Strange and frightening car problem - any ideas?
Mrs V returned home from work about an hour ago and was very shaken.
She was travelling home earlier on the M4 in her 2007 MK3 MX5, gently accelerating in 5th gear from 60 to 70.
However the engine kept increasing in revs when she eased off the accelerator and she then took her foot off the accelerator completely. Revs and speed kept increasing and the car was very quickly at 85 and still accelerating.
She started to press the brake pedal and it felt hard it wouldn't move and the car was still accelerating.
She then pressed the clutch in and hit the brake pedal as hard as she could - moving it down into 4th to try and get it to slow down. It then started to slow down but with very high revs. There was a smell of burning rubber.
After making a terrific noise (over - revving I suspect) she describes the hard brake pedal as suddenly freeing up and working as normal.
She continued the remaining 5 miles to home at a low speed.
I have just taken the car out along the local country lanes taking it through all of the gears and accelerating hard then the motorway at up to 85. Everything seems fine.
I have a Mazda service centre just round the corner and I am going to book it in there for a thorough check - in the meantime it will remain on the drive.
Meanwhile has anyone got any ideas re this?
I cant think what would affect throttle control and braking function at the same time in this way.