new Ecotec problem.....happens when I accelerate briskly...

[maverick1]

What happened is, I pushed down hard on the accelerator pedal and the revs climbed up past 5k nearing the 6k mark and I lost all power and the engine just went back to an idle, even though my right foot had the accelerator pedal pushed all the way down. Lost all pedal input.
I pulled the car over and with the car idling I pushed the accelerator pedal down and nothing, just continued to idle.
I turned the engine off, went around and took off the red emergency key, put it back on and the car started up and the accelerator pedal worked once again.
For the rest of the day I didn't try any high rpm acceleration runs until I was on my way home and decided to give it a try.
Once again, I lost all power, nothing happening when I pushed on the accelerator pedal and the engine went down to a neutral idle.
Had to get out once again, turn the red emergency key, reset it I guess and got it home.
Anyone else run into this problem, any ideas as to what the cause might be?
No sense in having an Atom where you can't stomp on the accelerator pedal.
On top of this problem, I had my visor cracked open an inch and something flew up right into my helmet. I thought it was a pebble from the road until the severe pain started. I almost lost it trying to get whatever had flown into my helmet out. I got the car pulled over to the side of the road and took off my helmet as fast as humanly possible but couldn't find anything. Must have been a bee or wasp...something with a stinger. Hurts like an SOB. Currently putting ice on it.

[Terry Kennedy]

[quote="maverick1"]
What happened is, I pushed down hard on the accelerator pedal and the revs climbed up past 5k nearing the 6k mark and I lost all power and the engine just went back to an idle, even though my right foot had the accelerator pedal pushed all the way down. Lost all pedal input.
I pulled the car over and with the car idling I pushed the accelerator pedal down and nothing, just continued to idle.
I turned the engine off, went around and took off the red emergency key, put it back on and the car started up and the accelerator pedal worked once again.[/quote]

Welcome to "limp mode"

You'll need to read out the code to find the problem. The code goes away when you kill the power with the safety disconnect - just pull off the road, turn the ignition off and wait 5 minutes. The car should then start and run fine. Then you can stop at a car parts place (most will read the codes for free) on your way home.

[maverick1]

[quote="Terry Kennedy"]
[quote="maverick1"]
What happened is, I pushed down hard on the accelerator pedal and the revs climbed up past 5k nearing the 6k mark and I lost all power and the engine just went back to an idle, even though my right foot had the accelerator pedal pushed all the way down. Lost all pedal input.
I pulled the car over and with the car idling I pushed the accelerator pedal down and nothing, just continued to idle.
I turned the engine off, went around and took off the red emergency key, put it back on and the car started up and the accelerator pedal worked once again.[/quote]

Welcome to "limp mode"

You'll need to read out the code to find the problem. The code goes away when you kill the power with the safety disconnect - just pull off the road, turn the ignition off and wait 5 minutes. The car should then start and run fine. Then you can stop at a car parts place (most will read the codes for free) on your way home.
[/quote]
Thanks Terry.
I have a code reader so I guess I'll take the Atom out tomorrow, hit the accelerator and go into Limp mode and read the code.
What is the solution to this problem, or is there a solution?.
Is the solution to pull to the side of the road and turn off the car and wait 5 minutes?

[Terry Kennedy]

[quote="maverick1"]
I have a code reader so I guess I'll take the Atom out tomorrow, hit the accelerator and go into Limp mode and read the code.
What is the solution to this problem, or is there a solution?.
Is the solution to pull to the side of the road and turn off the car and wait 5 minutes?
[/quote]

That's a work-around so you can see what the code is.

Any solution would depend on what code(s) you're getting. Mine is a problem with the accelerator pedal (mud gets in it when it rains, and when it dries out it messes up the works). Didn't happen to me at all for 8000+ miles on my trip out to WCA II and back, until I got to within 30 miles of TMI. Then it did it twice. Been fine for 1000+ miles since.

You can also trigger limp mode by bouncing off the rev limiter a number of times in short succession. And there are a zillion more. Post the code and I'll advise.

[maverick1]

I forgot to mention that whatever stung me, got me about an inch from my left eye.
Woke up this morning and noticed that my eye is closing up nicely.
With the swollen eye I now look like an Eskimo, or like someone got me with a good jab.
I guess it could be worse, it could have stung me right on the eye.
Such a crappy ending to a great day, hey Pete!!!

[CalScot]

[quote="maverick1"]
I forgot to mention that whatever stung me, got me about an inch from my left eye.
Woke up this morning and noticed that my eye is closing up nicely.
With the swollen eye I now look like an Eskimo, or like someone got me with a good jab.
I guess it could be worse, it could have stung me right on the eye.
Such a crappy ending to a great day, hey Pete!!!
[/quote]

Beats Botox Maverick!
That's the best you've looked since I met you! Gives you a nice "glow"

Anyway, you should not be such a pussy wearing that helmet all the time. I had many bees & critters bounce right off my face & head...dead as a doorstop. That's how to treat those wee bastards by "stickin the heed in them"!

I am however burnt to a crisp with a "Panda Eye" sunburn around my googles like some circus freak 

Nice drive and day out. 12 hours of happy coastal motoring at 5 mph 90% of the time. Still, it was a nice day and I am glad I was there to help you once again from hauling your atom home on a flatbed

[atomizer]

When I first got my AA this very situation happened to me. You need to replace the electronic fly by wire box that the accelerator peddle plugs into. It was a tight fit but it fixed the problem.
Brammo send me a new one overnite.

[Terry Kennedy]

[quote="Atomizer"]
When I first got my AA this very situation happened to me. You need to replace the electronic fly by wire box that the accelerator peddle plugs into. It was a tight fit but it fixed the problem.[/quote]

Do you mean this piece:

[img width=800 height=470]http://www.tmk.com/transient/6F5S7911-s.jpg[/img]

That's an integral part of the accelerator pedal assembly (GM # 22731157). There may be some other part numbers where it is a separate part?

Anyway, this part plugs into a connector and there's no electronics all the way back to the ECM - just wires and plugs.

If this part goes bad, you'll see "Accelerator Pedal Position" errors - either "correlation", "high reference" or "low reference". Those can definitely cause limp mode.

[atomizer]

YES ! this was the part.
was kind a bitch to replace but then what isn't on the AA.

[DarthChicken]

I think you're jumping the gun here guys..... pull the code

[silver]

additional reminder that brammo forgot to install the retainer clip on a LOT (at least 10) atoms where the harness plugs into the throttle body, thus no throttle input but the car starts and idles perfect.

when mine went into limp mode, the car would roughly increase in rpm, when the harness came unplugged from the throttle body, it simply had 0 effect no matter what i did to the pedal.

[maverick1]

With the combination of the temp being 102F and my eye almost swollen shut I haven't had a chance to take the Atom out to test this acceleration problem.
I'll post the codes I get when I take the car out for a test drive.
Hopefully the problem can be solved.

[DarthChicken]

It's metal and plastic, it's not a woman.  It's fixable

[NormLarson]

LOL, ... is this a bouncy boobs avatar moment thing?

[toby]

I actually had a similar problem, being addressed now. After a certain amount of time motoring - perhaps 45 minutes - stepping on the throttle caused the engine to bog down. Backing off a bit would allow it to spring back to life, but the ceiling on throttle bog down would keep getting lower and lower until the car was undrivable. Pull over, turn car off, wait, turn back on, would drive again for a while until the ceiling decended again.

The codes we pulled seemed to be fuel related. My mechanic put a pressure gauge on the system and noted low fuel pressure.

He replaced the fuel filler and fuel pump gaskets, confirming my suspicion that they may have gone bad, and just got a new fuel pump assembly today to pop back into the tank. May as well take EVERYTHING out and replace it while he's in there, as I don't fancy having to pay to drop the gas tank down again.

I really really hope this fixes the problem. I have an autocross this weekend. It will be the first event I've been able to attend in 2 years (long story)... So let me know if you find something else is the culprit.