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Scariest 5 miles I've ever driven in a toyotahome!!


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So here it is... I had just got on Boulder Highway in Las Vegas headed for the KOA at Sam's Town Casino towing a small trailer with a 500lb motorcycle on it. So I'm cruising at about 45mph in fairly heavy traffic when all of a sudden it feels as I've got more power than usual, it takes off with just a small push on the pedal. I thought wow, the power button and overdrive off really did the trick, as this was the first time driving with those engaged or unengaged. So just after I notice this new power I see the next light up ahead turn red and cars braking, naturally I want to creep up to the light as usual due to the marginal breaking in the toyotahome. I go to pump the brakes and it's as if I pumped it then immediately floored it! The next 5 seconds many things happened. I realized that my gas pedal is to the floor but not literally. The automatic transmission is in gear and the throttle is wide open, pedal is fine, I start to sweat, I pump the pedal again and the braking seems to work even worse, a small amount of my life flashes before my eyes, the red tail lights are close now, oh shit I think about that trailer and how nobody agrees towing is a good idea in one of these, I stand on the brake pedal, butt off the seat clutching the wheel with both hands I STAND ON THAT PEDAL WITH ALL MY STRENGTH. Islow massively but as soon as I release JERK it accelerates as if it's floored now I'm used to manual transmission this is the first auto I've owned. Now I've got one more move bang it in neutral, vroom gang gang gang the tach needle bounces of the peg. I swove onto the shoulder and stand on the pedal and kill the engine.... Fwewww! Wipe the sweat off my brow. WTF happened, that's not supposed to be possible, we we're lucky to not be killed. Turns out a chunk of the intake boot cracked off and lodged itself in the throttle body which pinned the valve wide open as if it was floored. To make matters worse the pumping of the brakes made things worse due to the loss of power assist, when the throttle is wide open the vacuum doesn't work with the brake assist once you used what was already available since there's no vacuum at w.o.t.

So that put me in basically unasisted braking which we all know is worthless, all the while the throttle is pushing me harder and harder!!! What a bunch of BS, I can't believe that happened and we are walking away unscaved!

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Yeah - what a blessing that all is OK - good for you for good thinking in the emergency & taking correct actions.

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Do you have an aftermarket cruise control installed? This sounds like a malfunction with the unit. Or possibly, interference with the throttle linkage.

In the future, slip into (N) before standing on the brake. At least you won’t be fighting the engine.

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