Q: Bad response from gas pedal
When I press my foot down on the accelerator in my 2008 Chevrolet Equinox it takes a second for anything to happen. The vehicle only has 76,000 miles on it and the problem started around 68,000 miles. It was slight at first. This problem makes the car a lot less responsive when I am moving through traffic and I am worried that it’s a sign of a bigger problem. What could cause this, and could this lead to an expensive repair down the road?
This condition is commonly caused by defective spark plugs, wires or ignition coils and occasionally all 3! Service Bulletin number #SB-10250 addresses this issue, and in most cases if you’re under warranty the dealership will replace these items free of charge. However, you may have a harder time if the vehicle has been out of the warranty for a while. The symptoms will include hesitation upon acceleration, rough idle, hard start or general chugging. You’re also likely going to notice a decrease in fuel economy. If your Check Engine light comes on begins to blink, stop driving the vehicle immediately and address the issue. GM has said that defective spark plug wires with low insulation may also cause this issue as they are run very near to the exhaust manifold which gets quite a bit of heat, resulting in compromised wires at the very least. Taking your VIN number into a dealership may be helpful to identify recalls and Technical Service Bulletins (TSB) that address this and other issues. If you are unable to have the issue resolved, a certified repair service such as YourMechanic may be able to diagnose the problem.
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