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Hi Bill,
Yes, one or two other persons suggested using the left foot when starting the car but not your new idea of becoming accustomed to braking with the left foot. Thanks for this new idea. Steve
Steve, you are very welcome. BTW, the best way to thank a member for an idea is to click the
button on the post from that member. I've done that on your last post.
My Post #15, above, was in reply to a post by larry minor, whose Public Profile shows that he has a 2000 XK8.
I know that you have a 2010 XKR, which you clearly stated when you started this thread You also explained that you sold your XK8 and that you never "big footed" either one in order to put that possible cause to rest. Nevertheless, my experience and the experiences of others suggest otherwise.
Sudden, inadvertent acceleration by definition means that you're unaware of the cause, including that you might not realize that you did it. Try to be open to that possibility.
Have you tried my "press the START button first" recommendation in Post #7, above? If so, and you still experience the same sudden acceleration, then follow Graham's advice in his post #16, above.
Otherwise, blame your shoe.
Stuart
Stuart,
Thank you for your response. I went home at lunch and just turned the key on to accessories to scan systems. When that was complete I stated the motor and it idled fine.
I suggest that, for the next few weeks, whenever you start your car you press the START button first, before you tap the brake pedal. If you don't experience any high revving at startup while in Park (other than what's normal, which might be nothing in Hawaii), then I wouldn't worry about a possible electronic fault in the drive-by-wire throttle system.
In applying maximum braking, better to use your left foot and keep the right one out of the equation. That way there is much less risk that your right foot will engage both brake and accelerator pedals. Apologies in advance if this is too obvious!
I’ve been a two-foot driver for over 40 years, ever since my first car that required keeping a foot on the gas to keep it from dying. Most poo poo that behavior, as “that’s not what real drivers do”. Well screw ‘em. If it’s what it takes to drive the car, then do it. Had that car many years, so it became my habit (never owned a manual, so never had to change), although my current Lexus gets all upset if I put pressure on both the gas and brakes at the same time.
I have been left foot braking for years as well. Can't remember why I started but it seems odd to brake with my right foot now.
The first time I did an emergency stop with my left foot was a bit if a shock as I obviously didn't have time to think about it but realised afterwards what I had done.
I do drive manuals occasionally but my brain just seems to switch modes.
My post #20 in this thread could well be (and has been) interpreted as meaning that you should use your left foot to brake at all times during startup and driving. That is certainly one interpretation, but the other is to do this only when starting the car. If you are more comfortable with one-foot driving, then use this only when starting. Or learn/continue to use both feet all the time. Your choice.
I’ve been a two-foot driver for over 40 years, ever since my first car that required keeping a foot on the gas to keep it from dying. Most poo poo that behavior, as “that’s not what real drivers do”. Well screw ‘em. If it’s what it takes to drive the car, then do it. Had that car many years, so it became my habit (never owned a manual, so never had to change), although my current Lexus gets all upset if I put pressure on both the gas and brakes at the same time.
that's longer than i've been alive, and i am also a two-foot driver, so the practice will live on!
driving schools teach one-foot with the safety-oriented logic of "if your foot is properly on the brake, it won't be on the gas." this is correct and well within their world of being afraid of everything that moves or goes bang, so i take no issue with it, because i don't live there. normal people with good intentions -- the rest of us -- do it because it gets us through these schools and on with what really matters in life.
however, braking with your left foot is performance driving 101, so, i've taught myself to do it on both automatic and manual. and i wear a specific pair of shoes when i drive the XK, no exceptions. if i ever experience this throttle issue, i'll be here making the exact same thread, insisting that i didn't step on the gas.
I also have a 2010 XK along with a size 14 shoe and have experienced the brake pedal / gas pedal issue. I also experienced it on my BMW Z4 and my Ford Explorer.
I recognized the problem quickly and so far it has not caused any accidents.
Thanks for the heads-up on how to start the car, look forward to trying it when it gets out of the barn in 4 months.
I do experience a higher engine rev. when I first start the car, nothing earth shattering, but just enough that it rev's for less than a minute, then settles down to normal, figure it's a cold start issue.
Steve, I'm not far behind you, bought my XK last fall when I was 76, age has nothing to do with the pleasure you get from a great car, enjoy yours
I’ve been a two-foot driver for over 40 years ......
Originally Posted by jons
..... i am also a two-foot driver......
How do you see over the dashboard?
I'm a left foot braker in an automatic. Even more controversially, I use both hands on the steering wheel. Neither of these techniques appear to be taught in driving schools nor is use of the rear view mirrors and indicators before a change of direction.
On my 75 Mustang, I had to modify both the accelerator and brake pedals so I wouldn't inadvertently step on both. The trans tunnel is much wider than stock, so the accelerator is moved closer to the brake. It took some work, but I've not double-mashed pedals for a decade or more on that car.
I'm a left foot braker in an automatic. Even more controversially, I use both hands on the steering wheel. Neither of these techniques appear to be taught in driving schools nor is use of the rear view mirrors and indicators before a change of direction.
Graham
This is true no matter where you drive, on which side of the road you drive, or what vehicle you drive.
F1 cars these days are setup to left leg brake.
A lot of race pedal setups for computers keep things simple with two pedals.
I left foot brake auto's from time to time and situationally.
I also like to get a car up on an incline, shut the motor off, use up the vacuum assist, then find out how much work it is to stop the car without power assist.
Larger vehichles you want both legs.
Older trucks used to have a pedal shaped for both feet.
New ones don't, and I have to stack my feet on top of eachother.
I agree with Stuart S.
I have a 2011 XKR, I have had the revs jump to 4000 on start up several times, and once while shifting into gear- thankfully in a gas station with no one in front of me, all of which I attribute to my size 13EEEE feet and hiking boots or tennis shoes; when wearing my Sperry Docksiders (narrower and with better feel of what my feet are doing), never had it happen. BTW when the car is in "DSC disabled mode," if you press the brake VERY firmly with your left foot and the and the throttle with your right, you will simply spin/smoke the rear tires and the car does not move forward.
Enjoy this performance and tribute to your Big Feet! From one of the fathers of American jazz music, who also wrote "Ain't Misbehavin' " and "Honeysuckle Rose" :
I wonder if you could have a sticking IAC motor that could cause this issue. Sometimes it gets so carbon up it holds the valve open a little more than it should or it could be failing intermittently.
I went through the NHTSA acceleration complaints for 07-10 Xk's.
07: 7 of 29 total were acceleration complaints
08: 1of 5
09: 1 of 2
10: 1 of 5.
Particularly in the '07, 25% being acceleration complaints was pretty high.
I'm recently seeing a self-acceleration on startup in my '07 XK coupe (80 Kmile, VIN posts it in the 8800 unit build range). Consistently, and only on cold start (Florida, usually 65 deg in the morning) , in park, the engine will start at around 1200 or so, seems to hunt a bit, then after a few seconds accelerate rapidly on it's own to 3000 for a few seconds, then slowly return to "normal" warmup in the 1200 range. I usually hit the stop button as it passes 2K (not wanting my engine to damage itself before oil circulation). It stops, and on restart behaves normally for the rest of the day -- which may explain why dealers "don't see anything".
Vid link attached, from this morning. Relevant start at .15, goes to 1.05 when I cut it off at 3K this time.
Except for the brief brake pedal to start it, my feet are nowhere near either pedal. This was immediately after a hard reset, but has been occuring every time the engine is completely cold.
My foot goes nowhere near the accelerator. No codes are thrown.
In the vid's final start, the car behaves completely normally.
The problem appeared to evolve during multiple battery disconnects while measuring parasitic drain.
I'll clean the throttle body; clean the MAF while I'm in there. Also, I may run the SDD systems reset function if a hard reset doesn't help.
So, there's something going on here having to do with self-acceleration. Someone not aware of the issues could start the car, shift into gear, and get immediately hit by acceleration to 3K without warning.
My observation is that I can't let this car be started by anyone else, and that unintended acceleration does exist.
