When I floor it it doesn't go!!

[vettegirl]

This has happened a few times now. From a complete stop (such as a traffic light), if I totally floor it (like when there's a Mustang next to me), it just bogs down and goes nowhere! If I floor it when I'm already moving it's OK, and if I only depress the pedal 3/4 of the way it's OK, but why can't I floor it??? (It's an automatic, by the way.)

Needless to say this has been the source of some embarassment - please help!

 

[atmmac]

Thats pretty strange. If the car was carbureted i would assume that the accelerator pump in your carburetor is gone. This just means your carb needs a rebuild but for a fuel injected engine i havent the slightest idea! Good Luck!

 

[Gorgon]

Traction control?

 

[Tuna]

Try turning traction control off and then floor it.

Next time you floor it and it lays down on you, look at the DIC and see what it is saying.

Make sure you are in a clear area away from traffic and obstacles and have plenty of room to recover from the out of control condition. Push the button on the console and note the DIC message.

For racing that Rustang, push and hold the button until you see Competition Mode on the DIC. This will disable traction control but leave active handling working - very important in controlling the fish-tailing that could happen.

 

[vettegirl]

Traction control?

I don't think so, it's more like the feeling of flooding out an older car, revs up then goes nowhere. The tires don't even move enough to engage traction control - also, have never gotten a message on the DIC.

I wonder if there's some kind of communication error between the pedal and something else???

:confused :confused :confused

 

[Tuna]

Just to be fair, turn traction control off and try again. Then let us know if it's still laying down on you. If it is, then you'll know it has a problem. If it fries the tires, you'll know it's traction control doing it's job.

Traction control does a pretty good job of getting in the way. Also, the DIC message showing the traction control is working doesn't stay there for very long.

 

[Gorgon]

I've had TC kick in on the 95 without me even feeling the wheels spin. Granted it was wet, but it's something to try.

Leon

 

[vettegirl]

I will give it a try - I don't want to be the talk of the local Mustang Club meetings!!!

 

[Joe Diver]

I had this problem many years ago in a Vega. Turned out there was nothing wrong...it's just how the car worked...



sorry...couldn't resist...

 

[johnl]

Traction control actually turns off some of the spark on some of the plugs. On mine it's like sputter,sputter,bog, bog then when it getis traction it goes like a bat out of hell. It happened to me on a place in the street that had been watered by a local sprinkler. I went back and did it again with traction control off and it spun and fishailed like it's supposed to.
Mine's a 97 though, so they may not be the same.
J.

 

[Blade]

I had this problem many years ago in a Vega. Turned out there was nothing wrong...it's just how the car worked...
sorry...couldn't resist...

Can't believe you even admitted to owning a Vega

Yeah, It was a Vega, that was the overall problem how the car worked.


OK vettegirl: We haven't seen many post from you in a few weeks when you were having all kinds of problems with your vette. So did you get them worked out? or is this one to add to that long list? Still think you need to take her to the car-pital and hooked to life support. Still thinking you have a overall electricial or computer problem.

 

[Joe Diver]

Can't believe you even admitted to owning a Vega

Yeah, It was a Vega, that was the overall problem how the car worked.

Oh, I never said I "owned" a Vega...just that I had the problem....It was a friends when we were in high school. He managed to fix it though, by putting a 327 in it. No problems with acceleration after that.

:eek

 

[c4c5specialist]

Hi there,
I would suggest that your intuition as far as the pedal communications would be somewhat on the mark.
It is possible that you have an issue with the TAC module, or the wiring.
Are you sure that there is not any codes at all????
Please keep us posted, c4c5

 

[cntrhub]

I don't know what's wrong with your car Vettegirl, but I want Sherry to tune up my cars. She's hitting on all cylinders with the diagnosis.

But if I can ask you this V-Girl? Can't you feel the gas pedal resist your foot and feel it working it's way back up? I throttled up on those TC Vettes, and I can feel the pedal push my foot back.
Try stepping on the gas fast, but much slower than you are now. What basically happens, is that more air is getting sucked in and not enough gas to make that ideal fuel/air combination. That's why the car bogs. You are feeding in more air than fuel.

 

[mick_s3]

Here is something to think about, when I bought my car it had the wrong air filter in it (among other things) and because it wasn't flowing as it should have the accordian tube in between the filter and intake would collapse under WOT. I could floor it and it would do just as you described.

Replaced the filter and the tube and it made a huge difference.





Mick

 

[fhturner]

Can't you feel the gas pedal resist your foot and feel it working it's way back up? I throttled up on those TC Vettes, and I can feel the pedal push my foot back.

cntrhub--

The Traction Control on C5s is different from that on the C4s. The throttle control on C5s is entirely electronic, meaning there's no mechanical linkage between the accelerator pedal and the throttle. Also, the pedal does not pulse back like it used to on the C4s-- you simply don't get the response from the engine that you would with TC turned off.

vettegirl--

I tend to side with those suggesting it might be Traction Control kicking in. It's pretty "smart" about keeping wheelspin to a minimum. But usually, you feel no wheelspin to start with, because it "knows" as soon as your tires start to lose grip. From my experience, when TC activates, it feels just like you're describing. Try your quick launch again with TC either on or off. If you leave it on and get "Traction Control Activated" in the DIC, then you'll know. If you turn TC off and get a cloud of mosquito-killing fog, you'll know as well. If neither of these things happen, you've at least eliminated TC as the culprit.

Good luck!
Fred

 

[tankman]

Vettegirl-
My '98 is EXACTLY like that with the traction control on. Just like the old carb vehicles. Makes me flip out every time I forget about "the fun governor" (traction control) being on.

 

[vettegirl]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions...

didn't get to try flooring it in Competition Mode yet as it's been raining for 2 days, but will try that. I do want to get to the bottom of this..

c4c5 - I pulled the codes this morning - I have P1626HC, B2262H, and U1016H. I still feel like this is a computer issue, and read something in Corvette Fever this morning about pedal software sometimes needing to be updated for problems such as this. What are your thoughts??

NC50Anny - I don't mean to sound like I have a "laundry list" of problems, I'm just trying to learn about my car. Most of the issues have turned out to be something I did, or Jiffy Lube did, or an easily remedied computer glitch. I still say the C5 is basically a computer on wheels, and anyone who works with computers knows that no matter how good the system is you will always have bugs. I'm new at this, and out of my warranty period, so you're just gonna have to cut me a little slack!

Thanks again everyone, I am printing out this thread so I can go through them and fix this problem by process of elimination!

Lauren

 

[vettegirl]

Hi Sherry!

It does it when it's warm, and only when I put the pedal all the way to the metal (fiberglass!) from a dead stop. If I accellerate when I'm already in motion I can hit 100mph in seconds with no problem. It's very strange..

My whole overheating problem was because Jiffy Lube did not put my radiator cap back on all the way...nobody here could understand why I overheated at 220 and didn't throw any codes. A little re-tracing of my steps (had oil change previous afternoon) gave me the answer! After flusing and re-filling radiator have had no problems at all...and my poor car endures the Florida heat with a/c cranked all day long!

I should try to do my own oil..I'll just wear my Mechanix gloves to save the nails!! LOL!!

Lauren

 

[mick_s3]

That is the exact behavior mine exibited. Check the accordian coupler inbetween the air filter box and the intake to make sure it is not collapsed.

I think I saw you on the cross town this morning.