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In the case of the vehicle I mentioned it was the floor mat, aftermarket that didn't fit into the corner well.
Picking at nits, but it was an OEM mat for a different car and the holes should have lined up with the tabs, but either they didn't or they weren't installed correctly.
If the car is already moving along at a good clip I don't see how you are going to stop this with brakes unless you have some really good brakes as in brakes typically found in race cars. This car is going to have a lot of horsepower, when you're braking it's going to be downshifting putting a lot more power to the wheels. If you don't get it stopped quickly the brakes will heat up in perhaps 15 to 30 seconds, they are all but useless at that point.
The brakes could have stopped the car, and in fact nearly did. My memory is that the vacuum or whatever it is called in the brakes was all gone after that, and the brakes never had the chance to get more during the whole thing. I'm not an expert, and I'm not sure how to explain it. I just remember it being explained very well in the old thread.
Logic and reason, many times goes out the door in panic-situations....that is why
repetitive-training is important.
I was riding home from work on my motorcycle, very early on a very cold morning. My throttle cable froze-up as I was driving. I was coming-up to a stop sign and my motorcycle kept accelerating as I tried to close the throttle........found myself doing seventy before I switched the key off. Whew, that was scary.
Yeah neutral and slowly applying e-brake. Scary as hell though.
I would guess throwing in neutral would have blow the motor....anything to stop accelerating.
No. Going to neutral frees the transmission from the motor. Once in neutral the driver could have slowed the car down, and then stop by using the brake pedal, and then locking the rear brakes with the emergency handle.
Logic and reason, many times goes out the door in panic-situations....that is why
repetitive-training is important.
I was riding home from work on my motorcycle, very early on a very cold morning. My throttle cable froze-up as I was driving. I was coming-up to a stop sign and my motorcycle kept accelerating as I tried to close the throttle........found myself doing seventy before I switched the key off. Whew, that was scary.
Very true. In a panic one has a very difficult time figuring what steps to take.
The brakes could have stopped the car, and in fact nearly did.
I don't know the whole story but sounds like they are driving down a side highway, perhaps traveling along 50 or 60. To get the gas stuck the driver probably pressed the accelerator to pass someone. Perhaps going 60 to 70 before the driver starts reacting.
My first reaction to this would be to stomp on the gas pedal many times. Might be traveling 80 at this point... The other thing is likely in second gear at a very high RPM. I don't know where the shift points are in this car but on my Buick when you have the accelerator all the way to the floor it's around 85 to 90MPH before it shifts to third.
You'd be traveling 40 to 45MPH when it shifted into first, ironically once you get it going slower is when you have the most power to the wheels.
You need a lot of braking to slow that car down especially with it accelerating.
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My memory is that the vacuum or whatever it is called in the brakes was all gone after that,
There is certainly other possibilities but as brakes heat up they become less effective, they are not designed to be held really hard for extended periods of time. I don't know what the exact time frame is but experience from the stupidity of my youth tells me it's not that long. Once they get really hot they are almost useless because they glaze over, when they get to that point you might as well stick your foot out the door to slow the car down.
Picking at nits, but it was an OEM mat for a different car and the holes should have lined up with the tabs, but either they didn't or they weren't installed correctly.
I was referring to a vehicle I mentioned in a previous post my relative had where this happened. It was SUV and he had one of those thick rubber mats designed for trapping mud and water.
Yearly maintenance for me whether it's a lawn mower, bicycle or gasoline powered whatever was little spritz of WD-40 on the upper part of the exposed cable. It will work it's way down into the housing. I used to work in bicycle shop in my teens, bikes would come in and the cables would be just about frozen. Little bit of WD-40 and they would work like new.
I'm not all that familiar with the practices for street motorcycles though. I've only owned quads and dirt bikes.
I had a stuck accelerator once on my old 95 Saturn. I just engaged both the brake and hand brake and that is enough to overpower it. I then was able to guide it to a nearby parking lot and call for a tow. Throttle was dirty. Newer cars though have a sensor rather than a cable attached to the throttle.
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