Accelerator cable — removal, installation and adjustment (BMW 3 Series E46)

Removal

1. Unscrew the two screws and remove the plastic cover from the throttle body (Fig. 5.1).



2. Use pliers to squeeze the edges of the rubber retainer on the throttle lever, push the retainer out of the lever and pull the cable through the slot in the lever (Fig. 5.2).



3. Pull the cable sheath out of the rubber bushing on the bracket, then remove the bushing itself (Fig. 5.3).



4. In the passenger compartment, remove the lower trim panel on the driver's side.



5. Disconnect the cable end from the throttle control lever (Fig. 5.5).



6. Under the faceplate, squeeze the two clips and push the end of the cable sheath out of the support in the engine bulkhead (Fig. 5.6).



7. Remember the cable routing, then release it from all brackets and fasteners and pull the cable out of the engine compartment.

Installation

8. Install the cable in the reverse order. Route the cable as it was routed before. Then adjust the cable as follows.

Adjustment

9. Fine adjustment of the cable requires a special BMW tool to set the throttle potentiometer position. However, the initial position of the cable on a manual transmission model can be set as described below, provided that the final adjustment is performed by a specialist with the necessary equipment.

Note: On models with automatic transmission, the adjustment should be carried out immediately by a specialist.

10. Set the accelerator pedal and throttle control sector to the idle position.

11. Rotate the knurled wheel on the cable sheath to take up the slack in the cable.

12. Now turn the wheel a quarter turn to loosen the cable a little.

13. Ask an assistant to fully depress the accelerator pedal. When the pedal is pressed, the throttle valve should have a clearance of approximately 0.5 mm relative to the housing.

14. If necessary, adjust the position of the accelerator pedal with the stop screw screwed in to the floor. The screw may have a lock nut. In this case, loosen it before adjusting, and tighten it after adjusting.

Original publication posted on the website: BMWMAN.RU