Toyota Acceleration Issues
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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.
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Sean Cundiff wrote:
Kind of like all Brits have bad teeth,
They don't[^]?
My eyes, my eyes!
-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:
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.
Really? How heavy are these things that it takes any real effort to stear them unaided at > 20mph? :~
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I am English, and over here only old ladies and bad drivers use automatics...
Just racking up the postings
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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
Have you seen an ads for a high-performance sports cars? What do they show when they want to demonstrate how much fun it is? They show the driver slamming the stick into gear and taking off (also, it probably works at a subliminal level). That's why people drive manuals, they are more fun. It's a bit like .net vs paying somebody else to do it.
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Let me guess, you are not a driver, right?
The narrow specialist in the broad sense of the word is a complete idiot in the narrow sense of the word. Advertise here – minimum three posts per day are guaranteed.
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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:
Knowing precisely when to brake/downshift/steer/upshift is quite - well - it gives me a giant and rather dangerous woody.
Well I wouldn't go that far but I must say that I drive a manual transmission vehicle and it is much easier to control in the snow or when you are overtaking a car on the highway. Automatic transmissions never seem to shift when you want them too!
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Think about it slightly differently ... how do you turn a car off, in a modern car? What happens to the steering wheel when you do so? You would have to turn it off and then remember to advance the key to run. Otherwise the wheel would lock!
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
You would have to turn it off and then remember to advance the key to run. Otherwise the wheel would lock!
Absolutely NOT. One click backwards turns off the ignition to the engine, but is still in "Accessory" mode. And in Accessory mode, the wheel is unlocked.
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Because, unlike turning a key, which is almost like walking for most people, the new keyless controls all operate differently, depending upon who made the car. For most Toyotas, one must press the start button for more than three seconds to turn off the engine. Try remembering that while you're trying to control a car going 100 MPH! Oh, and once you turn the engine off, the brake assist no longer works! Ah, technology!
'til next we type... HAVE FUN!! -- Jesse
The vaccum assist for any brake system lasts for a couple of pumps after the engine has stopped providing it. If you stand on the brake, that amounts to one long pump, so you're safe.
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Richard Andrew x64 wrote:
Why don't people just turn off the engine?
because they are, understandably, panicking. and a better solution might be to throw the car into neutral. the engines have regulators which will prevent them from over-revving.
Chris Losinger wrote:
because they are, understandably, panicking.
They are also, understandably stupid. One person had the wherewithall to get on his cell phone and call 911 while careening 100 mph down the highway. I would say that person was easily capable of turning the ignition switch backward one click.
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Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
You would have to turn it off and then remember to advance the key to run. Otherwise the wheel would lock!
Absolutely NOT. One click backwards turns off the ignition to the engine, but is still in "Accessory" mode. And in Accessory mode, the wheel is unlocked.
Must be different in different cars. My current car, Pontiac GTO/Holden Monaro if I click it off the Wheel will lock. The same with my previous four Fords (don't remember about the Buick)
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
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Chris Losinger wrote:
because they are, understandably, panicking.
They are also, understandably stupid. One person had the wherewithall to get on his cell phone and call 911 while careening 100 mph down the highway. I would say that person was easily capable of turning the ignition switch backward one click.
Richard Andrew x64 wrote:
I would say that person was easily capable of turning the ignition switch backward one click.
IIRC, the car in that case had a push-button ignition. and with those you have to press and hold the button for a few seconds. perhaps they did try, but didn't hold it long enough - since it wasn't their car they might not have known how long they needed to hold it. they probably didn't have a lot of time to read the owner's manual. plus, you know, he was busy trying to control a strange car going way too fast while everybody in the car was probably screaming. but, of course, i wasn't there, so i'll withhold judgment about how "stupid" the guy was.
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Plus its a lot easier to do so, no pesky clutch to deal with. In my car it takes quite a feat of strength to get the car out of gear without a clutch (You know in-case the clutch and the accelerator fail at the same time) wheras in an automatic an accidental tap is enough to bring neutral.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
In my car it takes quite a feat of strength to get the car out of gear without a clutch
Really? Having driven a car without a clutch (it had failed…), getting it out of gear is just a little push of the gear lever. Now, getting it into gear…that's another matter!
Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p CodeProject MVP for 2010 - who'd'a thunk it!
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Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:
In my car it takes quite a feat of strength to get the car out of gear without a clutch
Really? Having driven a car without a clutch (it had failed…), getting it out of gear is just a little push of the gear lever. Now, getting it into gear…that's another matter!
Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p CodeProject MVP for 2010 - who'd'a thunk it!
Lots of Horsepower and Lots of Torque. Sometimes it is easy but usually it takes some effort. I really haven't done a study on it as my clutch works fine.
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
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Think about it slightly differently ... how do you turn a car off, in a modern car? What happens to the steering wheel when you do so? You would have to turn it off and then remember to advance the key to run. Otherwise the wheel would lock!
Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." --Stephen Crane
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And only really bad drivers don't know that automatics have a setting for neutral. (hint: it's usually marked with a big N, it's between P and D).
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If you have a car with a manual gearbox! You really can't do that in an automatic and it is probably asking too much of most drivers to do both whilst heartily panicking :-)
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
This is an emergency safety issue. Screw the automatic transmission, throw the f'ing thing into park or neutral, and STOP THE DAMNED CAR. Chances are pretty good that you won't even damage the thing. With a lot of automatics, there's a lockout that prevents you from turning off the ignition with the car in drive, so that's not a viable solution. I was driving my mother's car once, and she liked thick floor mats. The mat rode up onto the accelerator and jammed it to the floor. The brakes were less than effective, so I threw it into neutral, got the car stopped, and shut the ignition off. I then took the damned mat and threw it in the trunk.
Software Zen:
delete this; -
It is relatively difficult to find a standard transmission for sale in the US anymore.
Indeed. I just bought a used car, and my criteria were (1) front-wheel drive, (2) manual transmission, (3) under $10,000. It took a couple weeks of searching web sites before I finally found one (2002 Honda Civic), and most of the listings were kid cars or other junk. I wanted the manual transmission because I simply don't feel safe driving an automatic in snow. The stupid things constantly shift at the wrong times causing you to lose traction and steering at the worst possible moment.
Software Zen:
delete this; -
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?
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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
Why not just slip the tranny into neutral? Then you can safely apply the brakes and still have pwr steering. Many years back I had a '78 Ford Crown Vick and the accelerator stuck when I floored it to pass on a two-lane road. I slipped it into neutral, applied the brakes, and moments later was safely on the shoulder, head under the hood, cursing Henry Ford for all he was worth. :-) Seriously, I don't believe people are as smart as they used to be where driving is concerned. Too many distractions (cell phones, etc), and a sort of helpless, "OMG what do I do" attitude when faced with a problem. Whatever happened to the good old "just deal with it" attitude of years past?
