Cars are an incredibly important part of our daily lives, whether to go to work, a trip or to move from one place to another within our own city. However, whether they your car is old or new, it is important that it passes the corresponding revisions if you want to avoid breaking down or be safe within your vehicle.
Some of the most common car and motor problems are usually those related to acceleration, often due to idling or a failure to control an accelerator. For more about why your car is accelerating on its own, the causes and how to fix it, keep reading here at oneHOWTO.
Why is my car accelerating on its own?
The most common cause of a car accelerating on its own is related to idling. Idling refers to the running of an engine while the car is not in motion. A car is in idle when we stop at a red light, are parked and/or stationary.
What is idling?
When we are parked with the engine running or waiting at a red light, it is necessary that the engine continues running so that, when the throttle is activated again, the vehicle moves without a need of restarting it.
This is achieved by an internal activity within a car engine, which maintains a minimum number of revolutions per minute even with the vehicle is stationary. These minimum revolutions are known as idling.
Car accelerating on its own: causes
Although it is important to known that this acceleration control failure can be caused by other factors, the most common include faulty control or faulty idle operation. However, to be sure, we always recommend taking your car to a garage to have it looked at by a qualified mechanic.
Car accelerating on its own idle
In the case that the problem is caused by bad idle operation, it’s likely that this problem is cause by a faulty idle air control valve. This air control valve of the engine is responsible for controlling the engine revolutions per minute and, when faulty, the vehicle will accelerate on its own.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to clean this valve approximately every 40,000 kilometers traveled. This is because this part of the engine can accumulate dirt and dust traces that can cause it to malfunction.
If the problem is in the acceleration sensor ...
Another possibility that may explain why your car is accelerating on its own is due to a sensory malfunction.
In these cases, the sensor cannot correctly locate the accelerator’s position and, consequently, cannot correctly control the car’s idle speed.
For more, we recommend reading, why doesn’t my car accelerate properly.
My car is accelerating on its own: solution
In order to fix this acceleration fault accordingly, you need to find out what the cause of the fault is. As we’ve already mentioned, the most common cause would be idle malfunctioning.
Nevertheless, whether the cause is one we’ve already mentioned or completely unrelated, you have to get your car checked by a qualified mechanic.
How to repair a car’s faulty idle air control valve
Usually, when the problem is in the air control valve inside the engine, cleaning this piece correctly could fix the problem.
In cases where the piece is too damaged to clean, you would need to replace the piece entirely. This will be more expensive, but will also be more effective in making sure that your car doesn’t face this problem again. For more, read how to control a car engine safely.
How to repair a car's acceleration sensor
If the fault, however, lies within your car’s sensory function, you will need to repair this fault by recalibrating the sensor. If you don’t know how to do this yourself, we recommend consulting your mechanic.
For more, read reasons why a car jerks when accelerating.
If you want to read similar articles to Car Accelerating on Its Own: Causes and Solutions, we recommend you visit our Car Maintenance and Repair category.