

| Subject: | throttle position switch |
| From: | Ed Carroll |
| Date: | Mon, 13 Aug 2001 15:19:48 -0400 |
The throttle position switch adjustment and eccentric cam blues Executive version: Is the eccentric cam adjustment component of the Digifant throttle position switch a function of the switch body, or of the throttle valve body? Background: I was trying Saturday to track down the fault in the Digifant system for our '87 which has caused varying degrees of intermittent rough/surging idle, highway bucking and most recently some episodes of hard starting and low power, especially climbing and often accompanied by moderate blackish smoke. After testing several components, I checked the throttle position switch and found that it wasn't opening -- infinite resistance -- until a centimeter or so into the throttle, and wasn't closing again until the very very end of the valve's movement. Further investigation showed that the tightening screw was pushed all the way to the left extreme of the slot it rides in, that is, the switch was positioned furthest away from the idle stop. Unfortunately, the adjusting screw (which operates the eccentric cam mechanism) is barely recognizable as a screw. It looks like it was the same type of high-shouldered allen-head screw as the tightening screw, but with the hex interior rounded out and one half the head blasted as if by punch and hammer. I found that by loosening the tightening screw almost all the way, I could reach under and slide the switch body in the right direction and clamp the switch down again. But I could only get it scooched over far enough that the switch opens about 1 millimeter from the idle stop; spec.s call for .05 mm to .1 mm. I could tell also that the switch is no longer in the right plane -- I apparently dropped it away from the adjuster to manually slide the switch in the right direction. Question: If I drill out or otherwise permanently remove the damaged screw, as appears necessary, where does that leave me? Do I have to remove the throttle valve from the intake at this point to repair and regain full function of the adjuster? Is the adjuster built into the throttle valve body, or is the adjustment function somehow built into the switch? Thanks for any help. Ed Carroll '87 Weekender '69 Karmann Ghia convertible
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