Gas Pedal Issues

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Kaitlyn

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Ugh, where to begin..

So we recently had a big snowstorm here and my brother parked my car with the parking brake on during all this. (dumb) After I got the car back out of the snow and put the parking brake handle back down, the brake warning light was still on and it said I needed new brake fluid. The car also felt like it wasn't accelerating as easily as it did before the snowstorm. (I did drive in the snow the first day). I assumed maybe the parking brake was still stuck or broken. Took it to a shop, they told me the parking brake is fine and that I need new front rotors and pads, and that there's a caliper leak which explains the low brake fluid.

Now my question is, would this have ANY effect on the gas pedal or acceleration? Because ever since, I have noticed that the gas pedal feels lower (does the whole thing where you can raise it and it drops back down loosely about 2 inches maybe), and the car power doesn't feel the same. Could problems with braking have any correlation? I also have a misfire that I'm getting ready to have handled by a friend, and I'm not sure if a misfire could also cause this. I mean, obviously power issues, but would it cause the gas pedal to lower like that? And the power feels significantly different from the other day. I'm just wondering what happened between the day it snowed and the day I got the car out of the snow to make this happen. Any help or advice would be great, because I'm already about to be charged way too much to fix these brake issues.
 
Oh sorry, 2002 with a V8 engine. Honestly, I'm not sure. My car knowledge is pretty limited. How could I check if I have them?
 
It'd be nice to know what year you have and which engine. (They are not all the same, and it does make a difference.)
I am going to assume that you don't have memory (adjustable) pedals, or that you ruled that out as the issue. Assuming that you have a 1st gen LS, you may have an issue with the throttle cable where it attaches to the throttle body. The plastic parts there get brittle and may break when it is really cold.
Also, it's a bad idea not to fix an misfire immediately. It was likely misfiring slightly long before you could even feel it. You could have a clogged catalytic converter ($$) now.
 
joegr said:
It'd be nice to know what year you have and which engine. (They are not all the same, and it does make a difference.)
I am going to assume that you don't have memory (adjustable) pedals, or that you ruled that out as the issue. Assuming that you have a 1st gen LS, you may have an issue with the throttle cable where it attaches to the throttle body. The plastic parts there get brittle and may break when it is really cold.
Also, it's a bad idea not to fix an misfire immediately. It was likely misfiring slightly long before you could even feel it. You could have a clogged catalytic converter ($$) now.
Click to expand...

Is this what you mean by the throttle cable?

http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/20...rical/throttle_position_sensor_connector.html

And yes, I realize the misfire needs taken care of fast. I was actually supposed to have it fixed this past weekend, but it snowed so much we had to reschedule. I still have to drive it to work though as it's my only option. I'm hoping the converter is ok..

Also I have only had this car for about 2 weeks so I am getting to repairs as fast as I can.
 
02 will not have them... you are drive by cable though, so like Joe's stating, few items to fail...
 
whoever is doing the coil fix will be able to tell if you have a problem with the pedal... no need to through parts at it...
 
Would a messed up cable affect the way it accelerates too though? Aside from me just having to lower my foot more? It drives fine but not as smooth as it was before the snow storm. I feel like I have to push the car more to do less, kind of like some older cars feel. Or do you think that is simply from the misfire? (which I already had before all this)
 
The broken plastic won't cause much more than the lower pedal. The misfire will cause the not-so-smooth engine action. Hopefully it's the plastic inside the cable retainer and not the plastic around the cable bracket. If it's the bracket, once it breaks completely the pedal likely won't work at all.
 
misfire = less power

clogged cat (due to being driven with misfire) = less power

broken throttle cable/ or connection to the throttle body = gas pedal not working like it should

snow on roads = car doesn't get as good of traction = car doesn't feel as powerful as it should





there are a lot of variables going on right now, no one will be able to tell you what your problem is with out actually looking at your car.

once your car is looked at, the problem should be able to be found.
 
...and why was it dumb to use the parking brake? what does weather have to do with it?....
 
G-RELL said:
...and why was it dumb to use the parking brake? what does weather have to do with it?....
Click to expand...

If it's really cold and wet, the parking brake cable may freeze and you might not be able to release the parking brakes. This is what I have heard, it's never an issue where I live...
 
Thinking about our cable... its well shielded all the way to the caliper IIRC... But if its never used, then I can see it being an issue (although that doesn't make the brother dumb :))
 
joegr said:
If it's really cold and wet, the parking brake cable may freeze and you might not be able to release the parking brakes. This is what I have heard, it's never an issue where I live...
Click to expand...

I occasionally have this problem with mine, if I drive it on wet roads then it freezes overnight. The parking brake doesn't want to release. Sometimes it doesn't want to release if the car hasn't been driven for a few days.
 
Telco said:
I occasionally have this problem with mine, if I drive it on wet roads then it freezes overnight. The parking brake doesn't want to release. Sometimes it doesn't want to release if the car hasn't been driven for a few days.
Click to expand...

It seems like BMW may have solved this one on the 5 series. I don't think they have a parking brake cable at all. Instead, it looks like there is a servo motor directly on each of the rear calipers for the parking brake.
 
Telco said:
I occasionally have this problem with mine, if I drive it on wet roads then it freezes overnight. The parking brake doesn't want to release. Sometimes it doesn't want to release if the car hasn't been driven for a few days.
Click to expand...

I havent driven mine in two weeks!!! :slam she's been inside though, should be ok.
 
It's just not an issue for me.
The few dips below freezing are short and the cars are in the garage most of that time anyway.
 
Yeah Yeah Yeah... we get it...

I have sister co. in Anniston AL, not too far from ya (5hrs)
 
I've not had a garage to park the car in for about 2 years now. The rental was just big enough for the truck and my tools, and when it comes down to which one parks inside it's going to be the truck over the LS every time. I don't have a garage at all at the moment, all my tools are in a spare bedroom and I park on gravel. Not to mention that I've been working an overnight shift up to about 2 weeks ago so whatever I was driving was outside 4 nights a week regardless.
 
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