Hey all.

I've noticed that my 98 Max SE Auto has developed this annoying little quirk. If you let off the gas quickly, you will find that you must overcome quite a bit of static friction when you depress the accelerator again. This is especially annoying because I find the Max to be really sensitive to tip-in. It's hard to oh-so-gently ease onto the gas now.

I haven't tried to track down what the matter is; I thought I'd ask and see if anybody else had this trouble.

"Honest, ossifer, my gas pedal was stuck."

-- Brian R.

 

When you release the gas pedal the throttle blade closes tightly against the walls of the throttle body. If it has accumulated some "gunge" in that area the blade tends to stick, requiring extra force to open the throttle again. You may clean the throttle body by removing the air duct and gently wiping the now-exposed throttle body interior with a lintless rag moistened with carburetor cleaner. Hold the throttle open with your left hand while you rub with your right hand.

High-mileage cars (not yours) may develop a small "step" in the aluminum throttle body at this point. That problem may be addressed with gentle application of fine emery paper to smooth away the step.