Runaway Prius driver: Brakes were 'almost burned' [But he wouldn't shift into neutral!]

Yahoo News ^ | 2010-03-10 | ELLIOT SPAGAT

[999replies]

“I’m a liberal and therefore smarter than the CHP or 911 dispatcher”.

I think you captured the whole problem in one sentence.

[urtax$@work]

This story doesn’t pass the smell test to me. 11 posted on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 8:40:14 AM by RushIsMyTeddyBear

. I concur .

[jiggyboy]

I find it curious that the CHP was so nearby.

I've written here on FR at least three four times that since the beginning of 2010, on some of the major CA interstates, some days I see a CHP car literally every ten miles for two hours solid. With income tax down and sales tax down, they're on a full court press for speeders and expired tags.

[Frantzie]

This is BS. He wants to make money suing Toyota. I am sure he will be part of a class action lawsuit. Just watch.

I bet they called the TV media and CNN before he started his adventure. This is so fake.

[TankerKC]

All people are devious and jump at the chance for the “quick kill” so they don’t ever have to work again.

Maybe you would, but you don't speak for me...

[hal ogen]

I think Government Motors (GM) is sending out union dupes to stage problems with Toyotas. Isn’t that what competition is all about in nobama world????

[Frantzie]

It is not stupidity. This was a set up for a class action lawsuit and more Obama destroying Toyo to get UAW thugs in Toyo factories.

This is a “hit” on Toyota.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

From the “Toyota Dealer” thread;
“”There is a list of twenty manufacturers on these recall lists, and Toyota is number 17,” he said. “If we’re having hearings on number 17, what are they doing about numbers 1 through 16?”

[Don Carlos]

Lawsuit or United Auto Workers action. You choose.

[paul51]

"He was very emotional, you could tell on the line he was panicked," Parks told reporters outside the CHP's El Cajon office. "I could only imagine being in his shoes and being that stressed stupid."

[cripplecreek]

No kidding. The last thing I want to do is waste years of my life looking for easy money at someone elses expense. Some of us actually have a conscience.

[perfect_rovian_storm]

Stick it where the good Lord split ya, pal. You may not like it, but my way works just as well, if not better for someone who doesn’t know the key position you’re talking about. Hell, I wouldn’t event trust that.

Grow up or take a pill and calm down. If you want to stop the car another way, go to town. I’ll stick with the method that I’ve successfully used in this situation in the past.

Have a nice day.

[ROLF of the HILL COUNTRY]

“..GM after its clunker-humiliation.”

I'm no fan of the way GM handled its financial affairs, but in all fairness, most of their vehicles were good; not clunkers.

1978-1984 yeah they were, same as Ford's were. For the past 20 years, they've been producing great cars and trucks. So, knock off the anti-American rant!

Now, having said that, there's still something fishy about the Toyota mess. If nothing else, the way the media are on hyperdrive in their coverage. And this guy was obviously looking to cash in!

[poindexters brother]

Sikes told reporters he didn't go into neutral because he worried the car would flip.

Yeah, it sounds stupid, but keep in mind that what you are reading isn't necessarily what he said. It has been filtered through the mind of a know-nothing journalist.

As my brother says, "If you want to see someone get the simplest thing wrong, tell something to a journalist"

Also, in computer-controlled, fly-by-wire systems, there is no direct linkage between the shift lever and the transmission. If the computer is already going haywire due to a software issue, there is no reason to believe that it will respond to any of the driver controls, including the "stop/start" button, the transmission, or the gas pedal.

I'm sure we've all experienced this type of non-responsiveness with our own computers.

[justlurking]

Isn't there an emergency 'off' button for the electric motor? Assuming that was the mode of propoulsion during the incident?

The Prius has a "power switch" for the entire drive system.

The vehicle could not have been powered solely by electrical power in this incident. The Prius is limited to about 50 mph and can only travel a few miles on electrical power alone -- and this mode only occurs if you run out of gas.

[jiggyboy]

Also, no manufacturer is going to manufacture a car that would lock up the steering wheel if the key was turned off while it was engaged and rolling.

Absolutely, completely the opposite of reality. Well, since 1970 or so. Try your own car and post details here if I'm wrong.

[999replies]

Remember, all people lie. All people are devious and jump at the chance for the “quick kill” so they don’t ever have to work again.

Nothing narrow minded or jaded there.

[IYAS9YAS]

Also, no manufacturer is going to manufacture a car that would lock up the steering wheel if the key was turned off while it was engaged and rolling. Imagine the lawsuits as people said they accidently turned the key off or the engine started on fire OR as in these cases, the car overrevved.

Most newer automatics won't even let you turn the key to the removal/lock wheel point if the car is in anything other than park or neutral - that is a built-in safety mechanism. Not sure how it works in some of these new cars where the start function is a button. I've seen some where you turn a key, and others where you simply insert it.

[tiki]

Having had it happen to me I don’t understand it either, I don’t know how he had time but I was in a, stop now or people will die, situation and I’m ashamed to say I really panicked and didn’t know what to do so I asked my 12 year old son and he said, “Shut it off.”, and I did.

[jiggyboy]

NUMMI production ends April 1.

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