A scary thing happened to me (and a warning)

[cmjust0]

Quote:
Agreed x100.

Besides, there's usually built-in protections against revving the engine too high with the transmission disengaged anyway. In all likelyhood, the worst thing that's gonna happen is that the engine will bounce off the rev limiter until the driver can pull over and shut it down.

 

[welsummerchicks]

I see no reason to blow up an engine by putting the car into neutral if that is not necessary and if there is another way of handling a problem. There is no proof yet that the cruise control was the real source of the problem.

Of course no one would suggest reading the owner's manual when about to crash, as you well know. That makes no sense.

I mean read the owner's manual or mechanic before that, when you get the car, and find that the car has cruise control on it. I'd suggest asking what typically goes wrong with cruise control, and what to do if it does. I'd suggest asking a lot of questions on different subjects.

For example when I got a utility trailer I talked to the dealer about what to do in various situations, and how to maintain the trailer and what was likely to go wrong in an emergency and what to do about it. Why is there a battery, and what is the risk of not charging it. When I got a truck with overdrive I had a discussion with the mechanic on how to use it, when not to, and how to know when it was not working, and what to do if it failed. Similar thing I did with ASB brakes, all wheel drive, front wheel drive, 4X4 and super low, etc. I also found what parts commonly failed and kept some with the truck.

Modern cars are complicated and an exhaust problem can affect many other systems, a problem can seem to be in the Cruise Control when it actually is in the throttle. Most of the systems in the cars are inter-related in complicated ways. Plus what might be appropriate for one model might not work as well for another model.

Recently an automatic transmission sensor on my truck failed. It affected the automatic transmission, but also the ASB and many other systems and how they operated.

Similarly, my exhaust manifold rusted through in a spot typical for that make and model. In that case, the dealer mechanic did not realize what ways it would affect the truck and thought it was only a problem because it was noisy. That is not the case. So it is very important to have a knowedgeable mechanic to ask questions of. I would be hesistant to listen to an inexperienced person or someone who wasn't quite paying attention.

 

[silkiechicken]

I'm still going to use my cruise control, and if any car goes out of whack, just shift to neutral or press the clutch down (manual) before risking locking up my wheel. I've got a regularly maintained breaking system that aren't no 49.99 schucks special, and an E break that hasn't been engaged for anything other than parking. I'd think everyone should know by now after the toyota dealio to shift to neutral. Most cars on the road are still drive by wire.

 

[Ed62]

This is an interesting thread. Glad you're OK. I agree with the people who say to put the car in neutral, instead of shutting the engine down. Shutting the engine down might be the first thing that comes to mind, but not the best advice IMHO.

Ed

 

[cmjust0]

Quote:
It takes more everything to control a car once the engine is cut. I've had cars die on me before, while moving, and could juuuuuuust barely get them steered off the road and stopped without hitting someone else.

Besides, if you read a few articles on stopping runaway cars (most authored after the Toyota fiasco), almost every one says shutting the engine down is a last resort and mentions that the vehicle will become much harder to steer and brake as a result.

Check this out.
Or this.
Or this. <-- this one recounts a real world, life or death situation BTW..

Quote:
Well, there's a whole lot of speculation for ya... And frankly, a lot of it seems inaccurate, at best -- reckless and dangerous, at worst.

First of all, a stuck cruise control wouldn't necessarily have "twisted the engine" o any higher speed than that upon which the cruise control was set to begin with. Seems to me it's possible that the car would simply maintain the cruising speed regardless of user input -- which is kinda the situation the OP described, as I understand it. A runaway throttle may cause what you're describing, perhaps, but that's not necessarily how a stuck cruise control would manifest itself.

And then you go from that short-sighted speculation to conclude, with obvious over-confidence, that the OP either had condition A, B, or C without so much as ever having laid eyes on the car -- that's just reckless. And then to tell them what they need to do about it?

All I'm saying is...be mindful of what you're saying. If the OP takes your advice that it wasn't CC, hooks that back up, has the TB cleaned, and then proceeds to die in a car accident because the cruise locked up again, would you really want that on YOUR conscience?

I wouldn't.

 

[herefordlovinglady]

Ahhhhh, I am so glad you came out of this just scared. You are very luck. Whatever the reason, the CC malfunctioned on you, you handled it very well. I use mine a lot just because of what someone said earlier, once the music gets faster so does my speed.

I have always wondered what I would do in certain situations, I really do not think I would of thought to shut the car off.

 

[welsummerchicks]

It's wreckless to assume ANY cause from the description given.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I dont have to lay eyes on it. I went to collage for Auto tech. I also ran my own shop for a while. They said what the car is an I could probably draw the component of it from memory. Friction is required for something to stick. The cruse module has no friction components. Its a vacume pod that pulls a bead cable. It can (never has) come on when it shouldn't which would make it go to full throttle to get to its last setting. Probably not but not completely impossible. It could also fail an not work at all. But it cant stick. The butterfly can, the peddle can an the TPS can short an do that but the cruse module can't. An the PC in the cruse cant read position. It reads wheel speed. so it would go to full throttle if it actually came on when stopped.

I have drove all kinds of cars that were shutting off on people. They are not hard to control. Its gets hard to make sharp "U" turns but any 100 pound person can do it. Breaks have to be pumped several time before they get harder. People drove fine before it was invented. The reason people don't want ya turning the switch off is that on older cars it was easy to turn the switch to the lock position. But its also just as easy to push the trans up past nutural in to reverse which will throw the car in to an uncontrollable skid.
I dont tell people do do thing that if done wrong will kill you.


I have did both an there is no way I'm telling people to push it in to nutural.

An I didnt say what it was. I said what it was not an to get it checked out well an not to just assume it was the cruse.

 

[Wynette]

Alrighty, then. Seems like many opinions have been posted here...how 'bout we all try to remain civil?

 

[ChooksChick]

Isn't it dangerous to turn it off, when it could lock the steering? If someone already said that, I missed it...