WOW - the testimony of a Woman and her TOYOTA NIOGHTMARE....

[PBJ2500CTD]

So there's where all the AirBus flight control engineers went to...

 

[surfbeetle]

Isn't ironic that it was the early 2nd gens with throttle cables and not drive by wire that were recalled for sticking acceleration?

 

[AfterBurner]

Too bad vehicles arent equipped with emergency fuel shutoff handles like planes are. It would also help if people knew their vehicle systems and how to operate them under other than normal driving conditions. When you buy a vehicle it should come with a day long academic and driving class imo. As I write this I'm holding my week old baby and thinking about our 2010 tundra my wife drives her around in. Think I'll take it out today and do some emergency procedure driving to figure out how to overcome accelerator issues. I love our tundra btw, its a blast to drive, and does surprisingly well pulling horses and hauling hay... not as good as my dodge of course.

Forrest

 

[E7mack96]

i am just thinking here but... .



If these people would somehow turn off their cars at these crazy speeds, the engine would not keep turning... not at full speed anyways... I would assume that turning off the ignition would kill the electrinic controls that have the torque converter locked. essentially this will make it hard to use the brakes with no booster reserve, or steering assist either.



I do not know if the autos in the toyotas will maintain some degree on coupling thru the converter . . I have driven cars that do, and some that the engine drops to idle if you let off the gas, even though you are running 55. I think it has something to do with a sprag clutch in the transmission (thinking back to the turbo 350 and 400 trans from gm) if they even have 'em these days.



I am inclined to believe there is a programming fault deep within the ecm. Just too many instances of it happening . Has toyota switched ecm/pcm suppliers, and are they made somewhere where a rouge programmer could have implanted a virus in the code. It is not totally unthinkable.



Again just thinking out loud...



Tony

 

[AfterBurner]

Was at the toyota dealership today and heard a lady asking the service manager to explain the recall letter to her. The letter said that the first step is to put the transmission into neutral and the next step was to turn the ignition to acc. The camrys and corollas are getting accelerator shims, new carpet and a computer flash that cuts engine power when brakes are applied. Tundras are just getting shims but of course they were out today

Forrest

 

[MLee]

And then there was the guy yesterday that @94MPH in his Prius, about craped his pants because it ran away with him. And he could not stop it. Another Toyota piece of Quality.

 

[rscurtis]

While being interviewed on CNN, he indicated he was reluctant to shut it off because "the wheels might lock". I guess it's safer to just keep driving 94 MPH. IMO, this debacle sound a lot like the Audi affair years ago. Time will tell.

 

[surfbeetle]

The 94 mph prius on Monday started at on I-8 right at my offramp to go home. I'm very familiar with the 30 mile stretch that he was on. Here's what I don't understand, it's pretty much a straight shot for the 30 mile drive that he was on. There are no major twists or turns, just traffic at 3pm when it occurred. My co worker was listening to the whole thing on his police scanner. Why the guy would not put it into neutral is beyond me.



I saw an interview on the news stating that we wasn't sure what would happen with that kind of transmission if he put it into neutral. So I ask this, is it better to put it into neutral and see what happens or is it better to hit a 60 mph semi truck when you are doing 94 mph because you weren't sure what would happen to your transmission?



I'm sure he was scared and nervous, but what about common sense?

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

Listening to the 911 recording, he was following instructions given by the 911 operator up until the operator suggested he put it in neutral and try to shut it off. He was worried he might loose his phone and communications. Heck with the phone! You got your message to 911. Now throw the danged thing out the window, steer with one hand and start pushing the abort buttons with the other. In one news report it was said he finally managed to shut it down just as the officer arrived, who "assisted" in the braking. Yep, Audi syndrome all over again. Amazing how these cars have been on the road for quite some time with minimal reports. The media takes note of a possible issue, and then all the Toyotas in America go on a rampage in short order. Must be a plot to overthrow the humans... Or the AirBus flight control software engineers designed the Toyota engine controller programs.

 

[Wingate]

I didnt know a prius would DO 94mph!!!... Seriously though, im wondering the same thing, throw it into neutral and send the connecting rods thru the oil pan!!. I saw a new Ford diesel several years ago that still had the paper tags on it get the front end pinned on a concrete barrier cause it starter running away. The thing caught on fire and burnt most of the truck to the ground... Got the whole front end and the cab. The guy driving said he got it slowed down enough by using the brakes and downshifting the trans into low gear... . he then let it get up against the barrier and pinned it up against it and got out.

 

[Bill Lins]

surfbeetle posted: "I'm sure he was scared and nervous, but what about common sense?"



That's the problem in a nutshell. These "drivers" are so disassociated from the actual act of driving that they panic instead of rationally determining the problem and taking simple, rational steps to solve the problem. It's Darwin in action.



The instance in which the off-duty CHP officer killed himself & his family is even worse. Law enforcement officers are supposed to be trained not to panic in emergency situations. Some one in that car had the presence of mind to call 911, but didn't have enough snap to take the car out of gear and, as a result, four died.



Someone above asked what happens if you shift into neutral in this situation. It's simple- the vehicle coasts until the driver applies the brakes & stops it. Some cars will automatically defuel the engine, some will not. So what if the engine blows- it's still better than getting yourself killed, isn't it?

 

[Dieselnut59]

Damn I love a manual transmission! Clutch it, stall it in high gear or just knock it into neutral. My throttle stuck on my '96 at nearly WOT as I was going up an acceleration ramp one time. It was from the frayed throttle cable, which was later recalled (after I had already bought and replaced mine myself). No panic, as the diesel will govern at 2600 RPM, but SOUNDS like it is bout to scatter! I coasted to the side of the road in neutral, pulled the linkage back to idle and it was fine.

I did not know a Prius was capable of 94 mph either! I have never seen one get anywhere close to that! Must have been downhill with a tail wind! :-laf

 

[diesel DOG]

toy o DUH has always cover up their problems.

 

[jdooner]

Warning..language

Raw Video Stuck Accelerator Toyota Prius Video

 

[EricBu12]

So it does take 3-4 seconds holding the Shifter at Neutral to have it go. . I bet all the calls on 911 that say they did and didn't work. . I bet they only slapped it or just hit the start button. .