Foot rest on floormat

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DrewPT

New member
I`m new to the forum but have enjoyed reading it over the years. On my driver`s floormat, there is a worn spot where you can see the burlap or whatever the material is. I`ve seen a few individuals recommend a long vinyl panel that`s glued on with Super 77 adhesive, but the panel is too long (width-wise), shiny, and I wonder if the flocking needs to be "shaved" down for it to adhere properly. Is there any enterprising individual who has made or could make a delrin panel, maybe 5"x5" or 6"x5"? It would be perfectly sized to cover the spot before it becomes a hole, and saves three perfect mats from having to be wasted for a new set!

I`d love to know your thoughts,
Drew
 
Sounds complicated, time consuming and a little dangerous.
I would suggest cleaning thoroughly then stopping by a upholstery shop (find one that caters to car dealerships) and have them sew in a raised section of padded carpet. Another option would be to check salvage yards
 
DrewPT said:
I`m new to the forum but have enjoyed reading it over the years. On my driver`s floormat, there is a worn spot where you can see the burlap or whatever the material is. I`ve seen a few individuals recommend a long vinyl panel that`s glued on with Super 77 adhesive, but the panel is too long (width-wise), shiny, and I wonder if the flocking needs to be "shaved" down for it to adhere properly. Is there any enterprising individual who has made or could make a delrin panel, maybe 5"x5" or 6"x5"? It would be perfectly sized to cover the spot before it becomes a hole, and saves three perfect mats from having to be wasted for a new set!

I`d love to know your thoughts,
Drew
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Any floor mat made out of an extremely rigid and slick surface is advised to be bolted to the floor pan, as you don`t want the piece to go moving around. I`d buy replacement mats or get a set of those office chair material mats, you know the material that people flip upside down and use to prank loved ones walk over? They sell those style mats for almost every vehicle made. Personally, I`d just buy a new set of floor mats.
 
DrewPT --
I would be worried that if you somehow place a hard piece of plastic on the mat in that spot, in addition to the bottom side slipping around, that when your shoes are damp, wet, etc., your shoe is going to slip on that spot, until its all dry.. Like when you get in the vehicle, and get out, etc..

I remember reading recently, I believe on Consumer Reports website, that there were some vehicles that had the driver side floor mat slip and get bunched up under the accelerator pedal, and the vehicles could not be stopped quickly enough, that they crashed and killed the occupants... The vehicle maker had to re-design that driver side floor mat so it would not slip again..

Yes, we all know that the first thing that should be done if a vehicle speeds up and won`t slow down is to turn the key off to stop the engine, then hit the Flashers, but perhaps that is not always done quickly enough..

Please be careful how you do this, and think about if other drivers use the vehicle, will they be aware, and safe..

Good luck with this !
Dan F
 
Stokdgs said:
DrewPT --
I would be worried that if you somehow place a hard piece of plastic on the mat in that spot, in addition to the bottom side slipping around, that when your shoes are damp, wet, etc., your shoe is going to slip on that spot, until its all dry.. Like when you get in the vehicle, and get out, etc..
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That`s what I was thinking. Even vinyl "heel pads" can bug me in that regard when its wet out.

The WeatherTech Floor Liners can get slick even with their texture, so I *ALWAYS* keep an old towel in those vehicles so I can (repeatedly :o ) wipe them off when they get wet (over and over and over each time I drive with `em in the winter).

Yes, we all know that the first thing that should be done if a vehicle speeds up and won`t slow down is to turn the key off to stop the engine, then hit the Flashers, but perhaps that is not always done quickly enough..Please be careful how you do this...
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Well worth practicing so you don`t inadvertently lock the steering. Just *using* the steering can be enough of a challenge for some once the power-steering isn`t helping.

Yeah, my suggesting that probably sounds like more of my "oh, get serious.."-type advice, but it`s all about living to tell..preferably without a sad ending to the story.

(Pop Quiz- How fast can you activate those emergency flashers in every vehicle you drive..without taking your eyes off the road? You might be doing it while very busy controlling the car...and if the switch is on the steering column you`d sure *better* practice :D )
 
Turning the key off isn’t the first thing that should be done, it is the second. Either an Automatic or Manual transmission vehicle will be sent out of dynamic equilibrium without first shifting either transmission into neutral. A torque converter only has so much *looseness* and a clutch will grab to some degree, I.E., wheel speed phases out of synchronicity with the engine possibly resulting in a loss of traction.
 
TheMeanGreen said:
Turning the key off isn’t.. [always].. the first thing that should be done, it is ..[sometimes].. the second..
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I`d put it that way, but you do have a good point.

In some vehicles (especially those with floor/console-mounted shifters), I can turn it off much faster than I can move my hand to the gearshift and put it in N.

Do all modern vehicles have a rev-limiter these days? I simply don`t know, but some of my vehicles don`t.
 
bad penny said:
How do y`all turn the key off ​with a fob??
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By not having cars that operate via wacky tech ;)

And by...uh-oh!...assuming the modern Service Loaners aren`t gonna have issues. Now that`s a real mistake on my part, so..GOOD POINT you brought up there! Next time I have one I`m gonna see how well that`d work. I`m *assuming* that I could just hit the start/stop button at an time and shut things down, but no I don`t really know for sure! Oughta check that out on Rentals too...

Gee, thanks..all sorts of new stuff to figure out :rolleyes: [j/k ;) ]

And since we`ve veered off-topic, what about *braking* in vehicles once you`ve turned `em off? Yeah.."Emergency Brake"..but that takes practice to avoid, uhm..dramatic examples of Physics. And plenty of modern vehicles simply don`t have a mechanical Emergency/Parking Brake any more (another "feature" I wouldn`t own).
 
If you push the "push to start" button without your foot on the brake it just shuts the engine off and doesnt power the car down completely doesnt it?
 
dcjredline said:
If you push the "push to start" button without your foot on the brake it just shuts the engine off and doesnt power the car down completely doesnt it?
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Heh heh, beats me, I never tried it! Eh, 99% of the time Service Loaners sit unused in the driveway while I drive something else (of mine) that I already understand. Last time I spent much time in a new Audi I spent forever studying the Manual and later decided it wasn`t worth it just to drive the thing for a few days. No, my wife doesn`t bother doing that when she drives them, but she sets the bar differently than I do.

EDIT: With electronics being so involved with steering/braking/etc. these days, maybe it *does* work that way...gee, that`d be an upside to all that [stuff] I don`t like!
 
Thanks guys, they`re the type of mats that snap into the floor carpet, so they won`t slide forward but have experienced others getting bunched up. I was just thinking that a textured/ribbed hard matte plastic piece would work, but maybe the suggestion of having a patch sewed on is the best option. Would it end up going through the thin foam on the underside of the mat, and back up through the top or is there another way to have it sewn on so the threads don`t fully penetrate underneath?
 
DrewPT- I bet the stitching method will depend on both the actual mat itself and the abilities/willingness of the person doing the work. You might have to ask to find out.

If they do have to sew through the mat, maybe you can seal up the back side with something to keep moisture from penetrating into your carpet.

I`m just glad you`re considering something that won`t have your heel slipping when you least expect it :D
 
Accumulator said:
I`d put it that way, but you do have a good point.

In some vehicles (especially those with floor/console-mounted shifters), I can turn it off much faster than I can move my hand to the gearshift and put it in N.

Do all modern vehicles have a rev-limiter these days? I simply don`t know, but some of my vehicles don`t.
Click to expand...

I am not completely sure all about all modern vehicles, but I am sure 99% of vehicles have rev-limiters that are controlled by the DME, so if one is to shut off the engine with the drive train still attached, over-rev would theoretically be possible.
 
dcjredline said:
If you push the "push to start" button without your foot on the brake it just shuts the engine off and doesnt power the car down completely doesnt it?
Click to expand...

In all of the modern vehicles that I have tried it in with push button ignition: BMW, MB, Ford, Lexus/Toyota, Nissan, mainly common brands, you can turn the vehicle completely off during vehicle movement by simply pushing the start/stop button without having the foot on the brake. That means that you lose vacuum assisted brakes, and with the majority of modern vehicles using electrically assisted steering, you loose steering as well, in some cases the column locks. I will note that it has been a couple of years since I`ve had access to anything other than MB/BMW to see if Manufacturers have released software updates to at least not lock the steering column and keep some accessory power on when the vehicle isn`t in park or neutral. I know for sure that MB/BMW have with software updates, the thing is that people don`t take their vehicles in regularly to have the software updated.....
 
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