The other night I had a very strange thing happen while driving. I was trying to accelerate my car when I noticed I couldn’t go past about 40-45 MPH, the gas pedal felt like it would not go down any further. There wasn’t anything underneath it, so I “forced” it by stomping it down. Then the car accelerated to about 65 MPH, way past the speed limit, but when I let up on the gas my car would not slow down! The pedal was stuck! It wasn’t the Cruise Control because when I braked the car did not slow down. I was able to stop by putting my car in neutral, with the engine rev-ing the whole time. I came to a stop and turned off the engine. With the car off the gas pedal was still stuck down. I stomped on it a few times, then it came up. Then I was able to start my car and make the rest of my trip. It hasn’t happened since but it was real scary and, if it continues, could be really dangerous.
Does anyone know what could have caused this?
What should I do if it continues to happen?
Is there a “home remedy”, or is this something that I’ll have to take to a mechanic?
Would you really trust a “home remedy” with something as potentially dangerous as this?
Barry
I would suggest not stomping the gas pedal until you talk to either your car’s dealership or a mechanic, lest you encounter the same problem again :eek:
Don’t wait for it to happen again. Get it checked ASAP.
You probably jammed the throttle cable - it may even have gotten pulled out-of-path. If this happens again, do NOT shift into neutral and let the engine rev – just shut it off. Yes, in the middle of the freeway if necessary.
I tell you this because it happened to me, and when I shifted into neutral, the engine rev’ed so high, and it took me so long to get to the side of the freeway, that my truck caught on fire.
IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU!
Take care not to engage the steering lock if you have to do this.
I had a throttle cable go bad in the way described by MadPenguin, and was able to replace the part at the local auto store. Installation was simple. The ease of the project probably varies from car to car.
Dirt or corrosion in the throttle cable or linkages could cause this. It’s quite important to get this fixed so it can’t recur.
That doesn’t mean it has to be tough to fix. As Squink suggeted, it could be as simple as buying & installing a new cable (or even lubricating the old one).
The assumption that only professional mechanics should work on important items costs lots of drivers lots of money and time.