RPMs high stepping OFF the gas?

[DoctorZaius]

1995 530i 5spd Here's the problem:

While driving, engaging the clutch or putting it in neutral - the RPMs continue to stay where they were a moment ago when in gear...2000, 3000, 4000 rpm...whatever the tachometer read while driving the car it is now racing in 'neutral'. And it STAYS there. (Yes, I AM taking my foot off the gas!)

When it does this nutty "idling" at 2000 rpm (for example) and I tap the gas pedal up to 3000 rpm, the car now stays "idling" at 3000 rpm.

If I downshift and slow down, the RPMS fall while in gear, let's say from 3000 to 2000 rpm, and usually this nutty racing idle goes away for a moment and returns to 'normal...only to come back a minute later.

It's only on chilly mornings, and AFTER about 10 minutes of driving with this racing idle problem the entire problem goes away...untill the next chilly morning.

The indy dude found a vac leak and wants to pull the intake manifold and redo the seals and the fuel injector seals. Says this MAY solve the racing idle problem...and all for a low, low, special price of $1000. Ack!

Can you come up with a cheaper diagnosis? This car is sending me to the poor house (in style, mind you, but still to the poor house!).

Thanks.

[pingu]

Maybe a sticky accelerator cable?

[shogun]

Do you have the clips for the throttle cables?
See item 2 for sale on Gale's list
http://www.nmia.com/~dgnrg/page_2.htm

Can now also be bought from the dealer or from Gale.

[we_call_him_doher]

My accelerator cable got stuck one time, and it happened to be uh while the pedal was on the floor:D . I put in the clutch to shift and it raced to the redline. Sounds kind of like your problem. My mechanic installed a new throttle cable.

[swenpro]

My accelerator cable got stuck one time, and it happened to be uh while the pedal was on the floor:D . I put in the clutch to shift and it raced to the redline. Sounds kind of like your problem. My mechanic installed a new throttle cable.

haha... happened to me last month. Also got stuck when it happened to be on the floor :D. Metal cable sawed right through and stuck! After I unstuck it, I still drove around for a while, just making sure not to put the pedal down too far. Basically, though, the sticking did not disappear... sometimes it would do its own cruise control... holding the RPMS and keeping me at 70mph with my foot off the gas!

[Alexlind123]

I fixed mine with electrical tape a over a year ago when i first got the car, it still works fine.