So.....IF the accelerator gets stuck, and you step on the brakes, and you can't get the car to slow down or stop....
Is there any reason that the shift lever couldn't be moved to neutral? The car might go over redline, but that's better than some of the alternatives.
I thought the recent runaway 911 caller said that he couldn't shift to neutral. Panic?
And the engine will hit its rev limiter and bounce up and down, if in fact the engine is even going (which won't be the case for the small hybrids).
If the accelerator gets stuck, shift the transmission to neutral. The engine control computer has an RPM limiter so it will cut fuel just above redline and the engine RPM will drop. If the computer is still getting a command for wide open throttle (WO), then the RPM will increase to redline again, the fuel cut command will be issued again, and the process starts over until the WOT command is gone. This system has been in place for a long time, and it is designed to keep the engine from destroying itself.
In the case of the recent runaway 911 caller, the accounts I read said that he was told to shift to neutral but he didn't want to because he thought the car would flip. That sounds a little suspicious to me...
- I only heard the 911 call once, but IIRC, he said that he couldn't shift because he was holding the cellfone. Since it occurred in CA, the phonecall was illegal :)
--Wayne
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required