Today I decided to take My Mustang out, I had it staored for the Winter as our weather turned crappy and even snowed a week ago. But the last couple of days the weather got nice again and everyone was out in the rides, so I called the Insurance Company and put my Collision back on it and went for a ride.
I got on the main road and got to a stop light, at the light someone in a foreign car was reven it up so I took off, it's only 45 through there so I could'nt go that fast. Well as I was speeding up the car all of a sudden took off and went into passing gear as I went from 45 to 70. I took my foor off the gas right away and the car still kept climbing faster. I tried putting on the brake and nothing! I started to panic as there was another stop light up ahead and it was turning to RED!
Now I was doing 75 and a Semi was just starting to try and beat the light to turn onto the Thruway and I was headed right for him at 75+ I had both feet on the brake and the car was'nt stopping. I was paniciking, luck there was'nt anyone in the lane on the right side of me so I swerved around the front of the Semi Cab, just Missing him, good thing he saw me comming and stopped or it would have been all over for me.
The car was still speeding up as I passed him, I was doing about 85 and still going faster....I did'nt know what to do.....finally I looked down twords the gas pedel and saw the Floor Mat was over the gas pedel holding it down, I quickly pulled it out and the car began to slow down, I pulled over and stopped.
I was a wreck and my heart was beating a million miles an hour. It may or may not have been my fault but when I bought the car new I wanted to save the Original Floor Mats so I put them in the trunk and bought a pair of Black Carpeted ones from Walmart to use, I did'nt care if they got ruined.
I just wanted to tell everyone my experience, and to PLEASE check your floor mats and make sure there where there suppos to be.
Ron
Man I bet that is scary! There was a thread on here a few weeks ago about a Toyota car having the same problem. I think 4 people died in that accident.
An entire family was killed recently that way. They were playing the 911 tape on TV. A person in the car had called 911 for help as they passed everything on the road and the freeway was about to end.
Help me here... Can't one simply turn off the key?
...and if that option is somehow locked out, then surely the car can be put in neutral to save a life. (Yeah, the engine would probably blow in that case...)
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1965 5.0 Coupe /MAF/EFI/AOD/B303 Roller Cam
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Put it in neutral and turn off the switch. you will lose power steering but it's better that head on into a semi. good job keeping your cool. Glad your OK
I bought black mats from walmart too and I had a similar experience but not as intense. My floor mat was actually bent on the right side and so I couldn't press the gas.
Make sure you cut the mat so it perfectly fits the area, otherwise you'd have something like this again.
Wow, glad to hear that you are ok. That is nuts. I hate floor mats too. I've noticed with all the automatic cars i've owned (especially mustangs) my floor mats always slid toward the pedals. With my 5 speed I don't have that problem. Watch your self!
Thank's All You Guy's, Im glad Im O.K. I really did'nt have time to think about turning off the key or putting it in neutral, it happened so fast, I guess when I look back at it I would have done that, but at the monent you dont have time to think about them things as it's happening so fast, the worst part is the car was kicked into passing gear, if it was just stuck at one speed it would have been different, but the car just kept going faster and faster and I was panicking.
Im getting FORD replacement Floor Mats, even if I have to buy another set of the Originals, I pray it never happenes to anyone else, it was scarry.
Thank's Again!
Ron
Help me here... Can't one simply turn off the key?
...and if that option is somehow locked out, then surely the car can be put in neutral to save a life. (Yeah, the engine would probably blow in that case...)
Yeah, you can put the car in neutral. The car will go bouncing off the rev limiter, but the engine will probably be okay. Leaving the car in drive and just slamming on the brakes isn't exactly the smartest thing to do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by the other fiveO
Put it in neutral and turn off the switch. you will lose power steering but it's better that head on into a semi. good job keeping your cool. Glad your OK
Turning the car off is a great idea.
Glad you're okay man, but you didn't make a very wise decision to run a RED LIGHT in front of a SEMI.
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All show... So far. Exterior: Roush Front Fascia w/o chin spoiler, Black Billet Foglight Delete Grille, hidden smoked foglights, GTS Blackout Panel, smoked tail lights, WebElectric Sequential tail lights, MUSTANG 3rd brake light, 14" Shorty Antenna. Interior: Red piping, RVinyl Aluminum Dash Kit, CDC Aluminum Pedal Covers.
Yeah, you can put the car in neutral. The car will go bouncing off the rev limiter, but the engine will probably be okay. Leaving the car in drive and just slamming on the brakes isn't exactly the smartest thing to do.
Turning the car off is a great idea.
Glad you're okay man, but you didn't make a very wise decision to run a RED LIGHT in front of a SEMI.
If I did'nt run the red light and go around the semi I would have slammed into him at 75 MPH+++ It all happened within about a 10 second time. The driver of the semi did see me comming at him, good thing, and he stopped as I swerved around him. Like I said guys, you'd think you could think of turning off the key or putting it in neutral, but when your car is stuck in passing gear and going 75-80 and gaining speed and your headed for a semi you dont have time to think, if it happened again Im sure I'd think of them things you mentioned, but at the time I had no time to think,I just wanted to avoid a colision and save my life.
If I was just on a straight away and it happened with no stop light and nothing in front of me Im sure I could have thought it out, but at the time I only had about 2 seconds to think and that was'nt enough time.
Ron
Why the hell didn't the brakes stop him? Aren't they specifically designed to overpower the gas and stop the car in the event of a stuck open throttle?
I almost DIED today, Floor Mat Warning 
