accelerator pedal sticking

Sesshoumaru

I have a C3 Pluriel that has recently developed a problem where the accelerator sticks on the fully open position for about 5 seconds or more. This causes the car to accelerate at top speed without me even touching the accelerator pedal. Needless to say this is extremely dangerous. I was wondering has anyone else out there with a C3 or other Citroen ever experienced this problem? I had one garage take a look at the problem but I don't think they did much with it. Its now in with a different Citroen garage.

Jildy

Are you sure that the pedal is not just stivcking on the rim of the floor mat when you depress the pedal. This can often happen and give the impression that the pedal is 'stuck' whereas it is actually just caught under the mat.

Check it out - May be a quick fix !!

Sesshoumaru

I am 100% sure its not the mat. That was my first thought as well. The mat has clip things to keep it in place and these didn't move. In the mats fixed position its just not physically possible for the pedal to get stuck on the lip of the mat. I also found this other forum where another C3 owner had a similiar problem

http://htdig.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=25636

Jildy

They I would suggest you take it back to the dealer and kick up a fuss about you nearly being killed etc... and get them to fix it under warranty asap and supply you with a vehicle while it is in the shop.

Dan_B

I'd go with Jildy on this.
Alternatively wind down your windows and play rap music at full volume

mike65

Dont wait to be killed! Take it round tomorrow, but first just have a look see under the lower dash area behind the pedal with a torch, you never know it might be very easy to fix.

Mike.

Alun

Does the actual pedal physically stick in that position, or is it just the effect of a fully open throttle you're noticing? Many cars these days have fly-by-wire throttles, my Focus C-Max included, and things have been known to go wrong with them.

Like mike said, get thee to a dealer forthwith, and don't take "don't know" for an answer. This is a potentially life threatening fault, not just a moan about a creaky dashboard!

AMurphy

If under warrnaty, return for repairs.
If it is a Fly-by-Wire get it attended to immediately, nothing most of us can repair there, save for the carpet bit.
If a cable and your are anyway mechanically capable, check if lifting the pedal immediately recitfies the problem. if so, it's probably a sticky cable, if not, it's most likely a sticky throttle linkage and/or shaft, or it may be clogged with gunk. some light oil and/or cable lubricant and a cleanout could help.

Either way, it's dam dangerous. Even if you can cope with it short term, someone else may be more than surprised with it.
Lady here managed to crash her car into two others in the car park in response to a wayward throttle.

D!ve^Bomb!

i hate to be the ONLY one that suggests this, but ring the garage and get them to pick the car up for a good towing

unkel

D!ve^Bomb! wrote:

i hate to be the ONLY one that suggests this, but ring the garage and get them to pick the car up for a good towing

Good point. They will tow it when you tell them with a few witnesses overhearing that you nearly crashed on your way home and it's too dangerous to drive

Sesshoumaru

The car is in the Howth Citroen dealership at the moment. They have told me they are in contact with Citroen France to try and resolve this problem with the car for me. The mechanic told me it can't be a sticky throttle cable as there is no cable. It is a fly-by-wire throttle. I am not sure if the pedal itself gets stuck to floor. I am not that keen to take my eyes off the road when the engine gets a mind of its own and flys up to 7000rpm

AMurphy

Sesshoumaru wrote:

.... It is a fly-by-wire throttle. I am not sure if the pedal itself gets stuck to floor. .....

It's probably not the pedal as I suspect you would notice it "missing" on the way up. I know you don't think about it, but the fact that you don't leads me to suspect that it is not it, and lets say it was, well you'd hear it klunk when it returned unimpeded whenever it released itself.
It is not a broken spring, as it would never return and while you may doubt it, I figure you never step on it so hard as to actually reach the position required for 7000rpm. 5K maybe.

So, I'd be inclined to suspect either the ECU or the throttle motor itself.

btw, same friend that had the rod go through the block had SAS (Sudden Acc Syndrome) on his replacement car.... apparently caused by interference between high tension plug wires and the low voltage sensor wires. When one was seperated from the other the problem went away.