Rocks stuck in accelerator

[David Justice]

Hi all. I just recently started taking my Trooper T4 back out into the desert here in Phoenix, AZ. I've been running on a mix of sand and rocky terrain and I've noticed an issue and I am wondering if anyone else has encountered a similar situation. The other day, I noticed that my gas pedal would stick at max throttle. It did this twice before I realized that I had a rock(s) stuck somewhere above the gas pedal. By simply repeatedly actuating the pedal it's full travel (with the motor off) small pieces of rocks would dislodge from above the pedal and the pedal would spring back to normal. I assumed that I had solved the issue but it proceeded to do the exact same thing 2 more times. The last time it happened, I dislodged a large rock. The issue hasn't repeated itself since but it did leave me wondering how that large of a rock got into that particular area. The first time this happened, I was actually stopped and the engine banged off the rev limiter a few times until I killed the ignition. The next 3 times I was hauling ass and only discovered the problem after I let off the gas and started braking. The second part of my question is, if anyone has experienced this, have they put something in the chassis to block rocks and debris from catching in this area? I have an early 2009 T4. Thanks.

[Kinarfi]

It's my guess that they are coming through the front of the dash, along with the dust, noise, dirt, mud & water you run through. A lot of us have covered that area with various things. If nothing else, put some card board over it the next time out.

[ricksrb]

I havnt had the pedal sticking because of rocks but did have some coming in. solved it for the most part by buying floor mats to cover the holes joyner put in the floor panels. It also helped with the dust coming in through them.

[Guest Lenny]

I have caulked all of the seams and open cracks between panels in the entire floor area. Also cut some foam to fit in the upper forward corners of the center console which was glued in. I have installed a panel that covers the entire dash area from the back side to keep dirt from getting under the dash area, most anything will work.. I also have a piece of foam plugging the vertical hole that opens from under the front, behind the diff, to the area under the center console. For this area, I used a piece of 1-1/2" thick polyethylene foam. It is stiff enough that after squeezing it into the area, it stays there without any anchoring and seals around the edges good. I have a larger then stock radiator so if closing up the channel that goes under the console if effecting the air flow to the engine area, I'm not having a problem from it. Side venting the engine area helps with that. Closing these areas up good, as Ricksrb and Kinarfi said, keeps a lot of dirt and dust out of the cab area.

Lenny

[David Justice]

Yeah, I think a large rock must have gotten in from the back/underside of the dash and landed just right. I'll follow your guys' advice and plug that area up with some foam or cardboard. Thanks for the responses guys.

[MauyThai1]

I did some of what Lenny has but I also used a spray in foam sealer for the cracks and open spaces under the dask and in the floor. My T2 has a full cab enclosure with jeep style zip up windows. Finding and sealing al the open spaces keeps all of the dust out of the cab, now I just need to install a heater due to the -5 degree weather I have been hunting in.