Do not shut the engine off. Instead, slip the shift into neutral and pull off to the side of the road, stop, put it in park then shut he engine off.
Get out of the vehicle.
There might not be something wrong with the gas pedal, but with your knee.
usually when a gas pedeal sticks its due to the gunk that's stuck in the throttle body. check the throttle body butterfly. if its hard to open then try cleaning all the gunk that's there. if that is all clear then try checking the cables for the gas under the hood
Something is wrong
Is there any possibility that it overheated? If that's not it, check the electrical connections in the keyswitch and between the keyswitch and the starter and/or battery. Replace the gas pedal assembly and that should take care of the problem. The gas pedal assembly has a small circuit board that some times gets a hair line crack in it and the problem you have comes with that. For you to do it should cost around $145.00 for the part. If the local garage does it it should cost you around $353.00.
Shift to reverse
If you are traveling at freeway speed, (with the gas pedal stuck it might be faster) NO, unless you had to, to avoid hitting an object or person. The reason is, you would blow your engine by stopping so suddenly at such a high speed. If you do find your gas pedal stuck, first try to get it up with your foot. If that doesn't work push as hard as you can on the brake. (just because the gas pedal isn't working doesn't mean the brake pedal isn't) It WILL eventually bring your car to a stop, but slowly. Pull over to a curb or roadside as you are braking, turn off the engine and get the gas pedal fixed.
Broken or disconnnected cable, something stuck under pedal,
I suspect that the linkage between the gas pedal and the throttle is worn. Check the cable that connects the two.
Hit the gas pedal hard and try to steer out of the area safely
If your 2003 Grand Am accelerates without pressing the gas pedal, the throttle plate may be stuck.
kick down cable is stuck
If the gas pedal is sticking on a 1980 Chevy, it is possible that the cable is wearing out. Check for slack in the cable. There could also be dirt on the pedal itself that is causing it to stick.
Turn off the engine and let the vehicle 'coast' to a stop - assisting with brakes if necessary.
Only if for some reason the gas pedal gets stuck to the floor, like what happened to some Toyotas. Even then, pressing hard on the brake should still stop your car, though much more slowly.
Either your gas pedal is stuck to the floor or you are going downhill.
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