Toyota Pedal Tips
National News
by
Randy McIlwain
last edited on
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Toyota dealerships are getting swamped with calls after the automaker suspended sales of more than two million recalled vehicles. The company calls the sudden acceleration a rare and infrequent problem, but admitted it doesn't yet have a way to fix it.
Bruce Miller has been fixing cars since 1975. Miller walked us through Toyota's protocols, for accelerator pedal malfunctions while driving.
It starts with not panicking, and applying pressure to the brakes.
"Use both feet on the brake pedal, that way you have plenty of power with your legs. Pushing gently with both feet as hard as necessary but get it into neutral so the engine is not pulling against the braking. This is in drive and all you have to do is just push it straight forward and you're coasting. The engine might rev up but if it hurts the engine it's better than crashing the car," said Miller.
If for some reason the brakes have failed and your vehicle won't shift into neutral, Toyota suggests killing the engine.
"If you find yourself in this situation and the engine is running you can shut the key off to the first position, you still have steering just no power assist now," Miller said.
But don't take the key out. That will lock the steering wheel.
Miller says he's never serviced a Toyota vehicle with an accelerator or gas pedal problem. And cautions owners to follow Toyota's guidelines.
"I think people need to not panic and think every Toyota out there is going to have this problem," Miller said.