The dangers of auto 'Drive'

Had a real close call this morning. Got into the Sup, and reversed it in the driveway so I was facing the exit ... then thought "did I lock the house door?" and scuttled out of the car - of course it was locked! D'oh ....

Anyways, as I got back into the car, my foot blipped the accelerator pedal which in turn jolted the car very quickly forwards .. the steering wheel was straight so instead of rocketing out of the driveway, I was heading straight for trees and a wall! I managed to gain control of the steering and managed to halt the car with literally inches from a rather large pine tree.

Moral of the story ... never leave the car in 'D' if you momentarily need to get out!

Any others had similar experiences?

I'm suprised it didn't creep forwards on it's own - or did you leave it in D with the handbrake on?

Oh yes, I did have the handbrake on ...

and was even more surprised by the sheer brute force of the car with just a blip of the accelerator!

A couple of years ago when I first had my Supra, I took the handbrake off while refitting the centre dash panel. I was so engrossed with reconnecting everything that I didn't notice that I'd slightly released the pressure off the foot brake pedal. The car rolled slowly forward, with me in it but not looking, and biffed into the corner of my brick garage. I didn't even realise that the car was moving until the impact, what a nasty feeling that is!

It ruined my Bomex bumper and made me the laughing stock of some other car forums on which Mycroft reposted my tale of woe.

Ooh, I remember that, that was ages ago

I just hate undoing the top bit of the dash and leaning on the horn accidently :eek2:

Although, hijacking the thread into a "working on car fuckwit moments" my best one was:

My battery was on it's way out and it flattened overnight. I know I hadn't left a door ajar, but perhaps the boot or bonnet was. I knew the battery was second rate so I figured maybe just lighting up the dash light was sufficient to flatten the battery in 48 hours. While round the driver's side, I noticed through the wound-down window that the "door open" light was on. Hmm. Look across at passenger door - looks shut to me. Check boot, that's shut. The bonnet is up, that'll be it. So, due to it being in the garage and only accessible from the passenger side, I walked round that side and looked at the bonnet switch.

Cue a comedy twenty minutes trying to find something heavy enough but not sharp-edged, bulky, dangerous etc to put on top of the bonnet switch to hold it down. Big torch - no. Extension reel - kept sliding off. Bottle jack from a landrover - too scratchy nasty. Nightmare. Every time I balanced something delicately on it, I'd go back and check the light. It was always still on. I'd move the thing a bit, push it down a bit, put more stuff on top, ffs the light was still on.

Only after a lot longer than I should have did I realise that I couldn't see the light on the dash due to my tinted passenger window so I was opening the fucking door to check the door open light.

-Ian

I've done that

Parked in the garage and left the gear in 'D' with handbrake On. got out the car to check if the garage door will close behind the rear of the car which it did.

Then whilst getting back in pressed the accelerator.

Only just managed to press the brake before I turned the house into a drive-through.

i always leave it in N with handbrake..

Many years ago at Goodwood , i saw a guy reach thru the hole in the window of a GT40 replica to start the car so the admiring crowd could hear the small block ford , unfortunatly it was in gear and started instantly , it looked like the guy was water skieing across the gravel car park steering the car with his arm thru this little hole in the window in and out of some VERY expensive cars , he did a sterling job and managed to get the car to go up an incline where it stalled , very funny to watch and a happy ending with no damage

Dude

Many years ago at Goodwood , i saw a guy reach thru the hole in the window of a GT40 replica to start the car so the admiring crowd could hear the small block ford , unfortunatly it was in gear and started instantly , it looked like the guy was water skieing across the gravel car park steering the car with his arm thru this little hole in the window in and out of some VERY expensive cars , he did a sterling job and managed to get the car to go up an incline where it stalled , very funny to watch and a happy ending with no damage

 

Dude

Wish I'd seen that, I'd buy that on DVD

-Ian

Should have bought a manual

Should have bought a manual

It was manual but a light car and Hi torque starter mean it was off and running !!!!

Dude