hello

i have a 1985 300TD wagon and I think the accelerator cable has stretched out over the years. I press down an inch or two before there is any response.

I have a chilton and haynes manual and neither have any info on adjusting the accelerator cable. I looked under the hood and it doesn't seem obvious like I've seen in some cars where you just loosen the screw, adjust the cable, and tighten the screw. in fact it appears that the cable is extended when the gas pedal is pressed, rather than being pull in as usual.

if anyone has any pointers on this, i'd really appreciate it!
thanks
gary in vermont

A 1985 300TD does not have any accelerator cable. Its a metal linkage with joints and rods....it must be carefully adjusted to move properly....this can take a long while to get right, even for someone who is familiar with it. The "cable" you see is the bowden cable, it is correctly functioning, it pulls out as the throttle is applied to tell the transmission how long to hold each shift point...if the car is shifting correctly, do not mess with it.

On a W123, a soft pedal/bad response can often be due to the rubber throttle bushing on the firewall having come apart and flexing when the throttle is applied. This is the part:

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Hi
I also have a 1985 300td with the same situation where the accelerator is depressed almost an inch before there is any change in engine speed. In my case the lag is in the assembly on top of the valve cover where there is a roller that works in a slot. The linkage moves to no effect until the roller has crossed to the other side and then it begins to move the linkage to the injector pump. I questioned the forum on this before but received no good answer as to how to correct. The FSM has a detailed instruction on adjusting the linkage but doesn't address my problem.
Cheers, Joseph

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Joseph, the picture that you show, is of the Bowden cable, which controls shifting points of the transmission. pawoSD's pictures more than likely show what's at fault. Might check the end support bushing on end of accelerator arm next to the Stop lever, too.

thanks everyone. it sounds like it's a bit more complicated than tightening a cable. I'll see if I can find that bushing pictured and if if it's coming apart. thanks.