Topic: Awesome Toyota Unintended Acceleration Story!

[rrocket]

Since I'm the "car guy" at work, people come to me for maintenance advice, car questions, etc.  So today a co-worker (older gentleman) with a 2009 Toyota Corolla tells me rather excitedly that his car was accelerating all by itself.  At least 10 times he claims!  Just on the way to work.  Intrigued, at break we go outside to investigate.  Before anything happens, I quickly examine the floor mats to be sure it's not in the way.  Crystal clear, no worries there.  So I ask him to start the car.  Almost as quickly as he fires up the car, the engine races up!  I'm like "WTF!!"  So I tell him to shut it down immediately.  I get in, examine the accelerator pedal, push it up and down, try to feel for sticking, play, whatever.  Seems good.  I start the car, and nothing.  Normal idle, no racing, nothing.  Hmmmm....intermittent problems are tough to track down.  I fumble around for a bit more, and I just can't repeat the problem.  I don't really know what to tell him.  Should he drive it?  Should he park it?  I don't know....

So I get out of the car, kinda bummed I'm of no help to this guy.  I get out, he gets back in.  He fires it up, likely to see if I've "fixed" the problem.  Almost immediately, the engine races up again!  "WTF??"  But then it stops.  I ask him quickly how he stopped it from racing.  He said he didn't do anything, he just let go of the brake. I ask him to push the brake in several times.  Nothing.  I then ask him to keep pushing the brakes on/off until while I watch down below.  Sure enough, after about a minute of brake pushing, the engines races a bit.  I've found the problem!!!  And it's too funny....

He's wearing the gigantic, wide snowmobile type boots. So every once in awhile, when his foot was angled just so on the brake pedal off centre towards the accelerator , the edge of the boot would catch the accelerator pedal!!   

I just found this really funny.  I know this isn't the reason others are experiencing the problem they are, but I just thought it funny....I can imagine the dealer techs pulling their hair out trying to duplicate the problem....LOL.  They would have never figured out this particular problem unless he was there in his gigantic mukluks.

I am glad he won't crack up his car because of his boots now.  Now he just has to be careful about the "real" problem with the accelerator pedal.

[safristi]

  "MUKLUKS" means "BIGBUCKS" to  Lawyers.....................

[HeliDriver]

This happens to me on occasion in the winter. I've got aftermarket pedals that are spaced a little closer for ease of heel & toeing, so I have to be careful when wearing winter boots.

It's usually only an issue during hard stops, when the pedal goes a little closer to the floor than normal. Of course, my left foot is on the clutch, so it's no big deal. Still, it is kind of embarrassing when pedestrians look over and wonder why the moron who is screeching to a stop is also revving his engine to five grand at the same time. 

[dr_spock]

Good one.   Who needs heel-toe shifting when you have big boots?  

[safristi]

  MORE THAN just embarassing..kinda dumb.....one day it may be more than a few thousand revs ha ha ha,..... ,,try DRIVING SHOES fer yer skinny gapped pedals man..............or is it too much to ask 1 minute to FIX you're  "PEDAL PROBLEMO!!!!"

[EV Dan]

Funny, but I can totally see Toyota adding some legal advise on the type of shoes recommended for winter driving 

[HeliDriver]

MORE THAN just embarassing..kinda dumb.....one day it may be more than a few thousand revs ha ha ha,..... ,,try DRIVING SHOES fer yer skinny gapped pedals man..............or is it too much to ask 1 minute to FIX you're  "PEDAL PROBLEMO!!!!"

Yes, I agree it's dumb. In my defense, I've probably only done it a half dozen times in the eleven years I've had the car. I do have driving shoes, but they stay in the closet during the winter.

I haven't given it much thought until now, but I suppose I could swap out the pedals for each season. That's a PITA, though. Hopefully the engineers who designed my new GTI will have found the sweet spot between winter-boot and heel-toe usefulness.

[rrocket]

MORE THAN just embarassing..kinda dumb.....one day it may be more than a few thousand revs ha ha ha,..... ,,try DRIVING SHOES fer yer skinny gapped pedals man..............or is it too much to ask 1 minute to FIX you're  "PEDAL PROBLEMO!!!!"

Yes, I agree it's dumb. In my defense, I've probably only done it a half dozen times in the eleven years I've had the car. I do have driving shoes, but they stay in the closet during the winter.

I haven't given it much thought until now, but I suppose I could swap out the pedals for each season. That's a PITA, though. Hopefully the engineers who designed my new GTI will have found the sweet spot between winter-boot and heel-toe usefulness.

I've done it with these wide(ish) black shoes I have in Import Queen's IS300.  The pedals are REALLY close together in that car.

[safristi]

..yeah ya must have BIG FEET 'cos ya drive an INSTEP size 6 .....

[The Mighty Duck]

I test drove a Miata, and the owner had added pedals that made it very easy to do that... took a bit of getting used to, heh.

[Turbo Bob]

[airbalancer]

Must be English humour because it sucks

[rrocket]

It is English humor...look what side the steering wheel is on! 

[johngenx]

It is English humor...look what side the steering wheel is on! 

All the brits I know drive like that.

[Turbo Bob]

Must be English humour because it sucks

 

[johngenx]

Must be English humour because it sucks

Like British food?

[rrocket]

Must be English humour because it sucks

Like British food?

And dental hygiene?

[vdk]

Must be English humour because it sucks

Like British food?

And dental hygiene?

Ouch. At least the girls' accent is quite sexy.

[Turbo Bob]

Christ it's only a joke, I have no idea of the nationality of who created it. If it had been Chinese would you all have pulled out the stereotypes too?

Wankers.

[DockMan]

Wankers.