I just don't get it, why can't people shift into neutral, when this happens? In the 1980's, I had a car accelerator stick a few times; before, I found out it was the floor mat, this was a very powerful car for it's day, about 240 HP. I learned to pull the floor mat down every time I got in the car, no big deal. Barbara, believes that the CHP officer incident was a murder-suicide and I agree.
Toyota Stuck Accelerator
by PEC 24 Replies latest jw friends
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Robdar
I just don't get it, why can't people shift into neutral, when this happens?
Because people will panic. And if they have driven an automatice transmission all their life, they probably havent noticed the N for neutral, or if they have, it hasn't occurred to them that N, besides being a position between drive and reverse, might also take the car out of gear. People are not too bright and unless they have been shown what to do, most of them will not be able to figure out how to do it.
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JWoods
I have never driven one, but somebody on a car site I go to claims the gear selector in a Prius is really an electrical switch and that the selection is controlled by the ECU (computer) of the car. They further stated that you have to hold the lever in the N position for 2 or 3 seconds to get it to take effect.
Of course, it seems like after the publicity there are coincidentally a LOT of claims of runaway cars now - wonder if some people are looking into trying to create a lawsuit.
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Elsewhere
> I just don't get it, why can't people shift into neutral, when this happens?
The Prius does not have a hard gear linkage like most cars. It is electronic. You push the button and the computer shifts gears for you.
In this situation the computer is overriding the drivers' inputs an keeping the car in drive. The driver can keep inputing Neutral, but the car will not respond. (Presumably a safety feature to prevent dangerous high-speed gear shifts)
"The Prius uses an electronic transmission mode selector, similar to a gear shift on a conventional car. Unlike a conventional vehicle with modes P R N D 2 1 (park, reverse, neutral, drive, 2nd gear, 1st gear) the Prius has a power button, a park button, and a selector for modes R N D and B (reverse, neutral, drive, and engine-Braking)." http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius/Driving_tricks
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JWoods
Yup, and a guy on the Ferrari site who has one says the ignition key is more like a USB device (or maybe even RC) and does not physically work a mechanical set of contacts like a conventional old-style key. So it is all probably linked into the ECU systems of the car.
The brakes are mainly electrically controlled as well - there is not a separate emergency brake, it just works on the small rear service drum brakes. Most normal braking is supposed to be done by the front, and work through the motor-gen set for recharging.
I am starting to think there may be some fire underneath all this smoke that Toyota has not yet completely put out.
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thetrueone
Could they have not just simply turn off the ignition as another action ?
That would have been my first reaction rather than shoving the gear into neutral.
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JWoods
Like I said, I have never driven one, but the "ignition key" is not a simple contact point set like a conventional key. (according to some friends in my car club who have one for commuting)
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sir82
Weren't most of the problems with the Camry? And doesn't the Camry have the "old-fashioned" transmission?
I would not be surprised if a large percentage of the runaway acceleration issues, especially after repair, were "psychosomatic" for lack of a better word.
Sort of the Ouija board effect. You believe your car will accelerate out of control, and sure enough "some force" (your foot, though you aren't consciously aware of it) makes it happen.
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SirNose586
I didn't think Priuses (or is it Prii?) could go that fast.
Toyota: Moving Forward, Even If You Don't Want to!
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Elsewhere
> Could they have not just simply turn off the ignition as another action ?
The ignition is computer controlled. Push the button to start. Push the button to turn off. If the computer does not respond, you're screwed.
Many cars have an emergency engine shut-off that works by pressing and holding the ignition button for three seconds.... but most drivers are not aware of this.
Toyota is thinking about changing this to "quickly press the ignition button three times" for an emergency shut down. Now that makes more since because that is what people will instinctively do in an emergency.