After a couple of years of dealing with a "sticky" accelerator pedal on my 2004 LX470 I tackled the problem yesterday.
As discussed on a couple other threads, the culprit is the oil-less clutch mechanism at the hinge point of the pedal assembly: Youtube Video
Once you have removed the pedal assembly from the vehicle (two 10mm bolts & unclip pedal sensor wire - the top bolt is a PITA, bring extensions & a universal joint), MARK THE LOCATION OF THE TWO BOLTS ON THE THROTTLE SENSOR!!!! Use a paint pen or silver sharpie. The bolts are adjustable so make sure you know what position they need to go back to. Once you have marked the sensor alignment, remove it (two 6mm bolts) and proceed.
Disassembling the pedal assembly is pretty straight forward: use a prybar to unhook the return spring, remove the 7mm bolt & nut that tensions the clutch, and remove the c-clip that holds the axle in place. Slide the axle out and you're ready to disassemble the clutch.
Others have mauled the plastic clutch housing trying to remove the top, but I discovered that it simply unscrews once the tiny holding screw is removed from the end. I found a 5/8 air hose fitting was the right size for the job, but any nut/bolt that's the right size will do:
Here are the components of the clutch, and the "shrapnel" of 20+ years and 265k miles:
After cleaning everything thoroughly I tried a couple of "wet" lubricants (silicone grease, moly grease, graphite grease) to no avail. I finally ended up filling the mechanism with graphite powder and voila, smooth as butter again! I used at least half of this 6g tube: Powdered Graphite
One note on reassembly: make sure that the "flats" of the inner clutch tube are aligned thusly so it goes on the axle shaft correctly:
Assembly is reverse of removal.
I used Techstream to verify throttle voltages once it was back in the car. FYI your throttle position should be 14%-16% at idle. Here are the normal ranges from the 2004 FSM:
Time will tell if humidity causes the powdered graphite to gum up, but for now it's as good as new!
As discussed on a couple other threads, the culprit is the oil-less clutch mechanism at the hinge point of the pedal assembly: Youtube Video
Once you have removed the pedal assembly from the vehicle (two 10mm bolts & unclip pedal sensor wire - the top bolt is a PITA, bring extensions & a universal joint), MARK THE LOCATION OF THE TWO BOLTS ON THE THROTTLE SENSOR!!!! Use a paint pen or silver sharpie. The bolts are adjustable so make sure you know what position they need to go back to. Once you have marked the sensor alignment, remove it (two 6mm bolts) and proceed.
Disassembling the pedal assembly is pretty straight forward: use a prybar to unhook the return spring, remove the 7mm bolt & nut that tensions the clutch, and remove the c-clip that holds the axle in place. Slide the axle out and you're ready to disassemble the clutch.
Others have mauled the plastic clutch housing trying to remove the top, but I discovered that it simply unscrews once the tiny holding screw is removed from the end. I found a 5/8 air hose fitting was the right size for the job, but any nut/bolt that's the right size will do:
Here are the components of the clutch, and the "shrapnel" of 20+ years and 265k miles:
After cleaning everything thoroughly I tried a couple of "wet" lubricants (silicone grease, moly grease, graphite grease) to no avail. I finally ended up filling the mechanism with graphite powder and voila, smooth as butter again! I used at least half of this 6g tube: Powdered Graphite
One note on reassembly: make sure that the "flats" of the inner clutch tube are aligned thusly so it goes on the axle shaft correctly:
Assembly is reverse of removal.
I used Techstream to verify throttle voltages once it was back in the car. FYI your throttle position should be 14%-16% at idle. Here are the normal ranges from the 2004 FSM:
Time will tell if humidity causes the powdered graphite to gum up, but for now it's as good as new!
