From: Ashton Crusher on
On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:52:39 -0500, clare(a)snyder.on.ca wrote:

>On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:19:55 -0500, "Mike Hunter"
><Mikehunt2(a)lycos,com> wrote:
>
>>You mean like cutting off the bottom of the accelerator?
>
>Temporary attempt to fix an unproven problem - better than doing
>nothing, IF it had been the problem.
>
>To this point in time there is NO PROOF the throttles are sticking.
>Much less any idea WHY or WHERE they are sticking.
>
>Yes, some cars have "run away" and some people have been killed - but
>no vehicle has had the throttle stick under controlled conditions or
>in the hands of a technician who can then determine what went wrong.
>

Nonsense. They just aired a story of a guy whose Toyota did the
"runaway" thing several times. The last time it did it he called the
Toyota dealer and said he was bringing it in and he did (by shifting
it in and out of gear as needed) and left it running for the tech to
look at. The tech verified that the throttle pedal was not stuck on
anything or sticking but the engine was racing and would not stop till
they shut the car off. Toyota KNOWS this is a REAL problem, not some
confusion on the customers part, or they would not have stopped
selling cars.

>VERY perplexing for the engineers, for sure.
>>
>>"hls" <hls(a)nospam.nix> wrote in message
>>news:boydnQXttfoAyv3WnZ2dnUVZ_vSdnZ2d(a)giganews.com...
>>>
>>> "Hachiroku ????" <Trueno(a)e86.GTS> wrote in message
>>>>
>>>> Instead of 'slowing down' when an error is realized, Toyota stops
>>>> production.
>>>>
>>>> Gm would do well to learn from this. Burning Fieros, CV joints wleded to
>>>> make a FWD engine a RWD engine, etc.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Mercedes did the same thing a few years ago with that ugly A class
>>> a few years ago. They stopped sales and stopped all manufacture until
>>> they got the engineering problem fixed. A lot better move, imo, than
>>> the bandaid approach.
>>
From: clare on
On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:52:39 -0500, clare(a)snyder.on.ca wrote:

>On Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:19:55 -0500, "Mike Hunter"
><Mikehunt2(a)lycos,com> wrote:
>
>>You mean like cutting off the bottom of the accelerator?
>
>Temporary attempt to fix an unproven problem - better than doing
>nothing, IF it had been the problem.
>
>To this point in time there is NO PROOF the throttles are sticking.
>Much less any idea WHY or WHERE they are sticking.

OK - More information is out.
It APPEARS the problem is with the one part that is common to both the
drive-by-wire and linkage vehicles - the design of the actual pedal
assembly. Apparently the pedal, under some conditions can bind - but I
can't for the life of me figure out how it could bind that you could
not pull it back by getting a toe under it.

Anyway, the supplier of the pedal is going crazy trying to get a
redisigned pedal into production at all of their plants across North
America. I don't know if it is a materials problem, or what, but if
the bushing (or the entire pedal) is made from, say, nylon, and the
clearances are small enough, absorbing moisture (which nylon is real
good at,) could cause the bushing to swell and bind on the pin.

The design of a floor mat could contribute to this if it holds
moisture in close proximity to the pedal pivot.

At any rate, millions more floormats have just been added to the
recall.

Hopefully within a few days more information will be released, and the
problem will be 100% solved.
>
>Yes, some cars have "run away" and some people have been killed - but
>no vehicle has had the throttle stick under controlled conditions or
>in the hands of a technician who can then determine what went wrong.
>
>VERY perplexing for the engineers, for sure.
>>

Whether they have actually gotten pedals to stick "on command" or
whether the experience in europe has pointed them to the pedal design,
I have not heard. They must have thought the design was different
enough that the european experience did not apply directly to the
American vehicles or they would have addressed it much sooner.
>>"hls" <hls(a)nospam.nix> wrote in message
>>news:boydnQXttfoAyv3WnZ2dnUVZ_vSdnZ2d(a)giganews.com...
>>>
>>> "Hachiroku ????" <Trueno(a)e86.GTS> wrote in message
>>>>
>>>> Instead of 'slowing down' when an error is realized, Toyota stops
>>>> production.
>>>>
>>>> Gm would do well to learn from this. Burning Fieros, CV joints wleded to
>>>> make a FWD engine a RWD engine, etc.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Mercedes did the same thing a few years ago with that ugly A class
>>> a few years ago. They stopped sales and stopped all manufacture until
>>> they got the engineering problem fixed. A lot better move, imo, than
>>> the bandaid approach.
>>

From: ben91932 on

>
> In cases of runaway acceleration, I tend to believe it's driver's error.
> This however, appears to be something different.
>

I agree.
In the case of the Audi 5000, the pedals were built close enough to
allow 'heel-toe' driving.
Once Audi moved the pedals farther apart and renamed the car.. no more
problem.

This is different.
They had a sample of the pedal assembly on the news last night and
showed the sticking. It's very real.
IMHO, Toyota will come through this with flying colors.
Ben
From: ben91932 on
On Jan 27, 7:21 pm, "GIga" <a...(a)b.com> wrote:
> Just curious - what the hell does this have to do with Lexus?  My brothers
> have the same parents that I do, but I don't think their problems reflect on
> me...

Toyota makes Lexus.
Many Lexi are gussied up Toyota's.
HTH,
Ben
From: Tom on


"ben91932" <benteaches(a)gmail.com> wrote in message
news:df8c2f02-6608-4959-a6e9-6f42114a91ca(a)m6g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
>
>>
>> In cases of runaway acceleration, I tend to believe it's driver's error.
>> This however, appears to be something different.
>>
>
> I agree.
> In the case of the Audi 5000, the pedals were built close enough to
> allow 'heel-toe' driving.
> Once Audi moved the pedals farther apart and renamed the car.. no more
> problem.
>
> This is different.
> They had a sample of the pedal assembly on the news last night and
> showed the sticking. It's very real.
> IMHO, Toyota will come through this with flying colors.
> Ben

check this link camrys had trouble as early as 2004
http://www.freep.com/article/20100128/BUSINESS01/1280466/-1/WEATHER0501/Camry-red-flag-raised-in-2004