean the throttle
body.Let me know if it works

Glenn

 

I'll sure be happy to report back that it solved the problem & have
confidence it will. A phrase I copied/pasted from a TSB recommended to use
a Scotch-Brite-pad to scrub and clean the plate and bore where it caused a
wear ring, almost like a groove. Didn't have the pad, but the st-wool I
used just to polish the blade and groove was so fine that I think you would
have approved. Had the t-body off and in my lap where I could ensure no
contaminants went awry. Then washed again w/cleaner & blew it dry with air.
HOWEVER: I shall not use st-wool next time--promise to get the Sc-Br Pad!
I'm sure you are right about the IAC--I just re-looked at my notes, and
the phrase I pasted (( ..." throttle body itself could be leaking
significant amounts of air around where the throttle plate shaft passes
through the throttle body housing. The throttle shaft wears a miniscule
amount of aluminum away each time the gas pedal is moved. After a bunch of
movement, the circular hole in the throttle body starts to become eliptical
and the throttle shaft a little skinnier than it should be. Air leaks are
the least of your worries here, as a severly worn throttle shaft can cause
the accelerator linkage to bind..." )) came from a different TSB from the
one recommending Scotch-Brite Pad along with Chrys. part-nos for cleaner and
gasket, etc.
Thx for the confidence you helped me muster.
s