Today's "Ask Smithy" in Cars Guide has a reader question about a 380 with throttle stuck wide open

Any other reports of similar problems or is this a "one off"

http://www.carsguide.com.au/tools-and-advice/q-and-a/mitsubishi_meltdown

The answer would suggest Smithy doesn't realise 380 has fly by wire throttle!

I had this issue when my indicator stalk was broke.

All sorts of electrical gremlins occured like lights switching off, surge in speed. Cruise working intermittently.

Sounds like the brake pedal sensor is not working, and the cruise didn't trip off.

He has cruise on at 90km/hr, brakes, cruise doesn't realise he is braking so plants it to maintain 90km/hr.

Next thing he slams it in neutral, and the car goes to WOT to try and maintain 90km/hr.

My old man's 3rd gen had a faulty clutch switch out of the factory and would do the same thing - push the clutch in with cruise on, and it would very quickly end up at WOT trying to maintain speed. The dealer replaced the clutch sensor switch, problem solved.

I think had he turned the cruise off with the cruise stalk when it started going out of control (rather than selecting neutral) his problem would have gone away.

Today's "Ask Smithy" in Cars Guide has a reader question about a 380 with throttle stuck wide open

Any other reports of similar problems or is this a "one off"

http://www.carsguide.com.au/tools-and-advice/q-and-a/mitsubishi_meltdown

The answer would suggest Smithy doesn't realise 380 has fly by wire throttle!

A good answer from Smitty - it's like "donno, but someone on a VZ had a throttle pedal break." ie. not helpfull at all.



This 380 "locked itself on 90", ie cruise went stupid, owner admits it was diagnosed as "a computer meltdown." How about a few words about canbus, and what can go wrong with it, Smitty? I read his words in the Advertiser on the weekend, usually gives vague and generic answers, no great thought put into them.

EDIT: Just read the above post, most likely brake pedal sensor as suggested. Dramatic workshop being dramatic, "computer meltdown" sounds better than "little thingy on the brake pedal stopped working".
And you are right, cruise not behaving? Turn it off, logical thing to do! Not melt your brakes or hit neutral and bounce off the rev limiter. (At least he didn't slam it into reverse . . . . . )

I once saw an 'ask smithy' article asking his opinion on CVT gearboxes, he said he wouldn't touch them because of bad things he heard about some ones from the 80s...

Imagine the other technologies you could apply that logic to...

I once saw an 'ask smithy' article asking his opinion on CVT gearboxes, he said he wouldn't touch them because of bad things he heard about some ones from the 80s...

Imagine the other technologies you could apply that logic to...

Interesting coincidence - another comment by him on CVTs yesterday

http://www.carsguide.com.au/tools-and-advice/q-and-a/cvt_maintenance_and_parts

The "380 jammed throttle" story appeared in his column in the Advertiser today. (4/8/2012). Word for word. lol Does the 380 resale value no good at all.

The "380 jammed throttle" story appeared in his column in the Advertiser today. (4/8/2012). Word for word. lol Does the 380 resale value no good at all.

All the better for blokes like you Max who are thinking about buying a 380!

We'll just keep it as our little secret that 380s are grossly undervalued, have very few quality problems, and are great value for money.