Throttle sticks when cold, 2001 V6

We have the following problem (amongst others ) on a 2001 Freelander V6 with automatic gearbox:

When the weather gets cold (below -10C), the trottle somtimes sticks. The feeling is similar to as if the cruise control would be on (cc is disengaged by the switch). When the trottle is stuck, breaking hard sometimes helps, but if not, going to neutral and turning off the ignition is the only solution.

It is not the acceleratoin pedal that sticks, as it returns to its normal position.

The problem started 2 years ago (but only 2 times in the entire winter). The Landrover garage could not find any problem, but moved some cables that could have snagged the trottle cable. This of caurse did not help, as we found out last winter (but it only happened once). Now its happens almost everytime we drive and its cold.

As the proble only occurs while driving, it has not been posible to observe the trottle while stuck.

Any ideas what can cause this? Is there any other parts than the throttle that can be faulty?

Faulty Throttle body is a known problem on the KV6 motor. Usually they get bunged up with crud and ****e from an oil breather pipe. Change the throttle body (preferably for a metal one).

disconnect the cable from the 'throttle body assembly' and check if the cable is tight, if so get some penetrating oil down it. Try moving the throttle lever, if the bearing on these wear the throttle plate inside it drops slighty and rubs on the bottom of the body.

Talked to the Landrover dealer, and they want 600 euro for a new throttle housing (and another 300 to replace it). Im not to keen to pay that much for a repair when its not guaranteed to fix the problem.

So i was planing to remove, clean and lubricate the throttle to se if it helps first. But i have some problems with that:
Following the instructions on the RAVE CD:
1: step 3 is to remove the oil breather hose and another vacum hose. The instructoin says "Depress locking collars and release engine
breather/vacuum pipes from throttle and IACV." But i cant figure out how to disconnect the hoses.
2: the last step in refitting is "Retune using TestBook". Why? the 1.8 and KV6 NAS does not have any retuning mentioned in the instruction. Is the retuning only necessary if i remove the throttle position sensor and /or IACV? Those are the only components here that i can think of to need retuning if changed.

When i removed the engine cover and the air hose leading to the throttle there was about 2 table sponns of oil/water sludge in it. Is that normal?
Looking at the throttle plate using a mirror it was also covered with the stuf. So a posible exlanatoin would be that the sludge freezes in the cold weather and hinders the throttle operation. But if that is so, will replacing the throttle really help at all?

Where the pipe goes into the body there is a raised ring, this is the locking collar, if you push this down towards the body It only moves a fraction )and pull the pipe it should come out.

throttle bodies are notorious for getting sticky due to oil fumes vented into the body.

there is a mod to fit an oil trap.

Managed to disconnect the hoses and removed the throttle yesterday. It was not that dirty. Covered in the mayo oil/water mixture and some amount of a black hard residue behind the throttle plate.

Have cleaned it, but there are no sighs of anything that could make it stick. It now sits in the freezer to see how it acts when cold.

The crankcase breather hose was full, almost clogged, by the oil sludge too. So the oil trap solution seems like a good idea. Have done some searches on the internet, but not come up with any really usefull results. Are there mod kits available, or do i have to build one on my own?

Here is a few threads to help ya - the first one includes pics

fitting a catch tank

Vis Valve details.

Oil in air intake.

Variable Intake Manifolds

PM Dearot too - coz he was going to fit one.