What would cause this to happen to a choke? (photo)

Traditionally, bi-metallic springs relied on differential thermal expansion - as the engine warmed up the spring uncoiled and opened the choke. No electricity involved. Could this one have been mangled during assembly - maybe by someone twisting the choke the wrong way?
 
Traditionally, bi-metallic springs relied on differential thermal expansion - as the engine warmed up the spring uncoiled and opened the choke. No electricity involved. Could this one have been mangled during assembly - maybe by someone twisting the choke the wrong way?

This one does have electricity to heat the spring/coil.. Initially I thought it was a "spring" and so shouldn't have been easy to bend like that.. I have been playing with the old one and it seems the metal is not that "spring" like at all, it bends quite easily and doesn't return.. As you say its probably the fault of "someone" rather than "something"..
 
Bi metallic strips aren't meant to spring back. They are quite delicate and rely on differential expansion under heat to operate. (This doesn't mean that they can't be made curved, or even spiral as in this case). Handle with care.

I'm not sure why one would have an electrical connection, and I doubt whether it would ever be subject to sufficient heating from the current passing through it for it to operate. It's not like a glow plug in a diesel. Perhaps it's a path for a sensor connected to an engine management system?

My guess about the old one was that it had been mishandled during it's assembly.
 
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