Todd's Solectria Force Adventure

[todd.martin]

Tonight, my wife called, stranded, at the Jewel 1 mile from home saying the gas pedal doesn't do anything.  I arrived a short time later and examined the pot box.  The throttle cable leading from the pedal to the pot box was slack.  Further examination showed the throttle cable had broken, one end attached to the pot box and one end attached to the gas pedal.  Since this was a metal strand cable, I didn't have any means in the parking lot to fix the cable and it was too stiff to tie together in a knot.  Even if I could have made a knot, the cable would then have been too short.  I sent wifey home with the regular car.
 
Entering Jewel-Osco, I looked around to see what I could buy to get me home.  I settled on a pack of hose clamps and a 48 inch long bicycle lock (1/4" diameter cable with 1/2 of a combination lock on each end) which set me back $8.

I then attached one end of the bicycle lock to the throttle cable segment still attached to the pot box using a hose clamp.  the other end of the bicycle lock was brought around through the driver's side window. 

I started the car and pulled on the bicycle lock through the window to get it moving.  This crude method got me home.  While I don't recommend this means of travel and I'm sure others out there could have done much better, I'm a bit proud of myself.

Anyone else have any EV adventures to share?

Todd Martin
1997 Solectria Force

[terry.kane]

That's a great story, Todd.  Ingenuity at its best!  I can totally picture you driving home with one hand out the window, yanking on the cable instead of having a "gas pedal".

[rick.mouche]

Todd,

I had a similar adventure with my 1981 Bradley GTII that I bought used last year.  It was my third drive to work and I had just turned the corner and the pushing the pedal the car did nothing.  I coasted into an office parking lot and parked the car. This car is low to the ground, so I could not determine the root cause of the problem, and I was close enough to work to walk.  My wife picked me up and we got appropriate jacks and stands and safety equipment to allow a more through investigation in the parking lot, as it was a nice sunny warm day last late spring.  We went for a walk and looked for missing parts on the street but did not find what we thought were the ones from the car.  Fould a lot of other interesting small parts.  I did try a hose clamp but it pulled loose.  Finally had the car towed home.  I called the person that sold me the car and he gladly came by and helped - he removed the pot box from under the car and we found the hole in the pot box arm that the cable goes through, that I could not find from under the car.  The cable had broken.  I went to the hardware store and purchased new cable and end clamps.  My son and I replaced it and it worked fine.  But the car's contoller was original (old fork lift controller) and was not working well -sometimes got stuck and ran the motor full blast in neutral or would not power when the accelerator was pushed.  Plus the car was a dog in terms of acceleration. I called John Emde and asked if he could upgrade the controller.  Wow - now I have a fast car that runs great and he replaced the cable system and pot box too.  Can't say enough about his great work.   Thanks John and John.     I still need to get a picture of my car on the board.