Posted on 07/28/2013 11:23:11 AM PDT by AtlasStalled
Me too. We have a 2002 Camry and, when we bought a 2012, we just kept the 2002. The '02 has about 125,000 on it, but still runs great, doesn't use any oil and gets excellent gas mileage. I've never had any problem with sudden acceleration either.
Yes, let’s ask Hastings about how well having an electric motor control your steering works. Better, let’s ask Barnaby Jack...
If you ever have “runaway acceleration”, all you need to do is apply the brakes fully. For instance, the brakes on any of the Toyota vehicles involved in this scam can easily override the power of the engine, even at full throttle. Your automatic transmission will likely be damaged — but, you won’t have any trouble stopping.
I have often wondered if some of the “runaway” Prius events were operational tests by our security agencies to demo the feasibility of hacking into the car’s computer system.
Your truck may have been assembled in Texas but it was designed at Calty, Toyota’s original North American design studio located in Newport Beach, California.
On any vehicle that I have ever owned, and to the best of my knowledge any vehicle, only if you remove the key from the ignition. And that's by (sensible) design.
As to the brakes, they'll still work, you just need to push harder (really hard, LOL). Steering and braking are always designed to be 'fail safe' - though the harder actuating forces may catch untrained drivers unprepared.
Once had the (hydraulic) power steering rack leak badly on a road trip 1000 miles from home. Cut the belt to the pump and just went on driving. Did wonders for my arm strength by the time I got back home! (Kept driving the car that way for a few months until I found a good-priced replacement for the 'rack - (semi-classic car). Actually started to feel 'natural' once I got used to it.)
I have not tried turning off the key but I frequently shift into neutral when rolling down long grades (not supposed to do it because you have less control over the car but it saves gas).
The answer to shifting to neurtral is yes, at least on the 2011 I drive.
I'm not saying you are wrong but I can see where this is less effective as a quick response. You have two forces at work - the engine driving the car forward and the brakes trying to stop it. Neutral eliminates the forward motion immediately.
Now that might raise hell with the engine RPM's but if I saw the tach red lining my immediate reaction would be to turn off the ignition key.
Coasting down long grades in neutral will actually cost you MORE money overall because you don’t have any compression braking and you will ride the brakes. Brakes will wear our sooner. Worst-case scenario...brakes will overheat and fade, leaving you with limited stopping power. Happened to me in my Dad’s ‘66 Bonneville with all drum brakes, no discs (brake linings overheated and glazed). Fade is much less likely to occur with four-wheel disc brakes.
” I frequently shift into neutral when rolling down long grades (not supposed to do it because you have less control over the car but it saves gas).”
The old “Georgia overdrive.” There was an 18 wheeler that pulled that on I-40 approaching the Tennessee River bridge a few years back, he went over the side into the river
Most modern engines (fuel injected cars since ~1980) cut the fuel supply to ZERO when coasting in gear under load (=downhill), while at the same time providing some degree of compression braking. OTOH in neutral the engine will require fuel to 'idle' - hence coasting downhill in neutral will cost you fuel rather than save some (and brake pad wear insofar as you use the brakes to maintain speed).
Good old Newton already had figured it out: F=m(x)a.
Look at your car's performance 0-60 mph vs. 60-0 mph. The latter figure should be the much shorter time. I.e. brake power trumps engine power. (Decent brakes = 1000+ hp of decelleration). That said, removing the forward force of the engine by going into neutral in an emergency is a good idea. And the rev limiter will likely save the engine from going BOOM anyway, even if it sounds scary.
NSA commandeered a few Toyotas to support Government Motors and associated politics and union jobs?
You know they can - do you doubt their potential motives?
You only have to believe the present regime, if it couldn’t beat its superior competition, would cheat.
....
Crickets...
We’re both right.
I looked up an article in Car and Driver, that explains things better than I could. They actually have real-world data, which always helps (although, made-up data is used in more arguments).
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-to-deal-with-unintended-acceleration
I suspect that the Toyota hit was nothing more than Chicago politics at play, with Obama helping the GM unions trip up and slow down Toyota. Even though there were no supporting statistics, even Consumer Reports put an asterisk next to Toyota vehicles. They stated that there were no supporting statistics, but they were concerned with the seriousness of the government charges.
Toyota remains one of the most reliable, most safe, and cost effective vehicles you can buy!
Honda CRV allows ignition shutoff while in motion- I did same right after acquiring my new CRV.
I was on highway at speed running on cruise control- hitched myself in to more comfortable position in seat- knee clipped ignition key- no more engine, popped into neutral, hit emergency flashers, pulled to side of road.
Calmed down for 10 minutes, arranged keys so that not possible to repeat.
“Of course, if you do turn off the ignition, your steering wheel locks in whatever direction it happens to be pointing at that moment. “
No, it does not. It locks if you turn the key past the off position into the lock position.
And brakes still work without vacuum assist. You just have to press harder.
If your accelerator sticks and you can’t slow the car, put the transmission in neutral. The engine will race but it won’t blow up. If you can’t get it out of gear just turn the ignition off.
Steering will feel heavier and braking will require more effort but the car CAN be brought to a safe and controlled stop.
The above may not apply to hybrids...I don’t know how those work.
This makes no sense whatsoever. I'm guessing you have no real clue about either concept or the real issue at hand.
When you drive through a curve, whether downhill, uphill or on a plain, the determining factor of successfully negotiating that turn is the available 'grip' (I'm keeping it simple here so as not to confuse you any further) of your tires on the road. When you are braking or accelerating you are using a portion of that 'grip' that will then not be available for dealing with lateral forces (the 'curve' part of things). In fact, to maximise corner speed, you should not be either braking or accelerating at that point, i.e. you should be 'coasting'. This is why, in general terms, racing drivers get their braking done before the curve and start accelerating after the curve. (Of course they try to brake as much as possible into the curve as they try to accelerate out of the curve, but this is far beyond any level of driving skill you and most people will ever experience.)
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