There seems to be a lot of movement in the throttle pedal of my wifes 190E before the throttle actually opens, and looking at the linkage under the bonnet it seems to be designed that way. Is there any adjustment or modification to make the throttle action more normal, ie throttle opens when you depress the pedal, or do you get used to it?
It seems more a problem for me as I don't drive it all the time, also it's a manual gearbox and changing gear smoothly and quickly is difficult, surely the racing 190s of ten years ago weren't like this?

The throttle cable should be fairly tight. If it is loose where it attaches to the throttle arm it should be tightened. On my car (an 86) there is an adjustment at the end of the cable housing. It is a white plastic threaded fitting that can be turned to push the housing back to tighten the cable.

To determine where the slack is, have your wife push on the throttle while you observe the end of the cable where it exits the housing.

Good luck

Tom Elerding

Yes, there is adjustment!

Take off the panel underneath the steering wheel, so you can get to the pedals.
There you'll find a simple thumbscrew you can use to adjust the amount of slack - I did and now the lightest touch eases you forward.

Reading the latest 'Mercedes Enthusiast' magazine made me laugh - they run an '86 2.3-16, and on a trip to the Nordschleife had the throttle stick open at full! They sounded surprised, but I don't think many of the 190 owners here will be - it can happen if the linkage is allowed to dry up - so lubricate it while your there!
What bugs me is that the so called 'enthusiasts' called the RAC Roadside Assistance - surely any enthusiast can diagnose and fix a sticky cable..?
Then they ran off the track and hit a barrier (only minor damage though).. sigh...

btw where are you in England?

later

Russ

__________________
190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

Hi Russ

I don't think the cable has slack in it, it's more that the linkage has slack that seems to be designed, for some reason. I wondered if anybody else finds this a problem, or is mine set up wrong.
When you open the throttle, if you look at the engine end of the cable there is a LOT of movement before the linkage starts to open the throttle. Initially I thought that it was set up wrong and the slack should be as the throttle is closed, to enable the throttle to close slowly when you lift your foot right off, but I don't think that is the case.

BTW the 190 has injection, the carb models may be different.

I am located in south east England in the couty of Kent, near a town called Tenterden.

regards

Hmm, I do know the slack you mean, I remember seeing it - the linkage has movement which doesn't adjust the throttle butterfly. I have still adjusted mine so that this is completely removed, however, using the thumbscrew - just let it tighten until the revs rised on the idleing engine, then turned it back a little. My 190 is injection (it's a 190*E* - Einspritzer = injection), but i've never looked at a carb one.


Russ

__________________
190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

Hi
been thinking about it.... surely if you do that the microswitch at the other end of the cable never shuts. Does that cause any problems?
I may try and adjust out the slack, but it does seem as if it is meant to be there; my query regarding the racing 190s is that there must be a different plate which has no play in it. It may be possible to modify the existing one.

I had assumed you were in the states, but I see now you are in the UK, I wonder where?

Regards

Hmm.. Just went out to look, and yes! The switch doesn't close. It's for the fuel injection, to let it know when the throttle is closed. It doesn't appear to have affected my car, perhaps a slightly poorer fuel consumption, but I haven't noticed that if it's the case. I'd rather have to nice throttle response anyway, which I get. What you want to try is up to you.

By the way, you'll find pics of the racing 190s you talk about on my site here:
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/goodwood/

Unfortunately, there's no underbonnet pics :-(
I'm near to Dursley, in Gloucestershire, but am sometimes in Bristol too. Next week I'll be in New York :-)

later

Russ

__________________
190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

I found out what the switch on the 190 throttle does. It is for the transmission.

When off the throttle, and switch is activated, shifting from 'D' into, say, '3' will cause the car to jerk straight down into 3rd gear (presuming you're in 4th).

When on the throttle (switch not activated), the car will not jump straight into the selected gear, but instead seems to slip until you bring the revs up enough to engage that gear. Weird, but it's definitely the switch that does that, and it's very noticeable.

I don't think there's any problem in adjusting the throttle so the switch isn't activated, I have run my car like that for a few months.


Russ

__________________
190E's:
2.5-16v 1990 90,000m Astral Silver
2.0E 8v 1986 107,000m Black 2nd owner
http://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall.jpghttp://www.maylane.demon.co.uk/190esmall2.jpg

I "adjusted" aka bent the arm on the switch so that after adjusting the throttle cable to where I liked it the switch will still function.