'98 V 70 -- Accelerator cable worn out?

[jblackburn]

I noticed a lot of cracked sheathing on the throttle cable on my '97 855 GLT at ~180k miles. This is the original cable as far as I know and it seems to be working smoothly with no problems noted. Would you guys take a look and let me know if you think this requires replacement please?

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Looks fine, as long as it still moves smoothly.

When mine broke, it snapped at the plastic adjustment screw end there, and also the boot at the firewall. Lots of slop in the pedal before anything happened, couldn't force kickdowns, etc.

[Sommerfeldt]

WRONG!!!

The parking brake in the Volvo is close to worthless. Try a new car, drive at 30 mph, pull the parking brake and it will take forever to stop.
So on a moving car, the parking brake is close to worthless: we have discussed this before in forum.
I have spent countless hours on the parking brake and now it is worthless.
(New rotor, new shoes, lubed everything...see the DIY).

We've been through this before - I still think you're the problem, not the brake. Mine will easily lock the wheels at speed, and will definitely aid in stopping the car. None of my Volvos have ever behaved the way you describe, and comparing new systems to our cars is useless. They work in completely different ways.

Just google "stuck throttle cable accident", you will tons and tons of posts for all kinds of cars. Make sure you know how to slide your foot under the gas pedal and lift it up in case of emergency.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=st ... e+accident

Sure... but it's usually a case like yours - impact, THEN stuck. Also, better concentrate more on stopping or avoidance than wedging your foot under the gas pedal if there's an emergency - I've never even heard anyone suggest doing such a thing in an emergency. Seems unsafe to me.

Between the parking brake and throttle cable, I'd pick a functioning throttle cable any time. In other words, I can live w/o the parking brake.

Well... that's up to you. The e-brake is a safety feature... the throttle cable is not.

The liability is MUCH BIGGER for a bad throttle cable > a bad parking brake.

I simply do not believe you.

The cable is cheaper than liability involved should your engine runs out of control.

Where are you getting this? I don't think you've got anything to back that up.

I am different, if the car deserves a new cable, I will buy a new cable.
Safety first...

Really? But a major part of the brakes can be left without function?

- S

[Sommerfeldt]

Actually, I took a look at that Google search link of yours, and I don't see many cars in there at all. Also, there's the NHTSA's numbers: https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Pu ... ion/812115
Pretty enlightening. And then there's the Product Liability Digest. None of them seem to back you up what so ever, in any sort of way.

What IS a fact, and which is something that several major transport companies are now implementing in their driver training, is that many, many accidents could have been avoided with a mere 1 second more of driver reaction time. That also translates into stopping distance, in many cases. I.e., if your e-brake could give you a mere 30% of stopping power, and yours weren't working because you thought it was better to replace a throttle cable, wouldn't that leave you all the more at fault?

- S

[cn90]

Sommerfeldt,

You cannot be more wrong than what you wrote above.

1. I am not the problem. You are the problem b/c you don't like to see a different viewpoint.
This is a known fact in this forum.

2. "The e-brake is a safety feature... the throttle cable is not".
"Where are you getting this? I don't think you've got anything to back that up."
These are simply dumb statements.

The cable is the liability issue.
Cable $40 (or whatever it costs).
Imagine car runs out of control hitting, injuring, killing people: millions of dollars of lawsuits etc.
Now $40 looks cheap to start with.

3. "I simply do not believe you."
I don't need you to believe me.

Don't get me wrong, fix your parking brake as much as you can.
If and whenever I have time and patience, I will fix my brake again, which is probably time better spent than wasting time arguing with you.
For the last 3 years, my parking brake does not work, do I lose any sleep? No.
I am not new here, I have written parking brake DIY before:
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=54614

[jblackburn]

If it gets stuck, put your foot on the brake, put the car in neutral, and turn it off. There is not a car on the road where the engine can outpull the brakes fully applied.

The Toyota lawsuit for unintended acceleration was because other drivers are idiots and managed to hit both pedals at the same time or one instead of the other.

[cn90]

...That also translates into stopping distance, in many cases. I.e., if your e-brake could give you a mere 30% of stopping power, and yours weren't working because you thought it was better to replace a throttle cable, wouldn't that leave you all the more at fault?

- S

You make me laugh, if you are lucky, you get "10%" stopping power from the P-Brake, even in a brand-new car.
Do this experiment in a quiet street in the middle of nowhere...

Get a brand new car from the showroom:
1. At 50-60 km/h (I am using metric since you are from Norway), shift to neutral, step on the brake and measure how long it takes to stop the car.
Let's say it takes 20 meters to stop.

2. At 50-60 km/h, shift to neutral, pull the P-Brake.
Let's say it takes 200 meters to stop.

This is where I got my "10%" stopping power number from.
Anyway just random numbers.

You should do this experiment and report back the numbers regarding the "usefulness of P-Brake", then you will wake up realizing how wrong you were.

PS: I have done this experiment before in a brand-new car LOL...

[cn90]

If it gets stuck, put your foot on the brake, put the car in neutral, and turn it off. There is not a car on the road where the engine can outpull the brakes fully applied.

The Toyota lawsuit for unintended acceleration was because other drivers are idiots and managed to hit both pedals at the same time or one instead of the other.

I agree but there is one caveat (not for most of us here).
When the engine revs like crazy, it will catch most people (the lay public) by surprise, now PANIC sets in.
PANIC is the worst enemy. People become confused.

If everyone has a calm approach, then it will be fine but the public is the public, some will be calm, many will panic.

[cn90]

The original poster E Showell is probably having fun reading these posts.

[Sommerfeldt]

Sommerfeldt,

You cannot be more wrong than what you wrote above.

1. I am not the problem. You are the problem b/c you don't like to see a different viewpoint.
This is a known fact in this forum.

Seems you and me have something in common, then.

2. "The e-brake is a safety feature... the throttle cable is not".
"Where are you getting this? I don't think you've got anything to back that up."
These are simply dumb statements.

I've given you actual figures and research from actual government institutions. What have you brought?

The cable is the liability issue.
Cable $40 (or whatever it costs).
Imagine car runs out of control hitting, injuring, killing people: millions of dollars of lawsuits etc.
Now $40 looks cheap to start with.

Like the few bucks paid to have someone who knows what they're doing service your e-brake. I couldn't find any examples of cars running out of control, killing and injuring people and causing millions of dollars in lawsuits etc.

3. "I simply do not believe you."
I don't need you to believe me.

And I don't. Since you've got nothing showing that anything you say is actually correct. Spouting things like "leave e-brake with no function - invest in new throttle cable instead" are things that can get people hurt.

Don't get me wrong, fix your parking brake as much as you can.
If and whenever I have time and patience, I will fix my brake again, which is probably time better spent than wasting time arguing with you.
For the last 3 years, my parking brake does not work, do I lose any sleep? No.
I am not new here, I have written parking brake DIY before:
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=54614

Seeing as your parking brake doesn't work... ah, I'm not sure I'll be following that DIY if mine decides to give up the ghost.

Also, I don't see why you insist on bringing up experimenting with this in a new car - we're not talking about new cars. Mine's 20 years old. Some of the cars here are younger, and some are older, but they're certainly not "new" cars.

According to the NHTSA, 94% of accidents are caused by drivers. I.e. human error. 2% are attributed to unspecified vehicle malfunction, and can be discounted, since that's an unknown cause category. A further 2% is attributed to actual vehicle malfunctions (any - that means tire blowouts and everything - tires account for 35% of that 2%, btw), which is a very low number. The myth of "involuntary acceleration" should be put to sleep once and for all.

Oh, and I'll be calling the TAR in Sweden on Monday, to see what kind of number they have for "throttle cable malfunction". They're going to laugh at me and hang up, is my best guess.

- S

[jblackburn]

Ok, that's enough with the jests at each other. We hate having to come in and clean up threads.