JAMMED OPEN

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 23, 27 January 1934, Page 15

JAMMED OPEN

A THROTTLE EMERGENCY

DECLUTCH AND SWITCH OFF

The following story is related of a novice making his first long night run in his new car. The night was a perfect one,.the car was running liko a sewing machine, and he felt thoroughly happy. Suddenly, as a short speed burst ended- near a sharp, left-turn, his engine remained, accelerated when he released.'the pedal. He lost his head momentarily, but fortun-i ately wisdom returned.. He declutched, braked, and switched off. ' '". His technical knowledge- was such that he had'no; conception of what was likely»,to be wrong. ■. In the dim light, he could find nothing amiss, arid even:, tually, resolved to. start up the engine again. 'A quarter of an hour later he was still trying to get it going. Then it dawned on his understanding that thq throttle was closed: to _ start, and that it was wide.open when it stuck. So' he opened the bonnet afresh, identified' the throttle controls after much cogitation, and waggled them. Something; jumped loose. It was the long rod; to' the carburettor. , ...... .. . ; ' Nothing further amiss happened. Next morning the trouble was cured by a drop or two of oil on a dry joint connecting; the throttle controls. In similar circumstances, however, cause and cure of an accelerator given, to sticking are not so r.ea,dily discovered. Jabbing at the. foot, control," even* if successful temporarily, is not a remedy, and the disorder is liable to return. When, the accelerator jams the'ljest course to pursue is to declutch, and switch off (a simultaneous movement), and brake the car to a standstill.. The control rods should be'examined to discover the cause of tho trouble. It may be due to a bent rod failing at some part of its movement to ride clear of another portion of.the mechanism. Frequently the floor boards are at fault. In any case the'cure is easy when tho disease has been diagnosed.