Gas Pedal No Response Sometimes

Hello:

I posted this in the wrong section...looks a bit more lively over here---

Got an issue that the stock gas pedal peters out at the worst times...like when you are taking a fast left turn between groups of traffic, or if you are trying to pass someone and you have to lurch around them quickly. What is that about??

I had probably been at least 4 or 5 times nearly wiped off the map before I learned the hard way that this thing has the throttle of death---more like Russian Roulette. Never know when it is going to peter out, but it does it. I have to warn everyone before the drive it.

SO, is there any solution? I told a guy in a parking lot once awhile back...he told me a name of some device, and I forgot where I put the info. Dang...he said it was THE fix.

Thanks,

Keith

 

Pedal Commander?
Don't think that would fix the problem you're describing.
My 1st thought would be the throttle position sensor is bad.

 

Are you disabling the Nannies

 

Sounds like traction control is kicking in and you lose power for a second while it regains traction.

 

When this happens do any lights come on on the dash like ABS or traction control?

 

Tundras have a yaw sensor. If you whip your truck around with the VCS armed the computer will chop the throttle.

 

No, no lights or noises...just a "moment of silence."

 

This sounds like the issue I am having for sure. It is like if I take it off a strict straight plane, then it pays me back by taking away the throttle. But this is dangerous as all get out in my opinion. I mean, it is without any warning whatsoever. Who on Earth would design such a flaw? Maybe there is a practical application for the chop/yaw, but in the real world, it has nearly taken me off the map. I would rather risk it without a computer making such a decision. Thanks!

I do not keep the VSC armed but maybe it is on anyway? Can it be turned off permanently, or bypassed just in case?

 

Kinda like you describe. And that is a LOOOONNNGGG second sometimes.

 

Have you changed any of your tail light bulbs to LED bulbs? If so try putting your stock halogen lights back in and see if the problem persists. Don't ask me how I know, one of the guys on the forum fixed my problem. If there is bad ground or connection it sends a signal back to your ECM. I forget the technical term but I can dig up if you need me to.

 

Wellllllllllllllllllllllll, just so happens I decided to give the Pedal Commander a go after your post. I ordered it on Saturday, and it arrived yesterday (Monday). Holy moly!!! So just for fun, I started off in Eco Mode...then did the guy thing and put it to Sport+. Yikes!!!! I have not had in instance to load test it in my scenarios where I lose the throttle entirely. Hagrid said that it might be a yaw sensor giving me grief. I do not know if the Pedal Commander will address this or not, but let me tell you...the fun factor just arrived for the first time ever since I have owned this truck. I am in my 7th year owning this thing...just refer to it as the Slug privately, but now it is WOKE!! I can't wait to get back in it and drive. I haven't felt like that since I have owned it. The newness is back on!!

 

I have not tried LED's back there, but that sounds like something interesting to do if it does not cause the problem or worsen it. Just curious, do the LED's shine much brighter than the standard halogen bulbs? Or did you have to leave the halogens in completely?

 

I

Ok, I have tried looking this up, but no one gives a straight out definition of "Nannies." So I am pretty sure I have not disabled anything. Closest I can find is that you would turn off certain features such as VSC. But cannot be fully sure. If this is it, is that a good thing or a bad thing? Thanks!!

 

The reason they are asking is because when traction control kicks in it drops the throttle if it thinks or feels a wheel slipping. They are asking if you turned off traction control to see if it does the same thing. Hit the button once and it should enable fake limited slip LOL press it and hold it for three seconds and it should engage The fake limited slip and turn off traction control. Once you’ve done the first step if you press and hold that button down for another three seconds it will turn off all traction control and stability control as well as disable your fake limited slip “LSD”. Should be in your manual. Maybe there’s nothing wrong with your truck other than the engine is overpowering the tires and cutting the throttle.

 

I was also under the impression that the second generation tundra’s have a very touchy throttle. I’m surprised the pedal commander would wake it up anymore than that. My third generation is very smooth but becomes pretty touchy if I engage tow haul mode.

 

Any chance you had your left foot on the brake? Power is cut when both brake and gas are applied at the same time.

 

That's a good thought, but I do not use both feet that way when driving...well I don't think I do. I will double check but pretty sure I do not.

 

Actually it is a two-fold issue for me. It does the thing where surprise, no gas. And it is also very touchy...touchiest throttle I have ever experienced. It was much fun teaching my son to drive and getting whiplash in his learning curve. Heck, I still rabbit start with it. Now with this Pedal Commander installed, I have been keeping it in Eco mode and it takes off like pulling a freight train. No balls, but no jerkiness either.

 

I can certainly give this a try with the traction control. I am not aware that my truck is making the wheels spin more than they should be spinning...I am too old to try burning rubber, but maybe it is a very tiny amount of wheel spin and this truck overcompensates somehow. I never think of this truck as having a lot of extra power---4.6 L. I think the only time I have noticed the wheels spin is on a wet day. And when that happens, there is a completely different sound that happens, suppose it is the brakes coming on rapidly but I still retain gas pedal. But I never hear this rapid braking sound when the situations occur that make the gas pedal go empty--It happens definitely when either turning fast in front of oncoming traffic, or when trying to pass around someone. And I am not typically having to romp on the gas pedal to do either of these moves, but a quick turn seems to get this pedal to go numb. And still not sure what Nannies are.

 

For me it's slow turns that cause a kind of electronic induced throttle hesitation. Possibly it's between a gear shift? Once I push the pedal harder it begins to almost over accelerate. I figure it's just a "feature" of the TBW (Throttle By Wire) and drive accordingly. But the first time it happened I thought my truck had died...

hth,
B

 

Early Gen 2's had the touchy throttle problem, thinking 2007, 2008 for sure. Maybe 2009's. Not sure about 2010, 2011's reported less touchy for sure.

OP, if problem persists you may consider the replacement pedal assembly to rule out its electrical portion. Less than $50.00 online and 5 minutes with two 10 mm bolts.

Genuine Toyota Pedal Assembly Accelerate 04000-0440C

 

Mine is opposite...once it goes numb, I go to push it again really fast in order to NOT DIE...and it stays numb. I have to wait an entire second before pushing again. Try finding that out when making a quick turn in front of oncoming traffic. It is a turn I have made all my life, but not anymore. At least not in my Tundra. I will try making that same turn and pass move many times without real traffic threats in order to see if maybe this Pedal Commander is making a difference. I definitely prefer a real wire between me and the throttle after these experiences with the horrific Tundra nightmare.

 

Have you made any changes just prior to this happening, or has the issue been since day 1?

It sounds very much like the VSC kicking in with a reduction of throttle input while it senses a slip scenario during a yaw action.

Basically, you know how to drive and want to use the throttle to push you through a situation. The truck thinks we’re all idiots and can’t control the vehicle, so it does what it thinks is going to enable you to steer around whatever obstacle you’re ‘trying to avoid’. Unfortunately the engineers have to a program safety features to the lowest common denominator, and that denominator is pretty damn low.

This VSC system is on by default every time you start the truck. When I get in the truck, I press the VSC button one time and it won’t pull power. It will step in with brakes if you get real you’ll out of shape, but a simple tire slip won’t pull the throttle.

So, did you change any of these things prior to, or around the time you noticed the issue?

Changed tires
Changed wheels
Suspension change
Added or removed weight anywhere (toolbox in the bed, add a camper, that kind of thing)
Moved to a different city with different road material

You can go to the dealer and ask for a ‘zero point calibration’ and it will reset the yaw sensor. There are also instructions online for how to do it yourself with a paper clip, but there are risks with that.

 

What's the road surface like - is it cold, wet, icy? The way you describe it it sounds exactly like the TC kicking in. I know when it gets cold out I have to do 1 press of the TC button to drive around the city - I need the wheel spin and the computer just won't let it.

Also what vehicles were you doing this in before - I go from an F150 to the Tundra all the time and the throttles are night and day difference, the Tundra is so touchy (and they made it less so in 2014, my old 2010 I could breath on it and spin tires) compared to the F150, I pretty much have to hit pure ice to cause the F150 to spin while cold roads I get wheelspin at 50 mph in the Tundra.

 

I will need to hunt down the VSC button...yes, it may be the trigger happy demon I am seeking. I installed a Pedal Commander the other week, but I believe I noticed it fall flat once when pulling out into traffic. Fortunately no one was on top of me, but pretty sure the gas pedal did its disappearing act.

Also, got the truck one year used and did not change anything other than new wheels and tires. No suspension changes. No additional weight and stayed in the same neighborhood. I will keep a note to ask for the zero point calibration reset if they will comply with my request. I will look it up online, but thanks for the warning that there are risks. I definitely do not want to go from bad to worse!

 

My road conditions are Central TX winter now...which means no snow, no ice, some rain here and there. Not much cold either. This stuff happens on the driest of days. I was reading another post about the VSC...is the TC button another thing altogether? I will be looking for both of them and see what I find.

 

Ok, one more item. Below my dash on the right is the only button I find. When pressed it lights up on the dash panel as LSD...limited slip differential. I do not find the other items such as Traction Control or VSC. I tried googling it but they show trucks that have things mine does not. Mine is 2011 Tundra.

 

Same button for all.
Press it once, LSD turns on
Or press and hold for three seconds and LSD turns on and traction control turns off. Part two of that press and hold again for an additional three seconds and it turns “off” the LSD as well as traction control and stability control. This is as nanny free as it can get without pulling an ABS fuse.

 

This would explain a ton about what I'm experiencing.

I had a 2008 for last 6 years. I just got a 2015 and it seems like its lagging and harder to press the gas pedal down in comparison. It's annoying.

The 2008 I could actually get going from a stop without having to get a workout of my leg and worry that I will get too much power all of a sudden.

I ordered pedal commander to see if I could find a setting I like.

 

Quite a few have ordered the Pedal Commander on here and all seem to like the difference it makes.