The Conservative Cave

Interests => Around the House & In the Garage => Topic started by: franksolich on October 27, 2014, 09:57:57 AM

Title: car problem
Post by: franksolich on October 27, 2014, 09:57:57 AM
I'm starting to get paranoid.

Very early this morning, in slightly-humid conditions, temperature 48 degrees, I was stopped at an intersection of two main highways.

My foot was lightly on the brake, as that's usually all it takes, to stop.

Then abruptly the car started to surge forward, into the intersection.  I immediately slammed on the brakes, to hold it, and so it didn't get far.  I then slammed it into "park."

No warning lights on the dashboard lit up. 

The RPM gauge, which consistently runs on 1.5, always between 1.0 and 2.0, surged to 3.0 before I slammed on the brakes; it looks as if it would've revved up higher if I hadn't slammed down the brakes and put it in "park" (I'm a fast reactor; we're talking no more than two seconds here, from when the surge began until I was in "park").

The rest of the drive home, 17 miles, nothing untoward happened.

I'll take it to the mechanic on Tuesday--I'm busy today--but in advance of that, might anyone have any idea what might've caused the surge?  It's all speculative, of course, but it helps. 
Title: Re: car problem
Post by: Chris_ on October 27, 2014, 10:08:59 AM
I'm not going to guess, but I had a Buick of that era with a bad throttle position sensor.  It would stop running or fail to start randomly.  A replacement was only $30.  Might also be a sticky throttle cable.

Your mechanic shouldn't have a problem fixing it.
Title: Re: car problem
Post by: franksolich on October 27, 2014, 10:16:00 AM
I'm not going to guess, but I had a Buick of that era with a bad throttle position sensor.  It would stop running or fail to start randomly.  A replacement was only $30.  Might also be a sticky throttle cable.

Your mechanic shouldn't have a problem fixing it.

I forgot to mention that one other time, about two weeks ago, something similar happened when I was stopped at an intersection, and I reacted the same way.  But because it was the first time and hence a new experience for me, I wasn't watching the gauges on the dashboard.

<<<deaf; watches gauges almost as much as watches the road.

<<<can get away with doing that, because not much traffic around here.

And the same "afterward;" after I put the vehicle from "park" back into "drive," it all operated normally all the way home, about 20 miles. 
Title: Re: car problem
Post by: Carl on October 27, 2014, 11:23:31 AM
I agree with Chris,it is likely an electronic/computer issue and should be an easy fix once they troubleshoot it.
Title: Re: car problem
Post by: BattleHymn on October 27, 2014, 11:56:04 AM
Is this on the Intrigue? 

Those have an idle air control valve.  Its basically a valve that bypasses the closed throttle plate to allow the engine air to continue running.  They can get stuck open intermittently, which causes elevated idle speeds.

They're not expensive to replace- something around $25 should get you a new one.   
Title: Re: car problem
Post by: Chris_ on October 27, 2014, 01:08:02 PM
:golf clap:
Title: Re: car problem
Post by: obumazombie on October 27, 2014, 01:54:11 PM
You guys are better than Click and Clack.