Frozen pedal?

[CSwitzer]

Had a very interesting issue last night,let truck sit for a day in freezing temps,started with no issue/slight bucking and snorting but cleared up after about a minute. Let truck warm on its own enough to clear windshield of ice. As i tried to drive away i noticed accelerator stuck or frozen in idle position? Put truck back in park,turned off and pushed on pedal. Finally broke loose,but just layed on the floor. Started truck back up,it just idled-with the accelerator stuck to the floor,ended up turning all heat to floor,figuring that may loosen the pedal up. After about 15 minutes pedal regained resistance. Thought all was well,left for home from blaine MN started driving north on I-35 set the cruise at 68,drove about 12 miles to my exit,unset cruise but truck did not slow down,had to slow it down by force. Had to do these steps 5 times in the next 35 miles to make it to my WI dest. Was wondering if anyone out there in TDR land has heard of a problem like this.



04. 5 Ram3500 QC/4. 10/FASS 95/AFE stg2/ATS Arc/Edge Juice w/ez stack/4inch straight pipe/BD x Monitor/18. 5 MPG

 

[rbattelle]

Sounds like ice has gotten in to the linkage down in the footwell (which would explain why heating it up worked).



I'm not sure whether the automatic trucks actually move the pedal in cruise mode (manual transmission trucks do not), but I suspect they do. If so, the ice problem would also explain the cruise sticking.



If this is right, the reason the truck only idled despite the pedal being at the floor on startup the second time is that you effectively recalibrated the APPS by starting the truck with the pedal to the floor. In so doing, you told the ECM that "to the floor" = 0% throttle.



I'd get in there and dry out the linkage real good, then coat it with your favorite grease to help prevent future problems.



Ryan

 

[CSwitzer]

Thanks for the info,Is the APPS in conjunction with the high idle? How does the high idle operate? Certain temp. control high idle? Is the APPS still used in the newer models?

04. 5 Ram3500/QC/4. 10/FASS 95/AFE stg2/ATS arc intake/Edge Juice w/EZ stack/4inch straight pipe/BD X-Monitor/18. 5 MPG

 

[rbattelle]

On the manuals, the high idle feature from the factory has nothing to do with the APPS.



On automatics, I'm not sure whether they use the cruise control actuator to move the pedal. I doubt it.



All the trucks use an APPS. Starting roughly January or early February 2003 the APPS is mounted beneath the drivers side battery.



Ryan

 

[cerberusiam]

You have 2 cables on your APPS, one for the accelerator pedal and one for the transmission throttle valve pressure. It sounds like one or both have gotten water in them or ice is jamming one end or the other. The TV cables are a problem in cold icy conditions and tend to freeze up and stick. My guess would be the the TV cable.



Some trucks had the APPS under the battery and some had them on the front of the engine on drivers side. Not sure what the rhyme and reason was for moving them around.

 

[CSwitzer]

After further review of my frozen pedal, I found when i removed the apps cover,the actual throttle cable had started to come unwound,and was at least a inch in diameter, truck is now waiting for part at dealer.

I'll see if they try to pull the ol, warranty doesn't cover that, within the next day or so.



04. 5 Ram3500 SRW/4. 10/AFE Stg2/FASS 95/ATS Arc Intake/EdgeJuice w/EZ stack/4 inch Straight no kitty/BD X-Monitor/18. 5 MPG