<p>I’m stupid with cars, so please help.
Problems:
<p>call in to “Car Talk” they’ll know.</p>
<p>Well, is their gas in the car?
Seriously: Is the car new or used? If it’s new, take it to the dealer.</p>
<p>Sounds like a bad starter if the car doesn’t crank when you turn the key (and the fact that you have power to the radio and lights, I assume). I doubt the shifting has anything to do with your problem as you can shift without the clutch pedal anyway, and the brake pedal has probably just built up pressure in the lines - this happens normally. </p>
<p>I’d get it checked out by a local mechanic that you can get some information on or a reccommendation for by someone you trust. A dealership will probably try to screw you harder than an independant mechanic, so watch out. Cross check estimates if you have to.</p>
<ol>
<li> How old is the truck (starters last a long time, normally)?</li>
<li> How old is the battery (in my experience, OEM batteries last exactly three years)?</li>
<li> If you turn the headlights on, are they nice and bright, or really dim (the radio takes very little power and will work even if the battery is dead enough that it won’t pull the solenoid in)?</li>
<li> If someone puts jumper cables on, does the truck start? Does the solenoid chatter?</li>
</ol>
<p>By solenoid chatter, he means is there a ‘click’ when you turn the key.</p>
<p>I think you need to call AAA and have your car taken to the nearest mechanic. I wouldn’t worry if the gas pedal gets stuck sometimes on my car, but if it’s the brake pedal, I’d bend over backwards to fix it. Anyways that sucks I’m sorry about your car.</p>
<p>One more thing: That’s why you buy a Toyota. There’s a damn good reason the Toyota Camry is the bestselling car in the country for 8 years in a row.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Get the engine running. If the brake pedal is still weird, then worry. There is a 98% chance you have power brakes, which won’t feel right with the engine not running.</p></li>
<li><p>If you COULDN’T shift a non-moving car without the clutch, I’d be worried. It’s behaving normally. Do you know that you can even shift the car when it’s moving without the clutch? You have to be experienced and careful, but I used to do it all the time just for the halibut.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>start with checking the battery conections. Make sure they are tight. If your getting no crank (turning over) chances are your battery isn’t good or your cellinoid is bad. Can you jump start it? Everything else is secondary to starting the truck. The brakes are power so in order to be soft they need juice from a running motor. Anyway try jumping it and then take it to a mechanic you trust (ask around) and you might be looking at a new battery at a minimum or a couple of parts and around $150 bucks.</p>
<p>Question? how long has the truck sat? If you don’t start a car/truck every few days or so it will be difficult to start. So if it has sat for a while, you might just need to jump it and let it run for awhile. Then every couple of days turn it over for a song length or so.</p>
<ol>
<li>about the brakes, check your brake fluids. maybe they’re out.</li>
</ol>
<p>Power brakes are design to work with or without power. When the motor is not running the brakes will still work but take a greater effort to depress. If you had a pressure problem, like a leak the pedal will go to the floor. Depending on how fast you’re going you will still stop, but it will take longer and farther to do so.</p>
<p>Blew the seals on my brake cylinders on our van, stopping became an adventure for awhile.</p>