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2002 Chevy Malibu Sudden Brake/Gas/Steering Failure


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Hart200
New User

Jun 26, 2015, 3:57 PM

Post #1 of 7 (1559 views)
2002 Chevy Malibu Sudden Brake/Gas/Steering Failure Sign In

I was driving a 2002 Chevy Malibu with 170K miles on it and a 3.1 V6 engine when my gas pedal suddenly stopped accelerating. I went to pull off to the side of the road and found that my brake and power steering was broken too. Thankfully I was only going about 15 mph on a private driveway so I was able to shift into park and it lurched to a stop. The engine and radio were still working at this point. When I turned the car off and then on, it appeared to work fine, but I was too scared to drive it any distance.

The car was in storage for the last 5 months until I started driving it last week. I've noticed a strange cyclical noise when I was driving at higher speeds, but attributed it being an older car.

Does anyone have an idea what is wrong with the car? I am not very car savvy so I'm not sure where to start.

Thank you!

(This post was edited by Hart200 on Jun 26, 2015, 3:59 PM)


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jun 26, 2015, 4:25 PM

Post #2 of 7 (1551 views)
Re: 2002 Chevy Malibu Sudden Brake/Gas/Steering Failure Sign In

From your description it appears the engine stalled out while you were driving. That would explain the loss of power steering, brake assist, and acceleration.

There are many things that could cause an engine to stall out. Intermittent stall and restarts is very hard to figure out for any technician, so it might be something you want to have your mechanic check out.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Jun 26, 2015, 4:26 PM)


Hammer Time
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Jun 26, 2015, 4:40 PM

Post #3 of 7 (1548 views)
Re: 2002 Chevy Malibu Sudden Brake/Gas/Steering Failure Sign In


Quote
Thankfully I was only going about 15 mph on a private driveway so I was able to shift into park and it lurched to a stop.


Don't ever do that again if you don't want to spend a couple thousand for a transmission. You could have stopped the car without doing that.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jun 26, 2015, 4:59 PM

Post #4 of 7 (1545 views)
Re: 2002 Chevy Malibu Sudden Brake/Gas/Steering Failure Sign In

Bet that made a lot of racket while the parking pawl was racheting. LOL


That should be an ASE test question. At what speed will the parking pawl engage the parking gear while the vehicle is in motion?





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Jun 26, 2015, 5:00 PM)


Hart200
New User

Jun 26, 2015, 5:36 PM

Post #5 of 7 (1539 views)
Re: 2002 Chevy Malibu Sudden Brake/Gas/Steering Failure Sign In

Thank you for trying to identify the problem of my car.

What was the right thing to do in that situation? I was on a curvy driveway and was obviously panicking.


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jun 26, 2015, 5:50 PM

Post #6 of 7 (1537 views)
Re: 2002 Chevy Malibu Sudden Brake/Gas/Steering Failure Sign In

Don't worry too much. I've done it myself a few times. Like when your forget to pump up the brakes after doing a brake job as your backing out of the bay towards the fence or your driving a vehicle thats up on a lift and you thought the rear tires had stopped spinning as your put it up in park....haha.





Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.

(This post was edited by Discretesignals on Jun 26, 2015, 5:56 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jun 27, 2015, 5:51 AM

Post #7 of 7 (1522 views)
Re: 2002 Chevy Malibu Sudden Brake/Gas/Steering Failure Sign In

The brakes still worked. They just required a lot more pressure and the same with the steering. You didn't lose your brakes and steering, just the power assist to them. Just push harder on the brake pedal. It's not ideal but it's better than buying a new transmission.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







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