accidental acceleration
Thread Starter
1st Gear
Joined: Jun 2022
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accidental acceleration
I am new to the forum. I started my '87 Corvette and it ran fine while I opened the shop door. When I put it in reverse it accelerated to max rpm and flew backward. I tried to hit neutral but caught drive and it sped forward slamming into a large piece of farm equipment, doing considerable damage to both. I saw a discussion posted in 2003 about unintended rapid acceleration blaming the control module. Has anyone else experienced this. I am looking for answers for the insurance adjuster. Considerable damage to the car, it went under a cotton picker.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 6,219
Likes: 696
From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
I am new to the forum. I started my '87 Corvette and it ran fine while I opened the shop door. When I put it in reverse it accelerated to max rpm and flew backward. I tried to hit neutral but caught drive and it sped forward slamming into a large piece of farm equipment, doing considerable damage to both. I saw a discussion posted in 2003 about unintended rapid acceleration blaming the control module. Has anyone else experienced this. I am looking for answers for the insurance adjuster. Considerable damage to the car, it went under a cotton picker.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 17,263
Likes: 6,463
From: Melbourne, FL
Every time I've ever seen or heard of this. The root cause was a driver (usually old or teenage) using the gas pedal and not the brake pedal.
As the others said, the throttle body on these is mechanical, driven by the pedal. If it was idling normal, you can rule a stuck cable out, as your idle rpm would have been maxed out. It was your foot on the gas, sorry to say. The important part is you're OK, and nobody was hurt.
As the others said, the throttle body on these is mechanical, driven by the pedal. If it was idling normal, you can rule a stuck cable out, as your idle rpm would have been maxed out. It was your foot on the gas, sorry to say. The important part is you're OK, and nobody was hurt.
Drifting
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 1,661
Likes: 701
From: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, metro area
Question, if an IAC was ordered to open to the max and the injectors were ordered to flow max, and the throttle body remained closed, would the air/fuel mix be close enough to run the engine?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 4,648
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From: N.E. Ohio OH
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
Examine the cruise control mechanism. In fact the entire throttle mechanism.
We had a Ford Taurus that would go into a run-away acceleration intermittently. The computer knew nothing about it. Luckily we were friends with the mechanic at the Ford dealership and he went the extra mile looking for the problem (my wife treated his father while he was in the hospital, which helped, that is how we met him), it turned out that a little plastic clip in the mechanism had broken which allowed the cable to come out of the "spot" and float. It didn't do it all the time, but when it did, the engine would go to full throttle.
There were other issues of this, and when I reported it, the NTSB actually contacted me to hear what the cause was.
You are looking for something that allows the throttle to open on its own. Go through the entire linkage.
or allows the cable/mechanism to move due to breakage, so yes !
We had a Ford Taurus that would go into a run-away acceleration intermittently. The computer knew nothing about it. Luckily we were friends with the mechanic at the Ford dealership and he went the extra mile looking for the problem (my wife treated his father while he was in the hospital, which helped, that is how we met him), it turned out that a little plastic clip in the mechanism had broken which allowed the cable to come out of the "spot" and float. It didn't do it all the time, but when it did, the engine would go to full throttle.
There were other issues of this, and when I reported it, the NTSB actually contacted me to hear what the cause was.
You are looking for something that allows the throttle to open on its own. Go through the entire linkage.
it works via a cable, something needs to move the cable.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 4,648
Likes: 1,059
From: N.E. Ohio OH
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
Every time I've ever seen or heard of this. The root cause was a driver (usually old or teenage) using the gas pedal and not the brake pedal.
As the others said, the throttle body on these is mechanical, driven by the pedal. If it was idling normal, you can rule a stuck cable out, as your idle rpm would have been maxed out. It was your foot on the gas, sorry to say. The important part is you're OK, and nobody was hurt.
As the others said, the throttle body on these is mechanical, driven by the pedal. If it was idling normal, you can rule a stuck cable out, as your idle rpm would have been maxed out. It was your foot on the gas, sorry to say. The important part is you're OK, and nobody was hurt.
Luckily it happened while I was driving and not my wife or daughter (she had just gotten her license). Neither would have thought fast enough to slam to neutral and turn the car off. It was instant full on acceleration.
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Rochester NY
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '26
I don't think he's concerned about the damage to the car. It probably isn't insured for collision loss anyway.
He's concerned about having the damage to the farm machinery covered. I have no idea what kinds of coverage are offered for or normally put on farm implements. Probably comprehensive type coverage for things like theft, fire (the barn burning down on it), dropping into a sink hole in the field, that kind of stuff. Significant damage from the owner's personal car getting driven into it may not be considered covered under the policy (if any) on the cotton picker.
If the car is covered for Liability, then that is the coverage that would pay for repairs to the farm machinery.
He's concerned about having the damage to the farm machinery covered. I have no idea what kinds of coverage are offered for or normally put on farm implements. Probably comprehensive type coverage for things like theft, fire (the barn burning down on it), dropping into a sink hole in the field, that kind of stuff. Significant damage from the owner's personal car getting driven into it may not be considered covered under the policy (if any) on the cotton picker.
If the car is covered for Liability, then that is the coverage that would pay for repairs to the farm machinery.
Hopefully they will see no weevil.
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2022
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
first thing im gonna say is these cars are extremely touchy on the throttle so it wouldnt surprise me if it was just an accidental push of the throttle. this may be a long shot but your throttle position sensor could be shot and read out the wrong input to the ECM causing the injectors to fire at max rpms. not sure if that would just stall the engine or not though if the throttle body was closed and not having air flow through. good luck getting it repaired though glad to hear your ok