Throttle Recall

01 - Engine

 
One of the three factory recalls on the DeLorean addressed the problem of the throttle mechanism seizing in sub-freezing weather. It was discovered that rain water would run into the cable sheath due to the openings in the engine cover, and collect at the lowest point of the jacket and freeze there when the temperature dropped.
 
If you happen to have this happen, you'll note that you can't press the throttle pedal without a lot of effort. If you insist and press harder, you will either bend the throttle linkage or pull the cable through the ice and then it will lock at something more than the normal idle speed, often full throttle! In this event  you will need to thaw out the frozen cable. This can be done by either parking the car in a warm garage, waiting for spring, or (assuming you have not jammed the throttle open) allowing the engine to idle with the heat on full and the doors closed, for as much as an hour. The frozen part of the cable is actually inside the console area of the car and will thaw out if the car interior is warm.
 
In order to prevent this, a De-Ice Recall Kit PN K109268 was designed and furnished to dealers as a factory recall. It consists of a roof-style cover for the throttle spool, a flexible plastic cap for the end of the throttle cable, and a clip to be mounted on the RH valve cover to keep the cable from drooping. 
 
Installation is described in Bulletin SC-01-1/82 of the Service and Technical Bulletins Manual.

By Warren Wallingford, DeLorean Motor Company (Texas)
Revised 1/13/2022 ET (formatting and links)
Article ID: 41, , Modified: 1/13/2022 at 1:43 PM

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