Stuck accellerator

[jorimck]

My daughter owns a 2005 Prius. She was driving along the highway and the accelerator pedal stuck at about 40 mph. Try as she could, she could not get it loose. Somehow, she finally succeeded, whether by shifting I do not know.

Question: Has this happened to you?

What did you do?

It sounds dangerous to me to shift, but what else?

The dealer is still trying to figure it out- has never known it to happen before.

[TheForce]

Something does not smell right. I smell bait with an after taste of troll.

[JimN]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TheForce @ Aug 13 2007, 06:36 PM) [snapback]495010[/snapback]</div>

Something does not smell right. I smell bait with an after taste of troll.
[/b]

'nuff said.

[Winston]

Accellerators only stick with teenage or senior citizen drivers. I wonder why that is?

[Sonny Jim]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Winston @ Aug 13 2007, 04:05 PM) [snapback]495024[/snapback]</div>

Accellerators only stick with teenage or senior citizen drivers. I wonder why that is? [/b]

and with people with only one post...

hmmm?

[bwilson4web]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(John R. @ Aug 13 2007, 05:08 PM) [snapback]494991[/snapback]</div>

My daughter owns a 2005 Prius. She was driving along the highway and the accelerator pedal stuck at about 40 mph. Try as she could, she could not get it loose. Somehow, she finally succeeded, whether by shifting I do not know.

Question: Has this happened to you?

What did you do?

It sounds dangerous to me to shift, but what else?

The dealer is still trying to figure it out- has never known it to happen before.
[/b]

There have been intermittent reports but no one has been able to reproduce this at will. The current working hypothesis is sticking to the carpet . . . somehow. But again, it is an untested hypothesis.

As for shifting, with the exception of "P", this is always safe and in particular "N" will cause the car to start coasting and the engine to drop down to idle. If you ever have a run-away, just shift into "N".

When I get a chance, I plan to rent a 2004-current, NHW20 Prius and see if I can find any way to recreate this problem. I'll also, in the interest of science, floor the accelerator and push "N" to verify it works just like it does on my NHW11, 2003 Prius.

The transmission of the Prius has one major gear, no clutch and is completely computer controlled. You can not break it by shifting a run-away Prius into "N". If it perfectly safe to try this anytime you want at any speed you want. We just don't recommend using "N" going down a steep grade . . . for obvious and subtle technical reasons.

GOOD LUCK!

Bob Wilson
ps. Can you let your daughter perhaps post a first person account of what happened?

[donee]

Hi John R.,

The most probable cause is that the floor mats were not hooked into the holes in the floor that the supplied clips plug into. Read the instruction manual on the installation of the driver side floor mat. There should be two plastic clips stuck into the holes. If you do not have these, remove the front driver's side floor mat, and go to your Toyota dealership and buy the clips.

Constantly pushing on the floor mats, moves them forward till they snag down the gas pedal. Of course, nobody wants to look down while in a traffic situation with a stuck accellerator. And getting out of the car might pull the mat back, as one pulls on ones feet to stand up.

[efusco]

sounds like the cruise control was set at 40 to me....or that troll thing.

[FL_Prius_Driver]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(John R. @ Aug 13 2007, 06:08 PM) [snapback]494991[/snapback]</div>

My daughter owns a 2005 Prius. She was driving along the highway and the accelerator pedal stuck at about 40 mph. Try as she could, she could not get it loose. Somehow, she finally succeeded, whether by shifting I do not know.

Question: Has this happened to you?

What did you do?

It sounds dangerous to me to shift, but what else?

The dealer is still trying to figure it out- has never known it to happen before.
[/b]

The Prius gas pedal has one big indestructible steel spring and a very small sensor housing with TWO independent postion sensors. This sensor housing is arranged so it is unable to hang the spring. I have an extra Prius gas pedal in my lap and it is clear that only something very strong external to the pedal can keep it from springing back. A loose floor mat will be hard pressed to bind this down. Check for yourself and you can see firsthand. If the spring did not break, then either there was something on the floor that snagged it, or two independent sensors failed simultaneously and temporarily, or there is confusion about exactly what happened. You are in the best postion to find out.

When things go unexpected for a young driver, the gas pedal or the brakes end up being blamed. I know. I nearly took down my parents house pushing the wrong pedal at a very young age.