Thanks for the suggestion. Can you tell me what I need to remove to get at the throttle actuator, and how to determine if it is bad? As I do not have a shop manual or CD for this car I do not quite understand where it is or how it works (and why it is even needed). Is it a device that electrically operates the throttle plate in the body (as opposed to a simple direct linkage)? Is there a web site where one can get a theory of operation of this system with schematics, etc? I am capable of doing in-depth work on the many Bimmers I have owned over the years but this particular problem is totally new for me. I really can't afford $80.00/hour at the small town dealer we have here, plus I do not have immense confidence in them. I really appreciate everyone's help. This is a great board!

Garry