# Help! Need opinions about car safety involving acceleration issue **URL:** \ **Category:** Safety\ **Tags:** acceleration, safety\ **Created:** [July 28, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739 "2015-07-28T17:47:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ruthc2165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/51bf81/32.png) [@ruthc2165](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ruthc2165)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 5:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/1 "2015-07-28T17:47:50Z")
My boyfriend has a 1984 Mercedes grease car. In the first week of having it, it had a brake issue and acceleration issue - a bad combination in my mind. He got the brake issue fixed, but his mechanic was unable to figure out the acceleration issue. Sometimes the car has no acceleration and other times, it just starts revving up all on its own. My boyfriend says it’s completely safe and his mechanic will deal with it in the end of the month. I said, I’ll drive in that car once the acceleration issue is resolved. He says I’m being irrational… Any thoughts on this issue? Is it irrational to not want to drive in a car with an acceleration issue? He says he KNOWS it is safe and feels disrespected that I still have concerns. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/2 "2015-07-28T17:53:18Z")
My personal opinion is, a 30 year old Mercedes is a money pit. Get rid of it while it still runs. Sorry but those are my thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/3 "2015-07-28T17:55:55Z")
Buy a reliable car for daily transportation. The old “grease car” sounds like a toy for boys. Let your friend enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/4 "2015-07-28T18:07:49Z")
If this has a carb, then I think the accelerator pump is sticking and carb needs rebuilt. Had this happento mewith Chevy. A little scary. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 6:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/5 "2015-07-28T18:11:49Z")
It’s a diesel, so it has mechanical fuel injection. And @ruthc2165 you’re right, and your boyfriend is a NUT thinking that either no or uncontrollable acceleration isn’t a HUGE safety issue. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/6 "2015-07-28T18:39:36Z")
By any chance does this stuff happen before the car warms up? Grease cars have all sorts of problems unique to them including bad things happening if you switch over from diesel to the grease too early. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/7 "2015-07-28T18:41:06Z")
Any vehicle on which you cannot control the acceleration should not be considered safe to drive. You’re 100% right in refusing to drive this until the problem has been corrected. This car WILL be a money pit, so if you two have your finances intermingled you may want to separate them out. This ol’ bucket will suck you dry. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 6:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/8 "2015-07-28T18:45:05Z")
I’m with you. When you’re pulling into a busy street or merging onto a highway, a sudden lack of acceleration can easily cause a dangerous situation, with other drivers having to brake suddenly to avoid you. I also agree with the comment that this car is likely to be a money pit. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/9 "2015-07-28T19:13:27Z")
I think your boyfriend has a car problem, you have a boyfriend problem. I have never heard the term “grease car” is it local slang for a beater? And if so what part of the country are you from? ---
**Author:** ![missileman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/missileman/32/1366_2.png) [@missileman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/missileman)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/10 "2015-07-28T19:37:17Z")
Your boyfriend is wrong and you are right. When the TPS (throttle position sensor) started failing on my Dodge Dakota…I was almost run over a couple of times just trying to cross the street. To say it was “dangerous” is an extreme understatement in the traffic of today. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/11 "2015-07-28T19:38:33Z")
A “grease car” is a diesel that’s been converted to run on waste vegetable oil (called WVO, filtered, of course). They go to restaurants for it. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/12 "2015-07-28T21:03:44Z")
Your boyfriend doesn’t KNOW near what he thinks he does if he considers unintended acceleration something to be casually dismissed. He’s apparently using a mechanic for repairs so this tells me he knows little to nothing about cars. He’s feeding you a line of BS in the hope you will let your guard down and buy into the program. It would be interesting to know what model of Benz is involved. The cause of a runaway engine can vary depending upon engine type and fuel system. ---
**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/13 "2015-07-28T22:12:25Z")
Stay out of that car until all issues are resolved. ---
**Author:** ![meanjoe75fan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/meanjoe75fan/32/552_2.png) [@meanjoe75fan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/meanjoe75fan)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 6:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/14 "2015-07-29T06:04:49Z")
I’d be concerned about the grease (of unknown pedigree) causing a stuck injector. Unlike gassers, diesels undergo “runaway” in the event of a fuel/oil leak, and it ain’t pretty. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 7:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/15 "2015-07-29T07:13:34Z")
Boy, was I off! ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 7:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/16 "2015-07-29T07:32:24Z")
Start shopping for a new boyfriend… ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 7:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/17 "2015-07-29T07:45:48Z")
Caddyman gets my vote for chuckle of the week…even if there’s an element of truth to it. His days on Earth may be numbered if he thinks a runaway car is not a safety issue. He must have missed the news stories about the Toyotas… ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 8:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/18 "2015-07-29T08:01:34Z")
A “runaway diesel” means just that, and engine that will runaway and get to the highest possible speed until it blows up, runs out of fuel, or someone chokes off the air supply. Choking off the air is impossible if you’re driving it, so that leaves the other 2 options. Flag me if you want for the following statement: To put someone in a car that will randomly either not accelerate or accelerate uncontrollably is, well, stupid. ---
**Author:** ![MG-McAnick](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mg-mcanick/32/188_2.png) [@MG-McAnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MG-McAnick)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 8:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/19 "2015-07-29T08:15:23Z")
Is your boyfriend the beneficiary on your life insurance policy? I learned something this evening. I had never heard the term “grease car” before. It’s not old enough to have been in the movie. I have a friend who runs a Dodge Cummins pickup on used restaurant frying oil, and he’s never referred to it that way. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 3:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739/20 "2015-07-30T03:15:25Z")
Well at least I know what a grease car is. Who woulda thunk. At any rate I too think you should re-evaluate the relationship. The term “disrespectful” is a trigger word for some personality disorders when it is a mere difference of opinion. It is quite usual for two people to have strong differences of opinion without it being a problem. [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/help-need-opinions-about-car-safety-involving-acceleration-issue/90739.md?page=2)