Accelerator pedal stuck. Just turn off car?

We experienced a jammed open throttle years ago in a minivan. The cruise control was aftermarket, and it used a chain at the throttle end of the pull cable. If you accelerated to pass while the cruise was engaged, the chain would droop from line slack and sometimes snag. we experienced it several times, and simply drove by key on / key off / on / off down the road until we could pull over and (figure out what was happening) later (fix it). Good times. Helped that it was a manual. Dad was driving the first time. There was no panicking, though nobody liked it.
 
When the Chevrolet V-8 motor mount failures first became a problem 50 years ago, because the engine had shifted and jammed everything including the power assists, the only option left when the throttle jammed wide open was to cut off the ignition. GM got lucky. Every driver in that situation (I believe it was seven) had the presence of mind to do that.

We don't know what software glitches might exist that could cause the same in a drive-by-wire throttle. And don't forget hackers. You don't think such a malfunction could happen? Four words: Boeing 737 Max 8.
This was bolted to the driver's side engine mount until GM came out with captive engine mounts. The cable wrapped around the control arm shaft. On the cars that didn't have the strap installed, I used to do a low throttle brake stand in the shop to check the mounts before returning the car back to the customer.

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Yeah just like expert Scotty on youtube trying to explain it away as easy stuff.
When it comes to the unintended acceleration deal, every one seems to think modern cars are still like the ones from the 1950's.
What everyone is oblivious to is on the new cars now everything is fly by wire essentially.
A computer runs it all, and all the driver does is move joy stick controls. Yeah go ahead and turn off the ignition switch as all that does is say "mr car computer you can turn it off now". Just do the study in many cases turning off the ignition switch did nothing.
Oh yeah just move that gear shift joy stick to neutral, if its a hacked system, or just a computer gone rogue, you can shift all you want, that doesn't mean the transmission will shift. Brakes? Brakes have been the very first system that was computerized, its called ABS. You know limiting brake pressure to a skidding wheel. How about limiting or cutting it off to all 4 wheels?
In a modern car your along for the ride, just like the very first big publicized case of a police guy with his family in a rental car. ?
When this situation is encountered there is no fail safe to shut the car off. Unless you personally add such system.
Yeah scary stuff, and is why no one likes to hear this stuff.
 
Brake first everything else second.
Yes. You can overcome the engine, as long as you press hard and stop asap, and not try to control speed with brake until they fade.
Modern pushbutton start systems provide a way to kill the engine while moving in an emergency. Owner's manual will tell how.
Playing with a cell phone in that situation is outright stupid!
 
The floor mat thing?

Floor mats and defective accelerator pedal assemblies that wouldn't return to the closed position on their own. So yes, stuck pedals are an issue with drive by wire vehicles as well.
 
We experienced a jammed open throttle years ago in a minivan. The cruise control was aftermarket, and it used a chain at the throttle end of the pull cable. If you accelerated to pass while the cruise was engaged, the chain would droop from line slack and sometimes snag. we experienced it several times, and simply drove by key on / key off / on / off down the road until we could pull over and (figure out what was happening) later (fix it). Good times. Helped that it was a manual. Dad was driving the first time. There was no panicking, though nobody liked it.

A manual minivan with Spark-O-Matic aftermarket cruise. I love it.
 
My understandig is if you hold down the start/stop button for 3 or more seconds a car in motion should shutdown the engine. But I do not know if the power steering would also shut down power steering would also shutdown.

Brakes should have the ability to stop the car if you do it quickly. But if you release the brakes or ease up on them and try it repeatedly or tries to slow it down you could overheat the brakes and they will fade and you will not have any breaks. The parking brake is for parking not for stopping a vehicle don't even think about using it for that.

Putting it in neutral should work but of course then there's a good chance the engine is going to blow up but that's a lot better off than a major crash.
 
This was bolted to the driver's side engine mount until GM came out with captive engine mounts. The cable wrapped around the control arm shaft. On the cars that didn't have the strap installed, I used to do a low throttle brake stand in the shop to check the mounts before returning the car back to the customer.

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The cable setup was the safety recall fix. Throttle linkage was done with rods from the firewall, when motor lifted it pulled the carb open back then, no cable throttle linkages.
I had a mount break in my '67 Caprice and throttle pull open. Watched the hood bump up from the air cleaner hitting it as I reached for the key.
Update mount went in as car never had the recall done.
 
Ignition off can lock the steering column.
Don't to that.
And loose power brakes.
Don't do.

Neutral is the safest option.
 
Ignition off can lock the steering column.
Don't to that.
And loose power brakes.
Don't do.

Neutral is the safest option.
Can't lock the steering column unless you put it in park first. Even stick shifts usually have some means to keep you from locking the steering accidentally if you have to shut off the ignition quickly.

Power brakes have an accumulator to apply the brakes at least once or twice if the engine fails.
 
Stories like this always leave me shaking my head in disbelief. IMO unless the driver is mentally deficient, these kinds of stories smell like insurance or lawsuit scams to me. If you stand on the brakes the car WILL stop because the laws of physics dictate that the force of a 300 hp engine can always be overcome by the force of >1000 hp brakes (some braking systems are MUCH more powerful than this). Try it yourself.
 
If I recall correctly the Audi 5000 issue was related to too close of spacing between the pedals. Audi's solution was for all us oversized Americans, buy narrow shoes.

Correct, the car was built for heel and toe for manual driving so the pedals were close.
In the automatic cars people were pushing the wrong pedal while swearing to god they weren't.
The brakes could collar the car at 100MPH.

For the described failure to occur two completely separate systems would have to fail concurrently then magically fix themselves after the crash which of course never actually happened - but audi and their clients paid a heavy price for fat footed peoples ineptitude.

Everyone getting pulled over for speeding in a Toyota blamed a stuck pedal for years.
California's reaction to the "problems" with Toyota helped drive them out of the state - nice work.
 
Back in the day my old '66 GTO's throttle linkage would occasionally stick. I'd just put my foot underneath the accelerator pedal and pull up. It became second nature.
 
Can't lock the steering column unless you put it in park first. Even stick shifts usually have some means to keep you from locking the steering accidentally if you have to shut off the ignition quickly.

Power brakes have an accumulator to apply the brakes at least once or twice if the engine fails.
Many cars no longer even have steering column locks. Not required if the vehicle can't be put into gear without a key. At least on modem cars you can't remove the key while the car is in gear. Not sure about say an old Beetle. AM, will you test that for us? :cautious:

You gotta brake when you gotta brake but you won't be braking effectively for very long while your engine is going full throttle. Unless you absolutely have to brake right now because you are out of time I think it's better to shift to neutral first.
 
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