1993 Ford Thunderbird

UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION DUE TO UNCOMMANDED FULL THROTTLE. // WHILE DRIVING AT 55MPH THE CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY DESPITE REMOVING ALL PRESSURE FROM THE GAS PEDAL. WITH HEAVY BRAKING CAR WAS STOPPED. AFTER STOPPING VEHICLE, I PUT TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO 5000 RPM BEFORE BEING TURNED OFF WITH THE KEY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE THROTTLE LINKAGE HAD DISCONNECTED FROM GAS PEDAL CONTROL CABLE. THROTTLE THEN MOVED TO & BECOME JAMMED AT HIGH POWER BY NEARBY TRANSMISSION LINKAGE (WHICH COMMANDED DOWNSHIFT AS THROTTLE DEMAND INCREASED). DISCREPANCY ORIGINATED WITH FAILURE OF PLASTIC THROTTLE LINKAGE BUSHING WHICH CONNECTS THE END OF THROTTLE CABLE TO ENGINE THROTTLE BODY. DIGITAL PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. I PROMPTLY REPORTED INCIDENT TO SERVICE DEALER VERBALLY & VIA LETTER WITH PHOTOS - NO FOLLOWUP RESPONSE RECEIVED. PURCHASED ORIGINAL REPLACEMENT BUSHING (PART# E1FZ*7F330*A INS-TRANS THRO $2.12) WHICH HAS SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN REDESIGNED AND MADE FROM METAL (PART# F3SZ*7H303*B KIT TRANS THRO $1.20). DEALER ADVISED THAT ORIGINAL BUSHING WAS NOT A RECALL ITEM. DEALER'S MECHANIC WAS FAMILIAR WITH FAILURE/REPLACEMENT OF SUBJECT PLASTIC BUSHING. I SUSPECT THIS FAILURE WILL BECOME MORE COMMON AS THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC BUSHINGS REACH SIMILAR AGE.

I AM WRITING TO YOU BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING MY CAR YESTERDAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR JUST STARTED ACCELERATING BY ITSELF . IT WENT FROM 10 MPH TO 70 MPH WITHOUT ME EVEN TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. I FINALLY PUSHED ON THE BRAKE TO STOP THE CAR AND SHUT IT OFF. EVEN THOUGH I WAS APPLYING ON THE BRAKE IT DID NOT WANT TO STOP. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RACING. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE LOCAL GARAGE AND HE CALLED ME TODAY TO TELL ME IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY LEVER GROMMET . I DID A SEACH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS EXACT PART. RECALL # 93B31. HOWEVER IT WAS NOT INCLUDED ON MY CAR BECAUSE THE LADY AT FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID IT WAS VEHICLE SPECIFIC. DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT TO ME. SAME CAR , SAME PART, SAME PROBLEM , CAN CAUSE A HUGE ACCIDENT AND POSSIBLY FATALITIES COULD ARISE FROM THIS DEFECT AND SHE SAID SORRY , CAN'T HELP YA. FORD WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY FINANCIAL RESPONSIBLITY FOR THIS . PLEASE RESPOND TO ME AND LET ME KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO TO MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. *AK

THROTTLE STUCK IN WIDE OPEN OR NEAR WIDE OPEN POSITION - DETAILS FOLLOW. I HAD EXPERIENCE DOWNSHIFT PROBLEMS BEFORE AND WHEN I NOTICED MY MOST RECENT DOWNSHIFT EVENT, IT WAS AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS. ON MERGING, THE CAR FAILED TO DROP OUT OF PASSING GEAR. I PULLED OVER AND INVESTIGATED TO FIND THE "THROTTLE VALVE CABLE" WAS LOOSE FROM THE THROTTLE BRACKET. I TRIED TO FIND REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR THE WORN GROMMET WHICH HAD ALLOWED IT TO DEPART THE BRACKET AND FOUND IT TO BE A "DEALER-ONLY" PART. DEALER WAS CLOSED. TV CABLE WAS RE-INSERTED AND CAR RECOVERED TO HOME. ON MONDAY, WHILE ENROUTE TO THE DEALER TO GET THE PART, THE THROTTLE STUCK BECAUSE THE TV CABLE BECAME WEDGED UNDER THE THROTTLE BRACKET. I APPLIED BRAKES BUT WAS UNABLE TO SLOW THE CAR ADEQUATELY BEFORE STOPPED TRAFFIC AHEAD. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND STOPPED IN TIME TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT.

TOOK CAR IN TO HAVE A RECALL ON A HEAD LAMP SWITCH FIXED. TOLD THEM CAR SEEMS TO HAVE A HESITATION WHEN TAKING OFF AFTER A COMPLETE STOP. THEY TOLD ME IT HAD TO HAVE THE IAC CENSOR REPLACED. HAD THAT DONE AT A COST OF 363.00. THEY ALSO PUT IN A NEW THERMOSTAT, SID ENGINE WASN'T GETTING HOT ENOUGH? 2 DAYS LATER CAR STILL HESITATED AND OVER HEATED. WAS TOLD HEAD GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. HAD THAT FIXED 900.00. THEY ALSO TOLD ME I SHOULD HAVE THE TIMING COVER REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAS A POSSIBLE CRACK? TOOK TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP HAD THEM TAKE A LOOK, THEY SAID IT LOOKED FINE? *AK