Any check engine codes?

 

Do you have someone who can assist you? If you do, then have this helper sit in the driver’s seat while you watch the throttle plate.

Your throttle is electronic. Need to know if it’s the pedal or the throttle body that is not working. This test should isolate the issue.

Take off the intake tube to the throttle body. Have your helper put the ignition into run with engine off. Then instruct them to push on the gas pedal. You’ll want your helper to push the pedal incrementally. Between each push of the pedal, have them release the pedal and watch the throttle plate close.

 

Not sure if it would give any extra information, but while doing the above procedure, you can have a scantool hooked up and it will show the throttle position percentage. It's got to be something with the drive by electronic wire throttle body (as @75aces is saying) or the ECU (or wiring?). I have a drive by cable throttle, and even with that I can use the scanner to see the throttle position.

 

It's hard to diagnose without a life scanner, but here is one possibility.
You have a drive-by-wire throttle, meaning that there is no physical connection between the gas pedal and the throttle valve. Everything goes through the ECU.
The gas pedal has two Hall-effect sensors. They must be in agreement in order to command the throttle valve to open. If one of the sensors fails and there is a disagreement in the gas pedal position reading, the ECU will default to safe (crawl) mode. Typically, check engine light may turn on, but it may reset itself if both gas pedal sensors get in agreement again. The Hall effect sensor may be affected by moisture. If they get wet, they will misread. Something you may consider and check if there is any chance water is dripping on the gas pedal sensor / electronics.
The throttle body also has redundancy. There is a throttle body position sensor which must be in agreement with position of the servo motor as commanded by the ECU. If there is disagreement between the position of the servo and the throttle position sensor, the ECU will default to safe (crawl) mode. This will also turn on the check engine light.
Most likely, one of the systems is failing. It's really hard find out which without real-time monitoring with a scanner.
You may consider replacing the gas pedal sensor first, see if it solves the problem, and if not, replace the throttle actuator (or entire throttle body as I don't know if you can buy them separately).

 

I do not know if there were any check engine codes, I do know that when the warning that I am low on fuel comes up, I see it right away, or at least I think I see it immediately.

That gives me an idea. The next time the problem with the accelerator comes up, hopefully, I will remember to look at the dashboard. Do you know whether the dashboard warnings are designed so that the average driver will see them immediately?

Thanks,

Mark

Mark

 

I Do you know whether the dashboard warnings are designed so that the average driver will see them immediately?

Yes, when the check engine light illuminates, you can easily see it. It's on the left side of the instrument panel.

 

Shouldn't it go into "limp" mode if there is a throttle/throttle body miscalibration?