I was wondering which cable connects with the transmission that affects throttle response. A technician said there are two cables: an accelerator/throttle cable( which has been replaced), and a cruise control cable, but he is not sure which one connects to the transmission. He also said that which ever cable does connect to the transmission, would have to be put back "in spec". What does "in spec" actually mean, with regards to cables?

My friend has recently had problems with throttle response: He feels that the engine and transmission are not "in sync" with each other, and also I have driven his car and have felt a weird vibration (like sandpaper) while accelerating( both WOT and low-speed). He is wondering what could be causing both of these "problems". Would a bad throttle position sensor be a cause of this? Would a CEL/code show up if the TPS is bad? Sorry about the vagueness of the description but I am certainly not an expert on the mechanical workings of a car. Any help would be appreciated!