So, I think my problem has already been figured out but I need to figure out how to exactly do it. My cruise control lights all go on but nothing happens when they show they are engaged. I took the car to the honda dealer and they told me it was a $800 repair to replace the entire throttle body. The notes in the service order were throttle body cable fitting damaged, throttle body and gasket. Does anyone have a 'how to' on how to complete this repair?

I have a 2003 Honda Accord LX 4 Cyl 4 Door

 

I would inspect the cable that goes from the cruise control actuator to the the throttle body.

Figure out what they meant by throttle body cable fitting damaged. Is the plastic piece that holds the cable damaged?

 

Not clear from that description just WHAT is damaged. The cruise-control unit has a cable that goes over to the throttle body to work the throttle.

The throttle body has a cable-spool - that might be broken or bent?
The "official" deal is that cable-spool is not a separate part. Have to buy the whole throttle body. But if you get a TB from a junkyard, it would be relatively easy to replace (bolt-on).

The cable-drum is on the far side (blocked from view) in this drawing.

 

Without taking it off I see that the throttle body looks okay...hmmm


Do you think changing a throttle body can be done by someone who hasn't worked one before?

 

Changing the throttle body isn't too hard to do. You may have to drain the coolant, if there are coolant lines going to it.

On my friend's 99 V6, the black plastic piece that holds the cable was broken, so the cable does not stay in place. That is why I asked you to take a look for either a broken cable or a broken piece of plastic. It should be pretty obvious.

 

Where it says "E-15" I think those are coolant lines. With the engine cold, just be "ready" to swap the hoses quickly & you probably won't lose much.

What if the drum where the throttle cable attaches is broken? That's not available by itself, so that forces you to replace the TB.

 

I don't believe the OP got a correct diagnose.
I think a second opinion is needed.
There is no way I can think of offhand, that the throttle body would cause the Cruise to be inoperable.

People have brought poor service upon themselves; years and years of DEMANDING cheaper service has resulted in dealerships paying peanuts and hiring monkeys in the service department. TOP TECHS won't work for minimum wages.

 

Anyone know of a good mechanic shop in Chicago then?

 

I don't know a good place to go in Chicago.

The only thing on the throttle body that can screw up the cruise control is a broken plastic piece that holds the CC cable. This happened on my friend's 99 V6.

I attached two pics. The CC pic shows where the CC cable is routed in your car in red. Follow that cable to the TB. The TB pic shows the two plastic pieces that the end of the cable connects to with the red arrows. I am not sure which one is for the CC, but you can follow the cable to it.

Just take a look and see if the black plastic piece is broken where the T of the CC cable gets held in place. It should be obvious if something broke off. The CC cable would be easily pulled off of that black piece if that is the cause of your problem.

 

What do you think? Sorry I took alot of pictures and they all turned out like crap...it looks good to me at that point