When it comes to proper maintenance of a normally-reliable Land Rover, it’s important to take your vehicle to a trusted shop whenever repairs are needed. There are a number of parts under the hood that can have problems, so fixing these as soon as they appear is the best way to keep your vehicle at its proper level of performance.
With that in mind, issues with the accelerator pedal should be acknowledged as serious and dealt with immediately. The accelerator pedal directly works with the parts of your vehicle that connect to the engine. Without the accelerator pedal, your car would not move an inch. For that reason, fixing issues with this component should be done right away.
What does the accelerator pedal do?
Most people may assume that the accelerator, or gas pedal, somehow provides power to the engine. However, this component is merely a part of a more complex system that allows your Land Rover to provide the reliable performance you love.
The gas pedal on your vehicle is connected to something known as the throttle valve. This regulates the amount of air in the engine. As you press down on the accelerator pedal in your vehicle, the throttle valve opens more and allows extra air to enter the engine.
When this valve opens, the engine control unit becomes aware of the opening and increases the fuel rate to provide the optimal mixture of air and fuel. This allows the car to smoothly speed up when you press on the accelerator.
The sensors that monitor the accelerator pedal also monitor the engine control unit to ensure that the air and fuel mixture is always at the proper level. If there is a problem with the accelerator pedal, byproducts of this issue may affect the engine control unit and cause the air to fuel ratio in the engine to be off. By extension, the engine will be unable to respond properly, and the performance of your Land Rover may be impacted significantly.
Signs of a Bad Accelerator Pedal
Fortunately, a part as important as the accelerator pedal has a large number of signs when something goes wrong with it. As mentioned, any issues with this part should be handled as quickly as possible so as to not damage other more expensive parts under the hood of your Land Rover. Keep a vigilant eye out for the below signs and don’t hesitate to take your car in should you spot them.
Inconsistent Engine Throttle
As discussed, as you press down on the accelerator pedal, the engine control unit provides the perfect amount of gas for air in the engine bay. However, if your gas pedal is having an issue, the incorrect amount of air may be let into the engine bay. In response, the engine control unit may allow the incorrect amount of gas in. This could cause an engine throttle that doesn’t line up with what you intended for how hard you pressed down.
Check Engine Light Turns On
Fortunately for vehicle owners, the check engine light is a comprehensive system that can identify major problems with your vehicle before they become worse. To that end, if the check engine light turns on and you notice weird issues with your vehicle’s performance, it is possible that there may be something wrong with the accelerator pedal.
Inefficient Engine
Similar to an inconsistent engine throttle, if your accelerator pedal is having issues, you may notice that your Land Rover is getting a worse fuel mileage. Watch to see if you notice any issues in this regard and try to identify if the cause may be a lack of response when pressing down on the accelerator pedal.
Master Mechanics Auto Repair Will Help
At Master Mechanics Auto Repair, we understand 
how much you have come to trust and love your Land Rover. It would be our honor to be trusted with repairing your vehicle. We promise the best service quality around.
We have experience with numerous makes, models, and clients around Battle Creek, Portage, and Kalamazoo, MI, which means we can handle any issue brought to our garage doors. To see for yourself why we are the best in the area, please give us a call to schedule an appointment or come in to talk with one of our trusted technicians. We look forward to earning your patronage.