Help! Uninteded Acceleration at a stoplight
Lexus Champion
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,474
Likes: 2
From: Tennessee
For what it's worth, I've NEVER had a problem with hitting both the gas and the brake at the same time UNTIL I got my 99 GS400. I've done it probably over 10-15 times in the 6 months that I've owned this car. At first it scared the crap out of me, but I've gotten better about realizing what's going on and correcting, not to mention now I try to aim a little more precisely when hitting the brake. I think this was a bad ergonomic design on Lexus' part, as no car should allow you to easily depress the brake and the gas with one foot... either the gas pedal should be significantly further back than the brake pedal, or they should have a couple more inches inbetween them.
I've also had a couple of panic braking situations where I hit both at the same time and it made my braking distance significantly worse. Not to mention the fact that the harder I hit the brake, the more the car accelerated, which made it even worse.
I've also had a couple of panic braking situations where I hit both at the same time and it made my braking distance significantly worse. Not to mention the fact that the harder I hit the brake, the more the car accelerated, which made it even worse.
Pole Position
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 229
Likes: 0
From: California
Originally posted by RON430
Besides many of the good comments already made, the skepticism is probably also somewhat due to the fact that if the GS did have an unintended acceleration problem, you can rest assured there would have already been posts about it. We can get pretty vocal in our defense of Lexus but we also have a tendency to call it like we see it. If several of the guys here have experienced it but it turned out to be pushing both pedals, and very likely as a given they were a lot less "experienced" than dad, you have pretty good odds that is what is going on. But for many of the reasons already mentioned, I still wouldn't fool with this and let Lexus check out the engine and the brakes. At a stop light, the brakes should hold the car against the TC.
And now for the facts - 10 1/2 EEE and never hit both pedals at the same time. Just in time for the end of the great anti roll bar debate of 2003 comes the unintended acceleration thread requiring shoe sizes and age for the database.
Besides many of the good comments already made, the skepticism is probably also somewhat due to the fact that if the GS did have an unintended acceleration problem, you can rest assured there would have already been posts about it. We can get pretty vocal in our defense of Lexus but we also have a tendency to call it like we see it. If several of the guys here have experienced it but it turned out to be pushing both pedals, and very likely as a given they were a lot less "experienced" than dad, you have pretty good odds that is what is going on. But for many of the reasons already mentioned, I still wouldn't fool with this and let Lexus check out the engine and the brakes. At a stop light, the brakes should hold the car against the TC.
And now for the facts - 10 1/2 EEE and never hit both pedals at the same time. Just in time for the end of the great anti roll bar debate of 2003 comes the unintended acceleration thread requiring shoe sizes and age for the database.
Take care . . . . .
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,084
Likes: 0
From: California
I was waiting for that. But if I don't get both pedals either some of you guys have some real boats on the ends of your legs or your feet go East/West when you walk North/South. So why do ducks have big flat feet? For stamping our forest fires of course. And why do elephants have big flat feet? For stamping out flaming ducks. Guess it's just evolution.
Last edited by RON430; Jul 3, 2003 at 12:35 PM.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,474
Likes: 2
From: Tennessee
Originally posted by RON430
I was waiting for that. But if I don't get both pedals either some of you guys have some real boats on the ends of your legs or your feet go East/West when you walk North/South. So why do ducks have big flat feet? For stamping our forest fires of course. And why do elephants have big flat feet? For stamping out flaming ducks. Guess it's just evolution.
I was waiting for that. But if I don't get both pedals either some of you guys have some real boats on the ends of your legs or your feet go East/West when you walk North/South. So why do ducks have big flat feet? For stamping our forest fires of course. And why do elephants have big flat feet? For stamping out flaming ducks. Guess it's just evolution.
I think the issue I have stems from the fact that I like to keep my heel planted between the two pedals and then just angle my foot in one direction or the other depending on the pedal I intend to use.
I've driven that same exact way in every car I've owned or even driven, and before this GS4, I've never even once had that happen to me.
Now it's happened to me at least 10 times in the 6 months that I've owned the car. Coincidence? I think not.
I'm not trying to say it's a bad car... every car has its issues... and I'd rather have this issue than say- a car that idles too low and dies on me sometimes when I don't have the A/C or lights turned on! er... ummm... OK maybe not a good example!
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: California
Lexus' response
Lexus told my dad that there's a major recall about to happen with the car about unintended accelaration that will hit the news in a couple days. They expect it to have a dramatic effect on resale values and open up the possibility of a ton of lawsuits.
Just kidding -
Well, it looks like Lexus thinks the same as you guys. They couldn't find anything wrong with the car. What they did do was to move the accelerator pedal over an inch and changed the level so it is slightly lower than the brake.
Sorry about starting a panic, but sure liked that line about the EEE feet!
-Russell
Just kidding -
Well, it looks like Lexus thinks the same as you guys. They couldn't find anything wrong with the car. What they did do was to move the accelerator pedal over an inch and changed the level so it is slightly lower than the brake.
Sorry about starting a panic, but sure liked that line about the EEE feet!
-Russell
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 6,084
Likes: 0
From: California
They moved the accelerator pedal over an inch! Geez, I have to look and see how they could do that.
I drive with the right foot handling both accelerator and brake (makes it a lot easier if you switch to a manual transmission) as well and just haven't had a problem. On an E type, I could cover all three pedals with one foot which made life interesting. If you can move a GS pedal over an inch, ought to solve a lot of problems.
I drive with the right foot handling both accelerator and brake (makes it a lot easier if you switch to a manual transmission) as well and just haven't had a problem. On an E type, I could cover all three pedals with one foot which made life interesting. If you can move a GS pedal over an inch, ought to solve a lot of problems.
Lead Lap
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 771
Likes: 0
From: California
Re: Lexus' response
Originally posted by rja400
Lexus told my dad that there's a major recall about to happen with the car about unintended accelaration that will hit the news in a couple days. They expect it to have a dramatic effect on resale values and open up the possibility of a ton of lawsuits.
Just kidding -
Lexus told my dad that there's a major recall about to happen with the car about unintended accelaration that will hit the news in a couple days. They expect it to have a dramatic effect on resale values and open up the possibility of a ton of lawsuits.
Just kidding -
Former Sponsor
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 13,001
Likes: 1
From: D2'sville
Re: Lexus' response
Originally posted by rja400
Lexus told my dad that there's a major recall about to happen with the car about unintended accelaration that will hit the news in a couple days. They expect it to have a dramatic effect on resale values and open up the possibility of a ton of lawsuits.
Just kidding -
Lexus told my dad that there's a major recall about to happen with the car about unintended accelaration that will hit the news in a couple days. They expect it to have a dramatic effect on resale values and open up the possibility of a ton of lawsuits.
Just kidding -
Damn you scared me!!! My heart dropped to my stomach, DONT PLAY LIKE THAT
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 3,417
Likes: 0
From: el clinico magnifico
Re: Lexus' response
Originally posted by rja400
Well, it looks like Lexus thinks the same as you guys. They couldn't find anything wrong with the car. What they did do was to move the accelerator pedal over an inch and changed the level so it is slightly lower than the brake.
Well, it looks like Lexus thinks the same as you guys. They couldn't find anything wrong with the car. What they did do was to move the accelerator pedal over an inch and changed the level so it is slightly lower than the brake.
Last edited by LB Lex; Jul 3, 2003 at 04:38 PM.
I've done it. I tend to have my foot on the right edge of the brake pedal a lot, kinda leaning off the right side. And it's easy to have the right side of my foot then press the gas. I've done this before and heard the rpms go up and then moved my foot when I realized.
I do not believe there's anything wrong with the car that can make it do it by itself.
I do not believe there's anything wrong with the car that can make it do it by itself.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: SE USA
Just a little reassurance ...
On 98-2000 GS 400's the cable operated ETCS-i has a fail safe feature in it. If it doesn't see two of the same TPS input signals, it shuts down and goes into a limp mode. Since it's introduction in 1998 I have yet to see or hear about one failing.
Lex-Tech
On 98-2000 GS 400's the cable operated ETCS-i has a fail safe feature in it. If it doesn't see two of the same TPS input signals, it shuts down and goes into a limp mode. Since it's introduction in 1998 I have yet to see or hear about one failing.
Lex-Tech
Last edited by Lex-Tech; Jul 3, 2003 at 09:10 PM.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 0
From: California
This has actually happened to our GS3 twice. Usually, the car hasn't fully warmed up and I am in stop and go traffic. The rpms rose just enough so the car starts surging forward. I put it in neutral each time and look at the rpms and I saw that they rose up to a little under 1k at that particular moment. I am pretty confident it was not shoe or floor mat related because the mat is firmly in place and my foot was on the brake pedal and not near the gas pedal. It's happened so infrequently that I haven't worried about it.
edit: It's never surged as hard as the OP father's car. I've always been able to maintain control.
edit: It's never surged as hard as the OP father's car. I've always been able to maintain control.
Last edited by meanboy; Jul 4, 2003 at 05:04 PM.
