Car that wouldn't stop!
 

Just had to share with all of you. So greatful that yesterday turned out alright after a hair-raising car drive. We have an old mini-van (made in USA), that decided to accelerate on it's own as I headed down the highway to a neighboring town (on way to pick up a daugher's prescription). Numerous time I was able to use the brakes to slow it as I'd get close to the vehicle ahead of me. Soon the car picked up too much speed again. As I reached the edge of town, I tried again to get the car under control and realized, even with braking, the car would not come to a complete stop. Guardian angels did good. I quickly checked mirrors and was able to pull out the lane of traffic, off to a side road, still no one else in my way, and I roared into a D.Q. parking lot and jammed the shift lever into park! If case any of you ever have this happen, my dh says I could have just turned the ignition key off! (I didn't think of that).

So glad it turned out ok must have been very scary - I wouldn't recommend turning the ignition of as then you would possibly have no control over the car as the wheel lock could engage!!!

Gosh that is scary, glad it turned out okay!

Has your husband checked any of these?
throttle butterfly
idle air control valve
vacuum leak

Also check the linkage for the gas pedal to the transmission ((accelerator cable)

We had it towed to our local mechanic, so I won't know anything until Monday. Thank's for the hints, though, I'll pass your message on to him tonight.

Gosh, I didn't know that either. When I was quite young I was helping as we baled hay. Got the job of driving a little Ford tractor that pulled the big rope to lift the hay bales up into the big red barn. The men stacking hay in the hay loft were working on filling the far end of the barn, which meant I had a long trip pulling that rope - all the way across our small yard, across the gravel road, and starting down the ditch---I was scared I'd lose control and wouldn't be able to stop the tractor when the signal to trip the rope would be given -- I turned the key off the tractor and waited for a grown up to come to my rescue!

Reminds me of an experience I had back in the early 80's I was driving a semi truck and at that time cruise control was very new on trucks, my DH was always teasing me because I was afraid to use it. I had a fear of it not shuting off when I touched the brakes. Well one day I decided to use it and the truck kept gaining speed I yelled very loud oh s...Husband came jumping out of sleeper He bumped the gear shift out of gear and got us slowed down. It was a mighty long time before I used it again

Oh yes, I"m glad you thought to do that and it worked. My van kept roaring when I was trying to slow down. It sounded like it wanted to be going 80 when I got it down to 40. Scary. I was able to get it to the repair shop. Computer chip! very scary. I don't like cars driving themselves and still worry even though I have a smaller car now.

Shifting to neutral would take it out of gear and stop the transmission from trying to pull it forward.

That is sooooo scarey