The latest issue, not sure if it’s related to my last post, which I still haven’t addressed. I now have just over 46,000 miles on my 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan. I just had it into the shop for regular maintenance including oil change, tire rotation, inspection, and the dealership recommended engine coolant flush about two weeks or so ago. Otherwise it received a clean bill of health. Today I was heading out on about 4 hour drive. One hour away from town and shortly after filling up for gas, I was driving down the highway at about 70 mph. I had my cruise control on, but it wasn’t set. When I finally set it I hit the break shortly thereafter to slow it down faster and change lanes. Upon letting my foot up off the break, the vehicle continued to accelerate by itself, and the RPM’s were revving up. When I went to break again it would slow down, but not want to continue to a hard stop. It was like a fight between the brakes and the accelerator. When I was able to get it down to a slower speed around 40 mph, I tried to accelerate it myself again and it barely budged. Then it shot way back up to 60 with the revving up again. So then I started to break again and slow it down. It was slowly slowing down, but not the immediate results that you need to be safe. I was slowing it down at about the same rate as it would take to accelerate it under normal conditions, if that makes sense in terms of timing. I was able to manage to get it off the highway and pull into a gas station with luck, because I got a green light, clear enough distance, and not too much traffic off the ramp. I pulled into the gas station and was able to get it to slow way down, but I had to brake hard, and burnt rubber. I still couldn’t get a complete stop and at about 2 mph with RPM’s revving up to over 3, had to throw it into park. I was so nervous I couldn’t think straight so I forgot about the emergency brake. Once I had it in park I immediately turned it off but then turned it back on for some air conditioning. It ran fine idle. But I was too scared to attempt to move it so I had it towed to a mechanic. Several people I spoke to over the course of the day said it sounded like the computer. I really don’t know the magnitude of danger I was in, if I was just not good at handing the situation or if it was code red. Speaking of code, no codes or lights came on, and nothing was making the peddles stick. Thank you in advance for anyones thoughts!
Anytime an electronic problems occur on a Fiat/Chrysler vehicle, I suspect the TIPM.
Tester
Best to not drive car at all until the cause is discovered. Tow car to shop.
If you want to do something yourself, driveway test only, check if brake lights turn on when stepping on brake pedal.
OP said he had car towed to a shop.
Or don’t operate the cruise control until the problem can be found.
Tester
Sounds like a bad cruise control and/or a faulty brake switch.
If the brake switch is broken then then pressing the brakes won’t turn off the cruise control. Instead, press the cancel button on the cruise control, or put it in neutral, or turn off the engine.
Do your brake lights come on when you press the brake pedal?
That’s good to know, but makes me sick too!
Thanks, I had it towed to a dodge dealership.
I forgot to say I did end up completely turning off cruise control before I stopped it, and it still acted up.
Sorry I forgot to say I did end up completing shutting off cruse control when my brain started working and it still would not stop. Not sure about the brake lights, didn’t think of that either and had it towed to the shop.
That means dingus!
When a TIPM acts up, things electrical you command to turn off don’t.
Tester
Way back years ago the radio host Bruce Williams, now dead, bought his wife a new Chrysler corp car. After three unintended accelerations that the dealer couldn’t resolve, he ended up crushing the car and suing Chrysler. He lost but now I suspect it must have been that faulty module. You would think they would have learned by now. It’s hard to regain a reputation once lost.
Yes, I read the article and that’s what I gathered, it’s deeply disturbing!
Yep, it’s so typical too, they try to get away with everything. It’s only been on the road for 40 years, it shouldn’t have so many of the same ongoing problems.