So I'm driving with my girlfriend on her birthday when i went to give the car some more gas to pass a car in front of me. Next thing I know I'm doing 90 mph and the brakes aren't slowing me down. I was pressing down on the brakes as hard as I could to save our lives and keep us from hitting another car. I finally got the pedal unstuck, I reached under the dash and pulled on the pedal. From my memory, I'm positive that the pedal was stuck due to the carpet being bunched up near the pedal. I'm assuming when I stepped on the gas, the carpet found its way on top of the pedal, keeping it in place. After I got out to check the car the smell of burning brakes or something lingered in the air for a minute. I went and parked the car in a parking lot and tested out the gas pedal with no problems. Car seems to drive just fine, but I'm paranoid something may have went wrong. Car brakes normal and nothing seems out of the ordinary, however, I don't want this happening again. Since that day I've tossed the front floor carpet in the back seat and don't plan on putting it back on my floor board. The car's a 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis LS. 3x,000 miles.
This does happen from time to time, it's a scary experience when it does. Glad you caught it in time! Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Me too! Never had an experience like that. Do you think I should have the car taken to someone to have it looked at? Not trying to get charged for unnecessary services just because they think they can get away with it.
To see if there's a problem with the gas pedal and to check on the brake pads ...I just figured slamming on brakes for seconds at a time while driving at 90mph would somehow damage something. But if there's likely nothing wrong with it then that's ok, just trying to figure out if I should have it looked at or not.
Check for recalls before doing anything. It could get you a free repair. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
That happened to me once. It turned out I had put the floor mat back in haphazardly causing the pedal to get stuck on it.
I honestly think this is the problem. My mothers driving the car today (it's my grandmothers car) and hopefully it's driving fine...I've driven it twice after the incident with no problems. I'll look for some recalls later this week.
This is one of the many reasons why I drive a manual. I tell the car what to do. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum mobile app
Brakes will never overcome the power of the motor, especially with the inertia of a rolling car. Next time just turn off the motor and coast to a safe braking speed. You probably have a good point about the carpet. If it's a drive by wire system you can't go wrong by checking recalls, service bulletins, and trouble codes.
i worked for someoen who had a junker car id drive around to do stuff and i had to drive it without shoes because the throttle linkage was all fucked and you had to push on it really hard to get it to go, then it would go too far and stick so your wrap your toes over the pedal and pull it out. Or use the cruise control with accel decel, it was a mid 80's diesel mercedes. In your case id turn it off, or slam to neutral then turn off. If your real daring you can try matting it (see what i did there) and hope it comes unstuck after you push it past what its being caught on.
Had this happen in a 1978 dodge motorhome with homemade cruise control, through it into neutral and it revved to infinity haha.
By '08 the MGM was drive by wire, so Im guessing the mat got stuck. Over time it works its way up and people forget to pull it down to the seat tracks occasionally so it doesn't interfere with the pedals. Most newer cars have "Mat hooks", little plastic hooks stitched into the carpet that the mat hooks to so it doesn't slide up and jam the pedal. These sometimes pull out over time and allow the mat to slide up. If it does somehow happen again, simply put it in "N", pull over and kill the engine. NEVER - EVER- KILL THE ENGINE WHILE YOU'RE MOVING. You'll lose power steering and brakes. GM currently has a recall (and are being sued) because the ignition is too close to peoples knees and they inadvertently kill the ignition while driving, causing them to lose power steering and brakes. This has resulted in many accidents, injuries, and a few deaths. The reason the brakes didnt works is that: A- The brakes will not over power the engine (Which is why you can do killer burnouts with a big RWD american car ) B-They work on vacuum, which is at its maximum at idle. With the engine revving high, you had very little brake assistance from the power booster. Oh theres no recalls on the Panther Platform (CV/GM/TC)
It happened to me once before, in my old rx-8. Ever since, I've taken the carpets out of the driver's side. Fuck that, I'd rather dirty it up a bit than crash. Although I drive a manual now so it wouldn't really be an issue, just drop it to neutral and you're gold.
I just made it a habit of pulling the mat back every time I get in Being a detailer and OCD clean freak, I cant get dirt on the actual carpets - Thats what floor mats are for!! lol