The Toyota Witch Hunt
businessweek.com
The Toyota Witch Hunt
1–10 of 111 posts
Re: The Toyota Witch Hunt
#2Wow. A wonderful article.
The real question is, just how in-control is the computer. And how much has to go wrong such that uncontrollable acceleration happens and nothing can override that acceleration such that no matter what you do the computer makes the car go into "drive" and accelerate to the max, without responding to other parts of the system like the breaks and such.
Re: The Toyota Witch Hunt
#3Thank god! I have heard only from people who buy into the witch hunt (and an excellent name for it, that is). I am really very glad to see I'm not the only person who realizes most of it is ridiculous and overblown. Hell, even if the gas pedal corroded AND the floor mat held it down, has not one of these drivers even though to reach down and PULL the goddamn thing up?
I pray people realize this is folly... I don't know what we're gonna do if stupidity brings down the pillar of the auto industry, through no fault of it's own.
Re: The Toyota Witch Hunt
#4Wow. A wonderful article. The real question is, just how in-control is the computer. And how much has to go wrong such that uncontrollable acceleration happens and nothing can override that acceleration such that no matter what you do the computer makes the car go into "drive" and accelerate to the max, without responding to other parts of the system like the breaks and such.
short answer - the brake system has to suffer a mechanical failure. read the part where "brakes always win over engines".
Re: The Toyota Witch Hunt
#5Thank god! I have heard only from people who buy into the witch hunt (and an excellent name for it, that is). I am really very glad to see I'm not the only person who realizes most of it is ridiculous and overblown. Hell, even if the gas pedal corroded AND the floor mat held it down, has not one of these drivers even though to reach down and PULL the goddamn thing up? I pray people realize this is folly... I don't kn…
see audi circa 1987.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi#Reported_sudden_unintended...
Re: The Toyota Witch Hunt
#6This whole Toyota debacle makes me wonder if competing car companies buy cars made by other manufacturers and poke at them in the hopes of having something just like this happen.
Re: The Toyota Witch Hunt
#7Wow. A wonderful article. The real question is, just how in-control is the computer. And how much has to go wrong such that uncontrollable acceleration happens and nothing can override that acceleration such that no matter what you do the computer makes the car go into "drive" and accelerate to the max, without responding to other parts of the system like the breaks and such.
The accelerator pedal would have to be immovable, frozen in place.
The ignition switch would have to lock or otherwise malfunction
The shift lever or clutch or automatic shift lever would have to malfunction
The brakes would have to overheat (does not really happen much in a production car). It is not 100% true that brakes will always overpower the engine, but the cases in which they don't are the ones with massive 700hp engines with big 'ol turbos and stock drum brakes, and in that situation it's the owner's responsibility.
There would also have to be no runaway truck exits.
If you were creative and knew something about cars, you could pull one of many fuses from the fuse box. On cars I've serviced, the computer fuse is always in the driver kick panel, so just rip off that panel and start yanking fuses while watching the road.
It should be noted that the e-brake on fwd cars is not your best choice (though still a decent choice); while a locked up wheel provides drag, it does not apply as much drag as a rolling wheel with maximum braking (which can easily be obtained cause of ABS). Also at extreme speeds you run the risk of a spin, which puts you possibly at risk for a roll.
Re: The Toyota Witch Hunt
#8I hold the conspiracy theory that these issues are being so aggressively sought out in an attempt to bring Toyota's image down to the level of American auto manufacturers.
Re: The Toyota Witch Hunt
#9Thank god! I have heard only from people who buy into the witch hunt (and an excellent name for it, that is). I am really very glad to see I'm not the only person who realizes most of it is ridiculous and overblown. Hell, even if the gas pedal corroded AND the floor mat held it down, has not one of these drivers even though to reach down and PULL the goddamn thing up? I pray people realize this is folly... I don't kn…
Witch hunt is a great word. When I watched a CNN clip of one woman giving evidence about her "broken" Lexus I felt a very strong analogue to Arthur Miller's The Crucible.
Re: The Toyota Witch Hunt
#10Wow. A wonderful article. The real question is, just how in-control is the computer. And how much has to go wrong such that uncontrollable acceleration happens and nothing can override that acceleration such that no matter what you do the computer makes the car go into "drive" and accelerate to the max, without responding to other parts of the system like the breaks and such.
The accelerator pedal would have to be immovable, frozen in place. The ignition switch would have to lock or otherwise malfunction The shift lever or clutch or automatic shift lever would have to malfunction The brakes would have to overheat (does not really happen much in a production car). It is not 100% true that brakes will always overpower the engine, but the cases in which they don't are the ones with massive 7…
There is about a .000000001% chance you just saved my life. Thank you. (edited math)