My Car over-accelerated today. Even the brakes didn't help.

[Carl]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7753903

truedelphi (1000+ posts)          Fri Feb-19-10 08:10 PM
Original message
My Car over-accelerated today. Even the brakes didn't help.
   
Edited on Fri Feb-19-10 08:13 PM by truedelphi
I had a doctor's visit to make, I had groceries to buy.

M. had just overhauled the car yesterday, and it had never run better.

I pulled the 1989 Ford Passenger van out onto the local road, and it was purring nicely. Gone were all the clicks and annoying noises that the car had been making before the new voltage regulator and the new alternator had been put in place.

About a mile into my drive, I realized that I was not driving fast enough. It was a lovely spring afternoon, and I was too busy gawking at all the new buds on trees and the greenery and the happy birds. I glanced at the speedometer and realized I was driving under the speed limit.

Decided to tap the accelerator just a nudge, so that my car would accelerate from around 38 to 45 Mph (The speed limit on this road.) The instant I "nudged" the pedal, the car's engine var-roomed as though I were in a jet airplane and the plane was taking off.

The car took off, and stomping on the brake didn't help. I thought maybe the pedal had gotten caught under the floor mat, but no, M. had removed floor mats earlier while tuning up the car.

I shoved my foot between the pedal and the floor, all the while jamming my left foot on the brake. My foot went down hard, repeatedly, with seemingly little effect.

Due to all the publicity about Toyota cars with their accelerator problems, I knew
I could be endangering myself and others as I approached the main drag, HWY 29. Especially if I got there while the light was red for me, green for opposing traffic.

Since the car was not slowing, I knew the mini mall that was on my right immediately before the highway could perhaps save me. I did a radical turn quite fast into the lot, while hoping the van would not tip over.

The turn slowed the car and then braking became effective. Luckily for me, no one else was in my way - I had what is close to a full city block to bring the car to a slow enough speed. I finally just threw it into neutral, as it would not go below ten miles per hour by employing the brakes. (Bear in mind my foot was UNDER the gas pedal! for the last 40 seconds of my ride.)

Anyway I am grateful to be alive, and that this happened during a time when no one else was on Hwy 281. Had this happened 40 minutes later after arriving in the city of Clearlake, I would have probably crashed into other cars, with damage to property and other lives resulting.

If the resulting crash had occurred during the initial moments of all this, I probably would have concurred with the police that something I had done had caused the crash. The type of rapid acceleration is so scary that you can not really ascertain what is occurring as it happens, and the first thought in your head is, Why/how did I make the car go so fast?

I am safely home, and M. just researched our vehicle on the web. Apparently many vans, trucks and bigger cars put out by Ford in late eighties and early nineties were recalled due to this flaw being suspected. The advice on the web was to disconnect the Cruise Control (Something I never use, and was not using when the problem occurred.) And this quick fix has done the trick - the car no longer roars with a deafening sound like it has the combined super strength of half a dozen 747's.

M. just took vehicle around the block. No loud noise, and very controllable.

Refresh | +24 Recommendations   

They always have to make themselves part of the current events story. 

[formerlurker]

89 Ford Passenger Van?   


 

[ColonialMarine0431]

Potential Bouncy.

[thundley4]

M. just took vehicle around the block. No loud noise, and very controllable.

Of course. M knew where the switch was to disengage the accelerator.  How much was that policy worth that he  took out recently?

[formerlurker]

If the resulting crash had occurred during the initial moments of all this, I probably would have concurred with the police that something I had done had caused the crash. The type of rapid acceleration is so scary that you can not really ascertain what is occurring as it happens, and the first thought in your head is, Why/how did I make the car go so fast?

.........I am safely home,

One more thing, she relays in PAINFUL detail how her accelerated got stuck, yet fails to mention how she got home?   

 

[Celtic Rose]

Interesting that the van would wait 20 years to show any accelerator problems, just in time to coincide with the Toyota issues.  And, amazingly enough, the issues were a manufacturing defect that just took 20 years to show up, and they were easily resolved with a quick internet search.  

[franksolich]

Okay, time to bitch again.

Why did the primitive light this campfire in "General Discussion," instead of in the automotive forum that my fellow alum Skins has so magnanimously gifted the primitives for discussion of automotive issues?

[Chris]

...and they were easily resolved with a quick internet search.

Or regular maintenance.

Someone wants to be noticed... ergo, it was posted in GD instead of a more appropriate forum.

[thundley4]

Or regular maintenance.

Someone wants to be noticed... ergo, it was posted in GD instead of a more appropriate forum.

I just did a search for "89 ford passenger van recalls".  The only thing involving the cruise control was a chance of fire, nothing about undue acceleration.

[Chris]

Did you search the NTSB's website?  I think they're the official dumping ground for all auto recalls.

It's a big-assed passenger van.  The only way to get one of those things to over-accelerate would be to drop it off a cliff.  I used to drive one when I did the mail runs for the bank I worked at.  It was like driving a barstool... tall and tippy with a wimpy engine.

[The Village Idiot]

Potential Bouncy.

When your adrenaline is flowing you cannot keep track of time. I doubt this DUmmie had their foot under the pedal for exactly 40 seconds.

[Odin's Hand]

Did you search the NTSB's website?  I think they're the official dumping ground for all auto recalls.

It's a big-assed passenger van.  The only way to get one of those things to over-accelerate would be to drop it off a cliff.  I used to drive one when I did the mail runs for the bank I worked at.  It was like driving a barstool... tall and tippy with a wimpy engine.

Yeah, it's a damn Econoline...you could jump out the door and still pass the thing at a brisk pace.

[Randy]

Pssssssst hey DUmmie. I have a clue for youuuu.


turn the fukin engine off. It'll stop then. No need to play NASCAR 4 wheel drift or poop a cinder block. One simple key position shuts any vehicle down ending the acceleration from hell.

Also you might want to slap M or whoever it was that did your recent tune-up for whatever it was that got stuck between the throttle linkage and the air cleaner cover.

There ya go, 2 clues for the price of one.

[Chris]

but... but... he's SPECIAL.

Also, I'm thinking shift the damn thing into neutral.  Derf.

[Thor]

My 1997 F150 had the accelerator stick, but it had been wrecked once,stored and rebuilt for approx a year. It caused an accident. I took it to the local Ford dealer in MN and of course, they found NO problem with it. It still did it for about 6 more  months, maybe more. I lubed the throttle body up real well and it hasn't done it in 11 more years.

After the accident, I practiced emergency procedures in case it ever stuck again (turning the  key off while in motion, but not ALL of the way off)

[Lacarnut]

I have had the accelerator go all the way down to the floor and brakes go out on clunkers I have driven. Scary to say the least. Turning the ignition key off and yanking the emergency brake up works every time. This sounds like a bouncy with way too much information. 

[GOBUCKS]

Two things at play in this bouncy. First, the DUmbass M did something stupid to, or near, or around the 20-year-old throttle linkage. That is if anything similar to what the DUmmy describes actually happened, which it likely did not. Far, far more likely is that this DUmmy truedelphi has been reading in the news about how all kinds of scam artists are lining up to sue Toyota for a bogus accelerator condition, and are likely to get rich off settlements Toyota will pay to save the cost of defending itself against thousands of scam artists. But DUmmy truedelphi, living off welfare, SSI, EIC or whatever other handouts we pay these days, has never been able to afford a Toyota. She's stuck with a two-decade-old hippymobile, covered with PETA, legalize dope, Bushsux, and Rainbow Coalition stickers. So, she's trying to figure an angle that might let her cash in on the Toyota scam. And if she finds the right sleazy weasel of a trial lawyer, it may work.

[Carl]

Two things at play in this bouncy. First, the DUmbass M did something stupid to, or near, or around the 20-year-old throttle linkage. That is if anything similar to what the DUmmy describes actually happened, which it likely did not. Far, far more likely is that this DUmmy truedelphi has been reading in the news about how all kinds of scam artists are lining up to sue Toyota for a bogus accelerator condition, and are likely to get rich off settlements Toyota will pay to save the cost of defending itself against thousands of scam artists. But DUmmy truedelphi, living off welfare, SSI, EIC or whatever other handouts we pay these days, has never been able to afford a Toyota. She's stuck with a two-decade-old hippymobile, covered with PETA, legalize dope, Bushsux, and Rainbow Coalition stickers. So, she's trying to figure an angle that might let her cash in on the Toyota scam. And if she finds the right sleazy weasel of a trial lawyer, it may work.

*ding**ding**ding*
We have a winner.

Even if this wasn`t an insurance scam test drive it still was a typical DUmmy story to make themselves part of the narrative which for some reason they always feel compelled to do.
I would like some genuine analysis as to why they feel they must do this to comment on something.
Is it just immature ego that is screeching  "look at me look at me" or something deeper and more deranged?

[jukin]

ZERO Bong.

[MrsSmith]

I would seriously hesitate to turn off the key when putting a car in neutral will do.  It would be way too easy to turn a little too far and lock your steering wheel.

That said, having driven a Ford F150 (I even think it was an '89), for 185,000 miles, I can state without doubt that they don't have any weird problems...except they eat starters every 6 - 8 months.  Luckily, those aren't hard to change.

[Chris]

That said, having driven a Ford F150 (I even think it was an '89), for 185,000 miles, I can state without doubt that they don't have any weird problems...except they eat starters every 6 - 8 months.  Luckily, those aren't hard to change.

I thought the starter in my car had crapped out... turns out it was a bad battery cable.

[MrsSmith]

I thought the starter in my car had crapped out... turns out it was a bad battery cable.

I think I put 6 or 7 starters in that F150 in the years I owned it.  It got so bad, I actually carried a spare around in the back...with the battery charger and the tool kit.  I once crawled under it after work, in my good clothes, and stuck the spare started on so I could go home.  I was lucky they were cheap, like $40 each, and easy to put on...3 bolts and the cable nut.   

[franksolich]

I think I put 6 or 7 starters in that F150 in the years I owned it.  It got so bad, I actually carried a spare around in the back...with the battery charger and the tool kit.  I once crawled under it after work, in my good clothes, and stuck the spare started on so I could go home.  I was lucky they were cheap, like $40 each, and easy to put on...3 bolts and the cable nut.

Man, madam, when I win the Powerball lottery, I'm going to hire you--with medical insurance, the whole bit--to be my personal automotive mechanic.

Have you ever replaced bent tie-rods and busted axles, by any chance?

Those seem to be my main hazards.

[MrsSmith]

Man, madam, when I win the Powerball lottery, I'm going to hire you--with medical insurance, the whole bit--to be my personal automotive mechanic.

Have you ever replaced bent tie-rods and busted axles, by any chance?

Those seem to be my main hazards.

  I have not yet ever replaced a tie rod or an axle.  I am really not much of a mechanic, but if my brother can tell me how to do something over the phone, I'll certainly give it a try.  We've been so broke for so many years, I always had to try fixing stuff myself...and got lucky on occasion.     I hope you win the Powerball anyway...it should go to someone nice like you.   

[kenth]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7753903


They always have to make themselves part of the current events story. 

It wasn't the floor mats?!