While driving, the accelerator pedal can become stuck due to a wide range of mechanical or electronic problems. Over time, this is a problem that can occur on many cars of any brand. As frightening as it is, it is actually easily manageable.
Steps
Step 1. Disconnect the motor
If while driving you feel that the car continues to accelerate even if you have taken your foot off the pedal, you need to disconnect the engine from the drive wheels.
- If the car has a manual transmission, press the clutch pedal.
- If the car is automatic, you can shift the gear lever from reverse (R) or drive (D) to neutral (N) without pressing the release button.
- In both cases the engine will be disconnected from the wheels which will stop accelerating. The engine will continue to "push", but the RPM limiter should trigger to avoid overload and damage.
Step 2. Once the engine has been isolated, slow down and stop in a safe place by the side of the road
When you have stopped, turn off the engine.
Step 3. If for some reason the above operations do not work or you cannot perform them, the best thing to do is to brake firmly
Brakes are always the most powerful control tool a motorist has at his disposal. Also, by doing this, you disconnect a malfunctioning cruise control and electronic fuel injection systems that could be the cause of the stuck throttle.
- In petrol cars, i.e. most cars and sedans, the jammed throttle hinders the functionality of the brake booster making the pedal quite hard (as when the engine is off). This, however, does not particularly affect the stopping ability of the vehicle, it just means that you will have to push harder to engage the brake.
- Regardless of the speed, the road surface or its inclination, it instantly applies a sudden pressure on the brake pedal. In the past, some motorists in the same situation braked too gradually by "frying" the brake pads. Press hard on the pedal and the car should stop.
Step 4. If your vehicle doesn't slow down or you are having trouble stopping, consider turning off the engine while it is moving
This should be considered as a last resort, but it's not as problematic as you might think:
- Although you lose the ability to steer in this way, the inertia should allow you to control the car without difficulty.
- On some cars the steering wheels lock up, but this usually happens when the key is completely removed from the dashboard. Do not turn the key all the way, leave it in an intermediate position or press the ignition button.
- Even if the brake booster stops working when the engine is off, the brakes are still able to operate without losing effectiveness, even if you will have to apply them with greater force.
