Out of Control Throttle/Brakes in Cold Weather
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12-09-2009, 09:42 AM
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Central WA
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Out of Control Throttle/Brakes in Cold Weather
My son had a bad morning yesterday:
As he was pulling into his parking spot at our snow-covered school lot, the engine jumped to toward 4K RPM and pushed past the RWABS, running the truck into a parked car (no injuries). The front brakes locked as he increased brake pressure (reaction) and the truck just pushed through. As he backed away, the engine was still surging and it was difficult for him to control. I saw his tracks in the snow and it indeed looks like this happened as he described (I was not there when this happened). There was evidence of both sliding forward and rearward wheelspin. This is the first time anything like this has happened - never misbehaved at all before. The engine was warmed up, he was simply rolling up into his regular parking spot at idle.
He is honest (he immediately called me once he got the truck safely parked) an amazingly-careful driver and prides himself on being a good driver in the snow (we get lots here) in 2WD. He was not in 4WD.
After school, we went out and he reenacted the whole thing (without the collision). He said the brakes were grabby & locking up whenever he used them on the way in that morning. Even when driving it to school this morning, there was no problem.
I drove it home and could not replicate the problem; however, it was much warmer (9°) then, and he had been parked in the sun.
We are experiencing subzero weather here; is there a causal relationship? Might there be ice in the brake system?
As he was pulling into his parking spot at our snow-covered school lot, the engine jumped to toward 4K RPM and pushed past the RWABS, running the truck into a parked car (no injuries). The front brakes locked as he increased brake pressure (reaction) and the truck just pushed through. As he backed away, the engine was still surging and it was difficult for him to control. I saw his tracks in the snow and it indeed looks like this happened as he described (I was not there when this happened). There was evidence of both sliding forward and rearward wheelspin. This is the first time anything like this has happened - never misbehaved at all before. The engine was warmed up, he was simply rolling up into his regular parking spot at idle.
He is honest (he immediately called me once he got the truck safely parked) an amazingly-careful driver and prides himself on being a good driver in the snow (we get lots here) in 2WD. He was not in 4WD.
After school, we went out and he reenacted the whole thing (without the collision). He said the brakes were grabby & locking up whenever he used them on the way in that morning. Even when driving it to school this morning, there was no problem.
I drove it home and could not replicate the problem; however, it was much warmer (9°) then, and he had been parked in the sun.
We are experiencing subzero weather here; is there a causal relationship? Might there be ice in the brake system?
Last edited by DennisCon; 12-09-2009 at 10:55 AM.
