When I take my foot off accelerator my car stops, engine does not turn off

Tiny
REBEKKAH STEWART
  • MEMBER
  • 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU
  • 4WD
  • 91,000 MILES
When I take my foot off accelerator my car stops but car doesn't shut off. When I try to drive again, it barely accelerates and starts to smoke.
Friday, March 8th, 2019 AT 5:52 PM

7 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,779 POSTS
Hi and thanks for using 2CcarPros.

When you say it stops, do you mean it slows down normally or does it feel like the brakes are on? Also, where do you see smoke coming from and what color is it?

Let me know.

Joe
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Friday, March 8th, 2019 AT 8:06 PM
Tiny
REBEKKAH STEWART
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
It completely stops, but the engine is still running. White smoke coming from under hood and smelled like something burning.
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Sunday, March 10th, 2019 AT 1:23 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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  • 109,779 POSTS
When this happens, open the hood and see if you can tell approximately where the smoke is coming from. When you say white smoke, to me that sounds like steam, such as would result from a leak. However, I don't see how that would stop the car. Again, it stops the car, correct?
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Monday, March 11th, 2019 AT 3:52 PM
Tiny
REBEKKAH STEWART
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
Yes.
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Monday, March 11th, 2019 AT 4:17 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,779 POSTS
If something is stopping the car, then we have to assume it is related to the brakes. What you have to do is when this happens, you will need to safely lift the vehicle and see if any of the wheels are locked. If the brakes are hot enough, they could smoke. Even though you saw smoke from under the hood, it could be coming from the brakes and making its way under the hood. And brakes, when overheated, smell bad. My guess is one of the front brakes is sticking on.

Let me know.

Joe
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Monday, March 11th, 2019 AT 8:23 PM
Tiny
REBEKKAH STEWART
  • MEMBER
  • 4 POSTS
God I hope it's not the brakes again! I just had new front brake pads and calipers put on February first.
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Monday, March 11th, 2019 AT 8:29 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 109,779 POSTS
Interesting. If the car comes to a stop without you doing anything to cause it, that is the only thing I can think of. Do me a favor. If you are still driving the vehicle, do the following. After driving and parking the vehicle, simply walk around the vehicle and see if there is excessive heat coming from any of the wheels. My first suspect is one of the front wheels since the smoke was in that area.

Do that and let me know what you find.

Please keep in mind, if it is brake related and they are getting that hot, although it is unlikely, they could cause a fire, so be careful.

Do what I suggested and let me know the results.

Take care,
Joe
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Monday, March 11th, 2019 AT 8:40 PM

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