Prev: Not again! - Feds probe Toyota Prius crash in NYC suburb
Next: NHTSA cannot duplicate Sikes' Prius problem
From: David T. Johnson on 15 Mar 2010 12:23
Detritus wrote:
> You know, I have owned 2 Priuses now, a 2005 and a 2010. Both fully
> loaded. I will buy another. But I have NOT had the problems these people
> are describing.
>
> Personally, I think there are several things at work here.
>
> First, nobody reads the manual. (That is the first thing I did when I
> got it home after purchase.) Therefore, these people dont know how to
> drive the car. Yes, you can point and push, but you dont know what will
> happen if you shift to neutral.
>
> Second, it seems swfully funny to me that of all these reports, NO ONE
> yet has mentioned using the B on the gearshift. For georges sake, its an
> engine brake. I use it when i am on steep inclines and it works. While
> driving at 70, it will slow me to 45 in short order. NO ONE has
> mentioned this!
>
> Third, in keeping with the understanding that the media is the
> propaganda arm of the democratic party, their current mission is to ruin
> Toyota. This is because Toyota outsells GM (Govt. Motors) and now that
> the democrats own GM, they need to boost sales. THERE is the true
> conspiracy.
>
> I turned down the offer from my dealership to have the software update
> done. The car doesnt need it. It works the way it is supposed to. I will
> purchase another Prius in a few more years. I cant wait for the plug-in
> so I dont need gas to go 3 miles to work and back!
>

Interesting comments. I've got a 2006 Prius with 80+k miles on it and
it has been an amazingly reliable car with never an accelerator hiccup.
Presumably it has the same software as every other '06 Prius. I am
not convinced that there even is a Toyota accelerator problem but, if
there is, it is almost certainly some sort of mechanical problem rather
than a software fault since a software fault would manifest itself
consistently every time the fault conditions occurred. That is the
nature of software faults. A lot of the anti-Toyota hysteria in the
media seems to be led by ABC News, for some unfathomable reason. ABC
was the one who made the 'runaway Prius' story in San Diego a worldwide
story, even though it sounded fishy as hell to anyone who drove a Prius.
How could anyone be driving down the freeway for 20 minutes at 94mph
chatting on his cell phone in the allegedly runaway Prius and not just
shift into N, put it in B as you mention, or shut off the ignition? If
I were Toyota, I would never again buy a single ad on ABC.

Toyota may have a problem with unintended acceleration in some of their
vehicles but I am convinced that they have worked diligently and
honestly to correct any problem they could find and that they are
unaware of any problem that they have not already issued a recall for.


--
Posted with OS/2 Warp 4.52
and Sea Monkey 1.5a
From: Al Falfa on 15 Mar 2010 12:34


"Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop(a)nastydesigns.com> wrote in message
news:elmop-439DAB.06024715032010(a)news.eternal-september.org...
> In article <4b9d9d2c(a)newsgate.x-privat.org>,
> "Al Falfa" <crop(a)eastforty.fld> wrote:
>
>> >> are braking toward a red light and a wheel crosses a rough or slick
>> >> spot
>> >> such as a pothole, sand, ice, or a wet manhole cover which causes a
>> >> wheel
>> >> speed variation that triggers the ABS. The regen drops out and .8
>> >> seconds
>> >> later the friction brakes kick in.
>> >
>> > ...something that happens on the previous gen Prius as well, but which
>> > no one really cares about...
>>
>> It's noticeably different in the 2010. Have you experienced this in a
>> 2010?
>> You are slowing toward a stop, hit a bump, and suddenly you have no
>> brakes
>> at all.
>
> I haven't experienced it on a 2010, but I know how it works on the
> previous gen. Happens to me all the time whenever I go over a bump or
> hit a rough spot while braking. I have a moment of not braking before
> the various sensors sort things out.

Perhaps the Gen 2 had the same problem, but in 40K Gen 2 miles I never
experienced it. I've experienced it twice in 5K Gen 3 miles, both times in
the same spot leading me to believe it is readily repeatable. The scenario
is follows: Regenerative braking is slowing the car, with pedal pressure
insufficient to force a transition to friction braking. A wheel jumps over
a small bump resulting in an instantaneous loss of traction [for that wheel]
which apparently signals the ABS system. The ABS disables regenerative
braking but there is insufficient pedal pressure to engage friction braking
and .8 seconds will pass before the ABS system does it for you.

There is a psychological element in play. The driver is slowing to a stop
using pedal pressure sufficient to the task. Essentially, the driver's mind
is made up. The car will come to a stop in 2 seconds. Say one-a-thousand
twice to appreciate how much ground can be covered as one approaches a stop.
Suddenly there are no brakes at all for about 40% of the remaining time.
It's quite noticeable and somewhat unsettling. I reacted with more pedal
pressure and either that worked or the .8 second delay elapsed, hard to say
which. It is remarkably different from the normal [in a Prius] transition
from regenerative-to-friction braking that we rarely notice.

Since the TSB applies only to the Gen 3 the Gen 2 must be programmed
differently. Changes were probably necessitated by the switch from Gen 2
rear drum brakes to Gen 3 rear disk brakes.


From: Jean B. on 17 Mar 2010 13:22
Al Falfa wrote:
>
>
> "Elmo P. Shagnasty" <elmop(a)nastydesigns.com> wrote in message
> news:elmop-439DAB.06024715032010(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>> In article <4b9d9d2c(a)newsgate.x-privat.org>,
>> "Al Falfa" <crop(a)eastforty.fld> wrote:
>>
>>> >> are braking toward a red light and a wheel crosses a rough or
>>> slick >> spot
>>> >> such as a pothole, sand, ice, or a wet manhole cover which causes
>>> a >> wheel
>>> >> speed variation that triggers the ABS. The regen drops out and .8
>>> >> seconds
>>> >> later the friction brakes kick in.
>>> >
>>> > ...something that happens on the previous gen Prius as well, but which
>>> > no one really cares about...
>>>
>>> It's noticeably different in the 2010. Have you experienced this in
>>> a 2010?
>>> You are slowing toward a stop, hit a bump, and suddenly you have no
>>> brakes
>>> at all.
>>
>> I haven't experienced it on a 2010, but I know how it works on the
>> previous gen. Happens to me all the time whenever I go over a bump or
>> hit a rough spot while braking. I have a moment of not braking before
>> the various sensors sort things out.
>
> Perhaps the Gen 2 had the same problem, but in 40K Gen 2 miles I never
> experienced it. I've experienced it twice in 5K Gen 3 miles, both times
> in the same spot leading me to believe it is readily repeatable. The
> scenario is follows: Regenerative braking is slowing the car, with
> pedal pressure insufficient to force a transition to friction braking.
> A wheel jumps over a small bump resulting in an instantaneous loss of
> traction [for that wheel] which apparently signals the ABS system. The
> ABS disables regenerative braking but there is insufficient pedal
> pressure to engage friction braking and .8 seconds will pass before the
> ABS system does it for you.
>
> There is a psychological element in play. The driver is slowing to a
> stop using pedal pressure sufficient to the task. Essentially, the
> driver's mind is made up. The car will come to a stop in 2 seconds.
> Say one-a-thousand twice to appreciate how much ground can be covered as
> one approaches a stop. Suddenly there are no brakes at all for about 40%
> of the remaining time. It's quite noticeable and somewhat unsettling. I
> reacted with more pedal pressure and either that worked or the .8 second
> delay elapsed, hard to say which. It is remarkably different from the
> normal [in a Prius] transition from regenerative-to-friction braking
> that we rarely notice.
>
> Since the TSB applies only to the Gen 3 the Gen 2 must be programmed
> differently. Changes were probably necessitated by the switch from Gen
> 2 rear drum brakes to Gen 3 rear disk brakes.
>
>

I have had the experience that Elmo speaks of in my 2005 Prius.

--
Jean B.
First  |  Prev  | 
Pages: 1 2 3
Prev: Not again! - Feds probe Toyota Prius crash in NYC suburb
Next: NHTSA cannot duplicate Sikes' Prius problem