I have a 1986 300e, started it up today by turning the key without touching the accelerator and the engine stormed to red line, on its own. Shut it off and it happened again, several times. Any suggestions as to cause and fix.

Thanks

The Only way this could happen is if the throttle is stuck in the open position.

You should take off the air cleaner and check the throttle links.

Did anyone step on the gas pedal really hard. I was accelerating on the highway once and really floored it. The car wouldn't stop, by about the time I passed 100mph I realized the pedal was still on the floor even though I wasn't on it. It had stuck. I reached down and pulled it up and slowed immediately. It hasn't happened since, of course I have been careful not to really jam the gas down hard.

Accleration problems...
 

From what I recall on a CNN report many, many years ago...There was a woman in a parking garage, anyways, the end result was a by standard being hit. There was a report of a certain model, can't recall to this day (saw this in the early 90's) that there was a problem with the acceleration system and would cause some certain cars to lurch without pressure on the gas pedal.


Then I experienced it myself. I was not scared, it was more like my 560 SEL (87) shifted into fourth and wanted to keep on going without my assistance. However, I have felt some rare acceleration without my control. It has only happened to me twice since I have owned the car, three times when my partner was driving. The cruise control works fine and I completely dismiss that anything is wrong (of course!) There was somewhat of a 'out of control acceleration' problem, no matter how sad it is to admit...


Then again I am not an official MB tech so I am sure I will get flack!


SqueakyBrake
(waiting to get an R-12 charge...)

The car would idle upon starting then, by itself, the engine would redline. i took off the aircleaner housing to look at the throttle linkage and it would move by itself.

The intake valves aren't impeded by debris, are they? I once had a loose air cleaner bolt fall in a carbutetor and jam the primary valve wide open! Yikes!

Anyway, this is not related to the Audi issue way back when. That was never solved by the way, although most experts theorized that the accelerator and brake pedals were designed a bit too close to each other, and the "victims" would hit the gas when they thought they were braking! An unfortunate case of operator error.

One individual decided to investigate on his own, and could mimic "unintended acceleration" in an Audi consistently through an very unorthodox manner...he set up a system that would force an increase in transmission fluid pressure.

That Audi fiasco is why we now have systems in place that won't allow you to shift from park to any other gear without first depressing the brake pedal