Accelerator Sticking

[Capirato]

Has anyone had their Accelerator stick ??

http://www.momlogic.com/2009/09/fami...tor_sticks.php

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stori...s-crash/?metro

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stori...h-probe/?metro

~ Cap

[SickES350]

there's been a recall on the all-weather floor mats that have been said to be the cause of it.

[Capirato]

Originally Posted by SickES350

There's been a recall on the all-weather floor mats that have been said to be the cause of it.

The car in question was a 2009, manufactured after the change in the design of the floor mats.

I've had loaner cars where the dealer turns the floor mats upside down to keep the mats from getting dirty.

My main question is: What to do in the event the acellerator got stuck while I was driving ??

~ Cap

[LexBob2]

I'm not sure what the official word is but there have been a few suggestions as to what to do if this happens. Press & hold the ignition off/on button for more than 3 seconds, shift into neutral, stand on the brakes (some engineers have said that the brakes will override the engine).

[Capirato]

Originally Posted by LexBob2

I'm not sure what the official word is but there have been a few suggestions as to what to do if this happens. Press & hold the ignition off/on button for more than 3 seconds, shift into neutral, stand on the brakes (some engineers have said that the brakes will override the engine).

I wish there were an official word as to what to do in the case the accelerator gets stuck.

If by pressing the ignition on/off button for at least three seconds, it acts as a kill-switch, then it would not be necessary to shift into neutral, as by the car being in gear it would help in stopping it. (that's my opinion)

Also, what happens to the steering wheel ?? Does turning off the engine lock it ?? Does it fold back ??

~ Capp

[LexBob2]

The things mentioned in my original post were three individual things that I'd read which one could do in an emergency, not necessarily all of them at the same time. Sorry for the confusion.

It's also a good idea to make sure that any time you're driving an ES350 (or any car for that matter) to make sure there is just one set of floor mats in use and that one is fastened down using the floor anchor. The original problem was caused by laying an all weather mat unanchored on top of the capreted mat.

[SickES350]

Originally Posted by Capirato

I wish there were an official word as to what to do in the case the accelerator gets stuck.

If by pressing the ignition on/off button for at least three seconds, it acts as a kill-switch, then it would not be necessary to shift into neutral, as by the car being in gear it would help in stopping it. (that's my opinion)

Also, what happens to the steering wheel ?? Does turning off the engine lock it ?? Does it fold back ??

~ Capp

go down a residential street and try it out.. if all else fails, turn off the engine and tap the engine start twice to reactivate the car to unlock the wheel if it does lock up.

but avoiding a high speed crash by shutting the engine off is much better than being able to steer a car(which sucks at turning) that has a stuck accelerator that will top at 140 my opinion...

i also believe a simple tap will stop the engine... a hold for 3 seconds does not sound like too smart of a design... 3 seconds in a car that's going 70+mph and accelerating is a whole lot of time and distance traveled... probably a good 5-10mph gain.

[LexBob2]

I think the 3 sec delay is a safely measure in case the button is accidentally bumped while the car is in motion.

[jeffofla]

Originally Posted by Capirato

I wish there were an official word as to what to do in the case the accelerator gets stuck.

If by pressing the ignition on/off button for at least three seconds, it acts as a kill-switch, then it would not be necessary to shift into neutral, as by the car being in gear it would help in stopping it. (that's my opinion)

Also, what happens to the steering wheel ?? Does turning off the engine lock it ?? Does it fold back ??

~ Capp

There is an official word and its your owners manual. This is documented in there.

[lowrideraz]

Lexus Press Release - Issued Today:

"September 14, 2009
Lexus ES 350 Accident Investigation
On August 28th, 2009, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and three members of his family tragically lost their lives on a highway near San Diego California, while driving a 2009 ES 350 loaned to them by a local Lexus dealer. Our deepest sympathies go out to the friends and family of Mark, Cleofe, Mahala, and Cleofe’s brother Chris Lastrella. Preliminary information from law enforcement investigators indicates that the cause may have been an all-weather floor mat from a different Lexus model which, if installed incorrectly in the ES 350, could cause it to interfere with the accelerator pedal."

Lou

[Capirato]

Update......

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stori...&zIndex=166625


~ Cap

[Vette2]

A few weeks ago I had my ES serviced at an eastern MA Lexus dealership. My loaner was an IS250 AWD in which a hump for the tranmission intrudes quite a bit into the drivers footwell. (Don't think I could live with that) The dealership had stuffed oversized aftermarket clear plastic floormats in the car. You could barely get your feet into the drivers footwell!

In the litigeous society we live in, I can't believe they would be stupid enough to do something like that. Naturally I threw the mats in the back before starting the engine

[MD350]

Originally Posted by LexBob2

I'm not sure what the official word is but there have been a few suggestions as to what to do if this happens. Press & hold the ignition off/on button for more than 3 seconds, shift into neutral, stand on the brakes (some engineers have said that the brakes will override the engine).

This actually happened to me about 25 years ago while driving a Pontiac. It was the floor mat that got stuck. My instinct was put the car in Neutral within seconds. All was ok and I avoided an accident.

[Capirato]

Originally Posted by MD350

This actually happened to me about 25 years ago while driving a Pontiac. It was the floor mat that got stuck. My instinct was put the car in Neutral within seconds. All was ok and I avoided an accident.

Update.....

http://news.google.com/news/search?a...a+recall+lexus

~ Cap

[Yiujai86]

Putting the ES350 in neutral and shutting it off will not retract and lock the steering wheel because pressing the button in neutral only turns off the engine and not everything else. If worst comes to worst, use a railing, barrier or wall to ride against to stop the vehicle.