I have not been able to drive for a year due to a chronic right ankle injury that makes it painful to drive. A local place wants alot of money to install a left foot gas pedal. I found a model that does not require drilling in the floor but is electronic called the sure grip electronic left side gas pedal, heres a video of it and the wiring I found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWGKVMSOUQ4 I just need the gas pedal not the knob they show in the video does anyone know how I can install it myself?
A lot of whether you can install it yourself depends on your skill set. The device is a second drive-by-wire pedal assembly and a switch box that, when the switch is pressed, disconnects the right pedal and connects the left. Drive-by-wire means there is no cable from the pedal to the engine, just a sensor signal from the pedal assembly so it really is only an electrical connection. It appears to bolted-in but to existing structure and not the floor but I have no idea if brackets need to be made or holes drilled.
If you are the only one who drives the car, you could just move the car’s original pedal assembly over and lengthen the wires so it will connect. Holes will have to be drilled in the floor, but what’s the problem with that?
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Can I just plug the electrical into any open socket I find under the steering wheel?
You have to use the same circuit as the drive by wire circuit on the right side. You need a wiring diagram to do that. From your discussion so far, I suggest you pay someone to do it. Get three estimates. Ask them what they will do to install a left side accelerator pedal. Compare the cost and what you get for it and decide. Also, what make, model, and model year vehicle do you have? We have a car in the driveway that uses a throttle cable, not an electronic throttle.
It’s a 2011 honda accord.
Answer; No. That comment tells me you shouldn’t do this yourself.
Agree with @jtsanders advice. Get 3 estimates. You do have drive-by-wire in this car.
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Agree completely. I looked at some of this OP’s other threads and he should not do this .
How many hours do you think it would take to install this pedal? A local shop says it will take 4 hours and wants $400 in labor which seems excessive to me.
If you are skeptical, fin another two shops and get their estimates. Make sure the estimates are detailed so that you can compare them.
Only 1 shop in my area installs this.
It really wouldn’t matter how many hours I think it would take. You only have one shop that will do this so you are a bit at their mercy unless you can find another shop
l’ve never installed one of these setups but if they figure 4 hours then that means a 100 dollar per flat rate hour door rate. That rate is pretty much the norm anymore and even much higher in some places.
Pay them or DIY is about it. Based on your comment about just plugging it in anywhere tells me that you should not attempt this.
Fry some wiring and components and that 400 will look cheap.
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With labor and the unit it would be $1300, dos anyone know if most mechanics can install this or it has to be a mobility shop?
@matt357 I just did the Google thing and saw a device that could be moved from one vehicle to the other for $300.00. There seemed to be several options that did not require a lot of skill to install.
If I ran a shop unless I actually did handicap work I would pass just on liability issues.
Perhaps I am ignorant, and I will try tomorrow driving using my left foot for gas and brake. Workaround 3 million or so for me.
I have seen mobility places install a lever like a motorcycle throttle below the steering wheel that you rotate forward for throttle and rearward for brake. No I dea what they cost.
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Check with your health insurance - sometimes policies will consider vehicle modifications to be durable medical equipment, and they’ll cover all or part of it.
I would not want a regular mechanic to install this. Regular mechanics are often very good at what they know, which is repairing stock vehicles, and very bad at modifying them. This is why when you want to modify a car for performance you take it to a speed shop, not a repair shop. Similarly, when you want to add handicap equipment, you take it to a dedicated mobility shop, not a repair shop. Controls like these need to be installed properly and then adjusted properly. Poorly-adjusted pedal modifications can bind, and that’s the last thing you want when cars are in front of you.
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$400 seems reasonable to me. Have you gotten a quote on hand controls to see if they’d be cheaper?
$100/hour for highly specialized labor isn’t unreasonable.
I am a right leg above the knee disabled veteran. I also require a left side gas pedal. Some two models I checked out (including yours) are fairly expensive. But the clean design and tech operation appealed to me. And the VA is paying…so all is good. I would only allow an approved shop for product to be installed or uninstalled. That is, the same shop should sell and install this equipment. Otherwise…any labor or parts warrantee might be voided. The electronics involved could be a little tricky also for the novice. There is another name of one (similar design) on the market (Veigel electronic LFA). This is a late post. So this may be a little late for you. However, if you or somebody else have had the electronic (not mechanic) left side gas pedal installed…I would love to get pros and cons on this vehicle adaptive equipment.
I live in Ontario, Canada and suffered a brain bleed (stroke) that has limited my use of my lower leg. To drive I require the installation of a left-foot pedal. For those Canadians, our MTO requires a certified-licensed mechanic to install it. It requires a prescription from your M.D. to have it installed. Just an FYI. After having a stroke, your license is suspended immediately and you have to do your drivers road test (and possibly the written test) to be able to have the pedal installed.
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