Another unintended acceleration...

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brelandt

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I had a 3rd BMW suddenly rev it's engine and attempt to drive off while my foot was on the brakes. Yesterday it happened to me when driving a 2006 330i on the ramp for a alignment. I placed my foot on the brakes when I had about 1 foot before I got to the turn plates. suddenly the engine roared and the rear tires started peeling rubber on the metal plates. but since I had already had 2 other BMW do something similar I know to hold the brakes hard. I threw the transmission into neutral and cut the engine.
The floor mat was the cause for the last one that did this. I think this time it was my boots.
I drive hundreds of cars and so far BMW's has been the only one I can think of doing this. My shoes are only 9.5........anyhow, not sure why this seems to happen, but I am not the only guy at work that had this happen.
The closest this thing to this happening to me was a GMC Astro van where the space between the gas and brake pedals where so far that I missed the brake pedal all together!!!! Scared the [censored] out me!
 
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Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Technically you were there so its not an unattended acceleration...

Problem solved?


LOL! yep! I fixed it. Early her in Cali. Got the coffee in hand now.
 
I've never had a time where my big fat foot would press both the gas and the brakes at the same time and I've driven A LOT of cars and trucks.

Peeling out on the alignment machine... Nicely done!
 
BMWs have bottom-hinged gas pedals (so the floor mat thing is unlikely), and the ones with electronic throttles (~2000 and up) cut the throttle when the brake is pressed. I smell a rat.
 
Its happened to me in my 240sx. Actually its happened twice.

First time about two years ago, sitting at a stop light, foot barely on the brake, car started creaping forward. I was getting close to the car in front of me, so I pushed further down on the brake to stop the creaping forward, and the car stopped rolling but I could feel the engine wanting to rev, and was really fighting the brakes. So I pushed down on the brakes harder, and it made it all the worse, and after about 2 seconds the rear wheels broke free and started squealing. Now I was inches from the car in front of me, so I panicked and turned off the engine. I looked down, and saw the right edge of my shoe barely on the gas pedal.

Same thing happend about a year ago, except this time I knew what was happening and was able to get it under control without freaking out. Both times I was in gym shoes and I have pretty average sized feet (size 11).
 
Originally Posted By: Tim H.
Sounds to me like pedals are close together since you mentioned boots...
I have had that problem with BMW's myself. I get in a car, step on the brake and start it only to have it go WOT.

My boot was pushing on the brake and gas at the same time.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
BMWs have bottom-hinged gas pedals (so the floor mat thing is unlikely), and the ones with electronic throttles (~2000 and up) cut the throttle when the brake is pressed.

Good points. The only other thing I can think of is that whole incline assist nanny that is supposed to prevent the car from rolling back if you're stopped on an incline, which he probably was if he was driving up on ramps. I'm not sure if that contraption was presented on a 2006 model though. And I'm not sure how it works - does it work by applying brakes or does it work by applying gas a little?
 
When we first got the 01 Taurus, my father had this problem all the time. He has small feet.

I started driving it and my feet were too big for the pedals. There was a recall that the pedals were too close.

Even after the recall I still had a problem

I *REALLY* think a lot of these are caused by people hitting the pedals at the same time.
 
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
and the ones with electronic throttles (~2000 and up) cut the throttle when the brake is pressed.

And to expand on this a little bit. I'm not sure how this is implemented in BMWs (I guess I should try it in mine), but in my old A4, what you described would be true only if you pressed the brake after the gas pedal was already pressed. However, if you pressed the brake pedal first and then pressed the gas pedal (while still applying the brake), throttle would be applied. If that's how that 330i works as well and considering that the brake pedal is positioned higher than the gas pedal, it is possible that he was pressing both pedals with his boot. His boot hit the brake pedal first, but then as he continued to press it harder, maybe one side of his boot reached the gas pedal and he began pressing both?
 
I have a hard time with the "I pressed both pedals together" thing myself.

In anything that's a slushbox in my stable if I stomp both pedals I go NOWHERE! Even in a couple with major levels of torque and HP they still cannot overcome the brakes at all.
 
The brake pedal should be designed so it is two inches to the side and two inches higher than the gas pedal. If there is air in the brake lines, this could compound the scenario posted above.

Whn I was in high school, I once had a scare where I couldn't brake hard enough. It turns out when I place my left foot sideways under the brake pedal (I'm tall and cars are cramped), it keeps the brake pedal from going down with my winter shoes.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
and the ones with electronic throttles (~2000 and up) cut the throttle when the brake is pressed.

And to expand on this a little bit. I'm not sure how this is implemented in BMWs (I guess I should try it in mine), but in my old A4, what you described would be true only if you pressed the brake after the gas pedal was already pressed. However, if you pressed the brake pedal first and then pressed the gas pedal (while still applying the brake), throttle would be applied. If that's how that 330i works as well and considering that the brake pedal is positioned higher than the gas pedal, it is possible that he was pressing both pedals with his boot. His boot hit the brake pedal first, but then as he continued to press it harder, maybe one side of his boot reached the gas pedal and he began pressing both?


This sounds about right to me. When driving up on the ramps I need to hang my upper half of my body to watch where my tires are so that I do not drive off the edge (seen it happen). However, I must do this to EVERY car I drive and so far it has only happened in the BMW's.
The floor mat was the cause of one of them as when I pushed my body up off of the seat (normally not done by normal driving) to get a better view I pushed the mat forward and it shoved the pedal forward. I removed the mat afterwards to continue with my work.
I'm sure it's been my fault in all 3 cases but just weird for them to happen in the same brand vehicle.
 
I can't really understand how people are managing to press both the brake and gas pedals at the same time with regular sized shoes. Are you guys actually lifting your foot up and then stomping on the brake pedal?
My foot is always resting on its heel and my heel is positioned almost underneath the brake pedal. So my right foot movement is "hinged" on my heel.
 
Originally Posted By: brelandt
The closest this thing to this happening to me was a GMC Astro van where the space between the gas and brake pedals where so far that I missed the brake pedal all together!!!! Scared the [censored] out me!


I think you may be saying that with the wider spacing, your right foot only hit the accelerator and not the brake.
 
I used to drive a 94 Chevy Astro van at work. The gas pedal was crammed in a narrow space between the brake pedal and the engine "doghouse." My shoe would scrape the side of the brake pedal every time I stepped on the gas pedal. It apparently wasn't enough to do anything, but it was kind of scary and annoying.
 
we all should be driving barefoot. it's easier to tell which pedal you stomp on. the gas pedal tend to be long and skinny and brake tend to be wider/fatter.
 
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