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

Some good advice here, now if I can only remember them.

I agree with JINGLE..... putting car in neutral and applying brake or PARKING brake slowly will also stop you. I have a friend who owns one of those cars that COULD accelerate on its own.... I had her practice shifting from DRIVE to NEUTRAL quite a few times while the car was moving until she was confident in doing so.... Lots of new cars don't have parking brakes like the older cars... Hopefully, she will NEVER have to use this new skill but in case she does-she is ready and will be calm....

Try the emergency brakes and try then to put it into neutral then turn it off. this way you won't be messing up the transmission. My Aunt threw hers into park and rolled it.

If you have power steering and shut motor off you might loose control, neutral will not do that. Glad your all right, sure is scary.

That should be the first step. Turning off the ignition causes you to lose power steering and power brakes...not good! I speak from experience.

Glad you are okay!


When I was a teenager (before computers were everywhere) my gas pedal stuck. I was coming home from babysitting and it was late and I did not want to pull over. I kept shifting to neutral before braking. I'm surprised the motor wasn't messed up from it. My Uncle fixed the gas pedal for me the next day. It never stuck again.

By the way, gas pedal overrides brake pedal so never use the emergency brake when the car is getting gas. Neutral keeps it from getting gas. I remember driving a rental car where I forgot to take the emergency brake off! I drove several miles, even on the freeway.

Remember to never use your left foot for the brake. In Drivers Ed they teach you that in an emergency you might panic and slam both feet on the petals left/brake, right/gas and the gas will override it.

OMG I'm glad you got it under control. I had my gas petal stick once too. Had to have it towed to the shop.

By any chance did you have the cruise control on? If you had it on before this happened, and you turned it off, the cruise control could have malfunctioned and was still engaged. This happened to us and we were pulling a trailer. Now we never ever use cruise control.

So glad you got it stopped - that sounds REALLY SCARY! Good luck on the fix!

We had a Cadillac that did that as well - it would rev up and get set to take off on its own - I had both feet on the brake peddle at an intersection when it first happened - turned out to be in the "computer" part of the brain of the car. Yes, turning off the ignition is great - - but remember that when you do, your power steering no longer works nor do your power brakes - so you need to take "strong physical command" until you can get it stopped.

Marysewfun

Oh, my I was surpised to see so many of you weighing in on this topic, and all those that have been there & done that. Got my car repaired for $48.50! Not bad. I was not using cruise control at the time the car took off on it's own. It's 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan. Turns out it was a gasket that came loose & got sucked into somthing and made something get stuck in "open." Like my great car terms? Our mechanic's slip lists "repair throttle body" and "realign idle control." I also asked him if I messed up the transmission or anything else by the way I stopped it. He said no, not at all as it's made by Mopar and it would take a lot. I am so fortunate.

Oh can I ever relate to your experience! I was driving and my car reved up and was really roaring. The roads were spotty ice and the edges were worse. I put the breaks on and was sliding. Trying to find a place to stop without ice. so I could shut the thing off and get off the road. Two lane traffic and trying to avoid everything. Did stop at one point but when I started again, then I was back at it. Stopped at a motel and called AAA. They said they would charge because I was over 30 miles from home. I did have it towed and they never found the problem, but I can tell you it is a sure way to get your adrenaline running.