Toyota Acceleration Issues
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I can't understand the stories of people who crashed after going 100+ mph in Toyota cars due to unintended acceleration. Why don't people just turn off the engine?
Not everyone is a F1 driver. The day people understand this, things would be better. If you can't handle speed, don't play with it. Simple enough, isn't it? And you don't need to die or get injured to understand this.
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Chris Maunder wrote:
in some cars you can't turn the engine off while it's driving
I'm curious as to what cars do that. I keep hearing this claim, but nobody ever names the cars.
The latest Audi A4, for a start.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
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Richard Andrew x64 wrote:
Why don't people just turn off the engine?
Most modern cars have power steering. If the engine were to be switched off you would then be in the position of not only going quite fast but also of it being potentially difficult to steer out of danger (although the steering should lighten at higher speeds). Best to stand on the brakes to attempt to slow the car to a stop.
Tychotics: take us back to the moon "Life, for ever dying to be born afresh, for ever young and eager, will presently stand upon this earth as upon a footstool, and stretch out its realm amidst the stars." H. G. Wells
No, the best is to drop it in Neutral (or apply clutch), then apply the brakes as normal and steer off to the side of the road. And yes, I've been in this position myself. I had an Olds Delta 88 where the throttle stuck wide open and wouldn't release.
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Richard Andrew x64 wrote:
Why don't people just turn off the engine?
Try it yourself with your car. I guarantee you the loss of power-stearing (and the associated heaviness of the stearing due to having to turn the wheels and power stearing system) is just as scary as unintended acceleration. A better question would be; why don't they just limit their speed using the gearbox. And the answer; Americans don't know how to drive manual transmission cars.
J4amieC wrote:
Americans don't know how to drive manual transmission cars.
I do, both with and without a clutch.
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"Man who follows car will be exhausted." - Confucius
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I am English, and over here only old ladies and bad drivers use automatics...
Just racking up the postings
What you talking about? Why have a manual, because you like having to change gears and press clutch pedals the whole time? It's a mindless task which is taken care of for you. Unless you're a 17 year old boy racer that is.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
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J4amieC wrote:
Americans don't know how to drive manual transmission cars.
I do, both with and without a clutch.
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"Man who follows car will be exhausted." - Confucius
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DavidCrow wrote:
I do, both with and without a clutch.
Same here, but for the same reasons I don't churn my own butter... I choose not to. ;P
Mike Mullikin wrote:
Same here...
So J4amieC's assertion has been negated twice.
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"Man who follows car will be exhausted." - Confucius
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It's probably because it's a sudden acceleration in a tight space (parkings, ...)
Watched code never compiles.
to 100mph? How big are these parking lots?
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The latest Audi A4, for a start.
cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP
Sounds like a bad design/safety issue to me.
-Sean ---- Fire Nuts
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Richard Andrew x64 wrote:
Why don't people just turn off the engine?
Try it yourself with your car. I guarantee you the loss of power-stearing (and the associated heaviness of the stearing due to having to turn the wheels and power stearing system) is just as scary as unintended acceleration. A better question would be; why don't they just limit their speed using the gearbox. And the answer; Americans don't know how to drive manual transmission cars.
J4amieC wrote:
And the answer; Americans don't know how to drive manual transmission cars.
Wow, what a great overgeneralization! Most of the time those are simply false. Kind of like all Brits have bad teeth, because I've never seen one that didn't. I'm sure the previous statement is false. For the most part, manual transmissions are just about dead in the US. The ones that do exist have drastically reduced resale value.
-Sean ---- Fire Nuts
modified on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 1:34 PM
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Mike Mullikin wrote:
Same here...
So J4amieC's assertion has been negated twice.
"One man's wage rise is another man's price increase." - Harold Wilson
"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it." - Michael Simmons
"Man who follows car will be exhausted." - Confucius
Thrice. What's the point of using manual these days? It's kind of like MFC vs .net.
-Sean ---- Fire Nuts
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Richard Andrew x64 wrote:
Why don't people just turn off the engine?
Most modern cars have power steering. If the engine were to be switched off you would then be in the position of not only going quite fast but also of it being potentially difficult to steer out of danger (although the steering should lighten at higher speeds). Best to stand on the brakes to attempt to slow the car to a stop.
Tychotics: take us back to the moon "Life, for ever dying to be born afresh, for ever young and eager, will presently stand upon this earth as upon a footstool, and stretch out its realm amidst the stars." H. G. Wells
Having driven a manual transmission car for many many years, my first reaction would be put the car in neutral and brake normally, and then switch off the key once I got stopped. That's just me though. I've got racing experience, and tend to just think that way. I have to agree though 100mph?
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001 -
Thrice. What's the point of using manual these days? It's kind of like MFC vs .net.
-Sean ---- Fire Nuts
Sean Cundiff wrote:
What's the point of using manual these days?
There is NOTHING like the thrill of being in control of your own destiny where a performance car is concerned. Knowing precisely when to brake/downshift/steer/upshift is quite - well - it gives me a giant and rather dangerous woody.
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001 -
J4amieC wrote:
And the answer; Americans don't know how to drive manual transmission cars.
Wow, what a great overgeneralization! Most of the time those are simply false. Kind of like all Brits have bad teeth, because I've never seen one that didn't. I'm sure the previous statement is false. For the most part, manual transmissions are just about dead in the US. The ones that do exist have drastically reduced resale value.
-Sean ---- Fire Nuts
modified on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 1:34 PM
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I can't understand the stories of people who crashed after going 100+ mph in Toyota cars due to unintended acceleration. Why don't people just turn off the engine?
I understand the throttle got stucj under the edge of the carpet/mat. So you give it a bit coming out of a junction say, ease off, and the thing just keeps going. You have a few milli seconds to realise somehting is worng and work out an alternative strategy to cope with it. Said strategy is NOT normal car control, thus NOT instinctive and thus SLOW to decide and implement. At which stage you are burried into the car infront/shop window etc. Someone used to driving dodgy cars where bits fall off and things go wrong might cope beter, but average joe is screwed.
Morality is indistinguishable from social proscription
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Thrice. What's the point of using manual these days? It's kind of like MFC vs .net.
-Sean ---- Fire Nuts
Sean Cundiff wrote:
What's the point of using manual these days?
See my sig from October 2007: http://www.codeproject.com/Messages/2286106/Re-Vista-is-ridiculous.aspx[^]
Sean Cundiff wrote:
It's kind of like MFC vs .net.
Like I said. :)
“Follow your bliss.” – Joseph Campbell
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Sean Cundiff wrote:
What's the point of using manual these days?
There is NOTHING like the thrill of being in control of your own destiny where a performance car is concerned. Knowing precisely when to brake/downshift/steer/upshift is quite - well - it gives me a giant and rather dangerous woody.
.45 ACP - because shooting twice is just silly
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"Why don't you tie a kerosene-soaked rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up and eat your candy ass..." - Dale Earnhardt, 1997
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"The staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - J. Jystad, 2001John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
There is NOTHING like the thrill of being in control of your own destiny where a performance car is concerned.
I'll agree with you here. However, most of the time it simply isn't convenient. Kind of like using C++ when you need the performance.
John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
it gives me a giant and rather dangerous woody.
Brings a new meaning to "Stick Shift" and "Manual Transmission". :laugh:
-Sean ---- Fire Nuts
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What you talking about? Why have a manual, because you like having to change gears and press clutch pedals the whole time? It's a mindless task which is taken care of for you. Unless you're a 17 year old boy racer that is.
Regards, Rob Philpott.
Reliability and durability? I know it's extreme situations but that's why lorries (at least used to) not have synchromesh because it increases the life of the gearbox. Also, although again a niche market, I actually use the 4x4 capabilities of my 4x4 and would rather have control over the gears. While I'm not denying the new Land Rovers (about the only truly capable modern off-roaders) are fantastic even Land Rover themselves admit that a basic vehicle with a competant driver is more capable than their new systems. Also if the BMW I was given a lift in is the average of modern autos then it's bloody awful! Put your foot down and nothing happened for a few seconds, the 2.7 tonne Disco we drove the weekend before was more responsive and that had the same sized engine in a car that was twice the weight.
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Sounds like a bad design/safety issue to me.
-Sean ---- Fire Nuts
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As long as the road is straight, you could briefly switch the key off (not so far that the steering lock engages ofc) until you see the rev needle dropping then switch it back on with the car in neutral. Even without that I'd rather have slightly heavy steering than a fully revving engine It often seems that many people react to a bad situation with the rabbit in the headlight approach. You've got a problem and you can opt to spend the rest of your life ignoring it or you can do something about it.
