Freaky acceleration experience - Toyota Yaris Forums

Barbara · 08-28-2009, 03:18 PM

Last night when I was driving my 2008 Yaris home late from work on a desolate road, all of a sudden I had absolutely NO exceleration power. The car runs so quiet that at first when I steered it over to the side of the road I thought it had died completely but, that wasn't the case. It was still running just no exceleration. I turned the key off and it re-started with no problem and then ran properly the rest of the way home (about another 8 miles). I went out and double checked the oil and coolant today and they are at required levels and clean. The car continues to start today and i pushed on the excelerator and it sounds fine. No noises or smells going on. However, the second I lost exceleration briefly last night the Check Engine light came on and is staying on.

I purchased gas at a Chevron station that I used a few times a couple of days ago and have noticed since then a feeling of poorer exceleration - it's not consistent - very irratic.

I'm wondering if I could have gotten some bad gasoline??

Any responses would be appreciated.

Thanks

RedRide · 08-28-2009, 03:30 PM

It may be just a glitch in the ECU that may never happen again.
This is not unheard of.

......or it could just be bad gas as you suspect.

LtNoogie · 08-28-2009, 03:49 PM

That happened to me at Sunday's autocross race. When I put an OBD II scanner on, it read that the CEL code was for a Cylinder #2 misfire. It's hard to tell what happened to your car with out an OBD II scanner. Essentially, the car went into limp mode, temporarily.

Try racing in limp mode!

ddongbap · 08-29-2009, 04:17 AM

Excited car?

AdeJong 03 · 08-29-2009, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ddongbap

Excited car?

the yaris really excels at being reliable. this shouldnt happen usually

eTiMaGo · 08-29-2009, 05:43 AM

you guys' humor is excellent...

I've had a similar experience before, bad gas too as far as I could tell, like the engine just stopped responding. Like LtNoogie said, only way to be sure what's going on is some kind of diagnostic code scanner :)

jambo101 · 08-29-2009, 09:46 AM

I had a similar problem where i had no throttle response and CEL came on,first time i just restarted the engine and it didnt happen again for a few weeks,after 2 months it was happening almost everyday and i got quite good at turning the engine off then back on whilst driving,finally took it to the dealer and he replaced a part of the wiring harness in the front of the engine and i've had no problem ever since.

Barbara · 08-29-2009, 09:52 PM

Thanks for all the responses.

I drove the car to work today 16 miles each way. It starts fine and the Check Engine light actually didn't come on this morning when I first started it. I made a couple of stops on the way home and both times it started back up good for me. It runs like a top - quiet, smooth and good acceleration now.

I guess I'll just see how it goes. It really freaked me out the other night when I lost the acceleration power - I'm 62, was alone, and it was dark and late with very little traffic. Scarey for a woman. I do have a cell phone but, was still scarey for me.

I would still like to hear from any others that have had this happen. Especially, if someone actually knows what could have caused it.
Seems like if it had been bad gas, it would have happened again, or be running roof and sputtering etc. I've gotten a hold of bad gas twice in my lifetime in two different cars and this really isn't acting the same.

Thanks

AlexNet0 · 08-29-2009, 10:24 PM

Thomas, wasnt there a TSB for the engine harness?

jambo101 · 08-30-2009, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbara

all of a sudden I had absolutely NO acceleration power. I thought it had died completely but, that wasn't the case. It was still running just no acceleration. I turned the key off and it re-started with no problem and then ran properly the rest of the way home

I'm wondering if I could have gotten some bad gasoline??
Thanks

It wasnt bad gas as that would have caused sputtering and the engine might have died or had erratic acceleration,i'll repeat, it sounds exactly what happened to me,The engine light coming on means there is a stored trouble code in the cars Onboard Diagnostic System (OBD2) if you bring the car back to the dealer they will be able to read that code and affect repairs.

IllusionX · 08-30-2009, 10:26 AM

i remember a YW member posted a video of his lapping day at the track.. when he suddenly had no more throttle response and a CEL came on. He pulled over and restarted, everything worked just fine.

i'm surprise to hear it is happening to more than just 1 member.

Yaris Hilton · 08-30-2009, 11:23 AM

You need the stored trouble code(s) read. We can speculate a lot, but that would really narrow down the possibilities.

blacksandiegovitz · 08-30-2009, 11:31 AM

Wow, weired I found this tread cause this happen to me last thursday night . I was driving on the freeway and the car just cut out , I pulled over and it started right up , then happended it like 2 minutes later . Hasn't happend to me before and hasn't happened since...

Yaris Hilton · 08-30-2009, 11:47 AM

Did you look around for UFOs?

Barbara · 08-30-2009, 02:30 PM

So far, so good. Just a reminder that my check engine light went off and is staying off.

I drove the car back and forth to work yesterday appx. 50 miles total - lots of stop and go driving - no problem. And, to church today - appx. 50 miles total - again lots of stop and go driving. Purrs like a kitten, runs smooth, kicks into passing gear smooth and great acceleration.

I will definetly take it to the dealer if it happens again.

Appreciate all the responses.

kuyachris84 · 08-30-2009, 02:41 PM

I think bad gas could do this... mine sputters when i put low quality gas from el cheapo gasoline stations... so now I just try to stick with brand name gas even if it cost a little more.

Yaris Hilton · 08-30-2009, 02:52 PM

You can get watery or dirty gas at any station, "good brand" or otherwise. Stuff accumulates in the bottom of the station's tanks and gets stirred up in the gas when they fill it from the truck, so it's best not to pump gas for a while after the truck's come.

advocate · 08-30-2009, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yaris Hilton

You can get watery or dirty gas at any station, "good brand" or otherwise. Stuff accumulates in the bottom of the station's tanks and gets stirred up in the gas when they fill it from the truck, so it's best not to pump gas for a while after the truck's come.

Didn't know this but it sounds perfectly logical. Afterall i'm sure gasoline has a much lower density than water or grime or god knows what's in those tanks after a couple years.

08-28-2009, 03:18 PM	#1
Barbara Drives: 2008 Toyota Yaris Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 5	Freaky acceleration experience Last night when I was driving my 2008 Yaris home late from work on a desolate road, all of a sudden I had absolutely NO exceleration power. The car runs so quiet that at first when I steered it over to the side of the road I thought it had died completely but, that wasn't the case. It was still running just no exceleration. I turned the key off and it re-started with no problem and then ran properly the rest of the way home (about another 8 miles). I went out and double checked the oil and coolant today and they are at required levels and clean. The car continues to start today and i pushed on the excelerator and it sounds fine. No noises or smells going on. However, the second I lost exceleration briefly last night the Check Engine light came on and is staying on. I purchased gas at a Chevron station that I used a few times a couple of days ago and have noticed since then a feeling of poorer exceleration - it's not consistent - very irratic. I'm wondering if I could have gotten some bad gasoline?? Any responses would be appreciated. Thanks Last edited by echo_hrs; 08-29-2009 at 09:53 PM.

08-28-2009, 03:49 PM	#3
LtNoogie View User's Garage Drives: '08 Bayou Blue LB AT Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: West Hills, CA Posts: 2,517	That happened to me at Sunday's autocross race. When I put an OBD II scanner on, it read that the CEL code was for a Cylinder #2 misfire. It's hard to tell what happened to your car with out an OBD II scanner. Essentially, the car went into limp mode, temporarily. Try racing in limp mode! __________________ aFe Intake \| Blitz Supercharger \| Megan Header \| TRD Exhaust \| NST Pulley Set TRD Shocks/Struts \| Tanabe NF210 Springs \| TRD Sway Bar \| Motegi TRAKLITE wheels \| Kuhmo Ecsta XS R1 Concepts slotted rotors \| Carbotech 1521 brake pads \| stainless steel brake lines \| Seibon vented carbon fiber hood

08-29-2009, 05:43 AM	#6
eTiMaGo vroom vroom View User's Garage Drives: lil red 5-door Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangkok, Thailand Posts: 7,744	you guys' humor is excellent... I've had a similar experience before, bad gas too as far as I could tell, like the engine just stopped responding. Like LtNoogie said, only way to be sure what's going on is some kind of diagnostic code scanner :) __________________ The price of freedom of religion, or of speech, or of the press, is that we must put up with a good deal of rubbish. - Robert Jackson Bye bye 1NZ...

08-29-2009, 10:24 PM	#9
AlexNet0 View User's Garage Drives: '07 Yaris 3dr Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Rockland, ME Posts: 1,638	Thomas, wasnt there a TSB for the engine harness? __________________ ---------- MI-YW ----------

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08-28-2009, 03:30 PM	#2
RedRide Drives: '09 Yaris carmine red 2d HB Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Middletown, NY Posts: 1,501	It may be just a glitch in the ECU that may never happen again. This is not unheard of. ......or it could just be bad gas as you suspect.

08-29-2009, 04:17 AM	#4
ddongbap Banned Drives: yw calls me douche and racist. Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: hay Posts: 2,183	Excited car?

08-29-2009, 09:46 AM	#7
jambo101 Drives: yaris 08 sedan Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Montreal Canada Posts: 1,286	I had a similar problem where i had no throttle response and CEL came on,first time i just restarted the engine and it didnt happen again for a few weeks,after 2 months it was happening almost everyday and i got quite good at turning the engine off then back on whilst driving,finally took it to the dealer and he replaced a part of the wiring harness in the front of the engine and i've had no problem ever since.

08-29-2009, 09:52 PM	#8
Barbara Drives: 2008 Toyota Yaris Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 5	Thanks for all the responses. I drove the car to work today 16 miles each way. It starts fine and the Check Engine light actually didn't come on this morning when I first started it. I made a couple of stops on the way home and both times it started back up good for me. It runs like a top - quiet, smooth and good acceleration now. I guess I'll just see how it goes. It really freaked me out the other night when I lost the acceleration power - I'm 62, was alone, and it was dark and late with very little traffic. Scarey for a woman. I do have a cell phone but, was still scarey for me. I would still like to hear from any others that have had this happen. Especially, if someone actually knows what could have caused it. Seems like if it had been bad gas, it would have happened again, or be running roof and sputtering etc. I've gotten a hold of bad gas twice in my lifetime in two different cars and this really isn't acting the same. Thanks

08-30-2009, 10:26 AM	#11
IllusionX It's the illusion you see View User's Garage Drives: 07 Yaris Sedan Aero Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Brossard, QC Posts: 3,888	i remember a YW member posted a video of his lapping day at the track.. when he suddenly had no more throttle response and a CEL came on. He pulled over and restarted, everything worked just fine. i'm surprise to hear it is happening to more than just 1 member.

08-30-2009, 11:23 AM	#12
Yaris Hilton Half a Bubble Off Plumb Drives: 2009 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bristol, Tennessee, USA Posts: 1,593	You need the stored trouble code(s) read. We can speculate a lot, but that would really narrow down the possibilities.

08-30-2009, 11:31 AM	#13
blacksandiegovitz Your mom goes to college View User's Garage Drives: 08 Vitz Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Just chillin' out brah ! Posts: 1,434	Wow, weired I found this tread cause this happen to me last thursday night . I was driving on the freeway and the car just cut out , I pulled over and it started right up , then happended it like 2 minutes later . Hasn't happend to me before and hasn't happened since...

08-30-2009, 11:47 AM	#14
Yaris Hilton Half a Bubble Off Plumb Drives: 2009 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bristol, Tennessee, USA Posts: 1,593	Did you look around for UFOs?

08-30-2009, 02:30 PM	#15
Barbara Drives: 2008 Toyota Yaris Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 5	So far, so good. Just a reminder that my check engine light went off and is staying off. I drove the car back and forth to work yesterday appx. 50 miles total - lots of stop and go driving - no problem. And, to church today - appx. 50 miles total - again lots of stop and go driving. Purrs like a kitten, runs smooth, kicks into passing gear smooth and great acceleration. I will definetly take it to the dealer if it happens again. Appreciate all the responses.

08-30-2009, 02:41 PM	#16
kuyachris84 View User's Garage Drives: 2008 Yaris Liftback Black Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Illinois Posts: 321	I think bad gas could do this... mine sputters when i put low quality gas from el cheapo gasoline stations... so now I just try to stick with brand name gas even if it cost a little more.

08-30-2009, 02:52 PM	#17
Yaris Hilton Half a Bubble Off Plumb Drives: 2009 Yaris Sedan Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Bristol, Tennessee, USA Posts: 1,593	You can get watery or dirty gas at any station, "good brand" or otherwise. Stuff accumulates in the bottom of the station's tanks and gets stirred up in the gas when they fill it from the truck, so it's best not to pump gas for a while after the truck's come.