OK, who has tried this line on a trafic cop?
- Thread starter gofastgeorge
- Start date
the MKIII brake system as a vacuum reserve for two pumps of the brake pedal. Shut the engine off and hit the brakes to slow down if need be you have 1 more time to hit it again if you get off for any reason to slow the car down normally. After that super hard brakes.
IJ.;1509189 said:Better to just shut the ign off and coast to a stop that way you still have steering and brake assist
From what I have read elsewhere, the CHP officer that initiated all this by crashing his rental lexus at insane speeds, couldn't have done this. Apparently, there was a computer malfunction; not a real big deal in our cars that only control the EFI system. But in a new Lexus, with the flappy paddle gear box (i.e. no shifter), keyless entry and keyless starting, and drive by wire throttle... if the computer decides that it's gonna shit the bed and keep the engine running, you're FUCKED.
The computer shifts all the gears and shifts the trans into neutral. If it decided on some glitch that the transmission is forever in 3rd gear, you're hootched. The ECU controls the throttle directly, the gas pedal is just a play thing that's indirectly connected to the throttle body through the traction control and stability control systems. If the ECU doesn't like idle or anywhere in between and decides to stick the throttle at 100%, you're screwed. The ignition is also controlled by the ECU, the key location system that lets the ECU know the owner is in the car and let the engine start button get pushed... is also controlling the system that would respond to the engine stop button. Should any of those systems malfunction, you're Shit Out of Luck. Should all of them fail at once... well, bury the brakes to bring it down to a reasonable speed and then hit something very hard and immobile.
Long story short, the ECU controls everything in the vehicle, not just the engine. It would seem that just pulling the key out or putting it in neutral, or even unsticking the gas pedal would have been the first thing to do... but imagine there isn't a key in the ignition, or a gear selection stick with a neutral position, and the gas pedal is in its normal, resting position... but the car is still hurtling down the motorway at full tilt?
Well, that's bad isn't it?
I bet all that fancy computer shit ain't such a great idea now.
Poodles;1509977 said:
I agree, and from what I've heard there are usually two failsafes on most drive-by-wire systems. I would think Toyota of all companies would have this in place; but if not, big fail on their part.
I personally wouldn't feel comfortable in a car without some sort of manual override.
Poodles;1509977 said:
It's in my opinion that the consumer and general public is being lied to. I refuse to believe that a police officer, of all people, would not know what to do in a throttle jam situation. Officers take atleast a basic performance driving course, defensive driving, and specifically highway patrol officers, spend alot of time behind the wheel. He'd have known what to do.
On those grounds, I will agree with you that there had to be failsafe systems: that failed. Toyota's computer system on board had an enormous brain fart and people died... now they're scrambling to A) fix the problem, and B) save some semblance of their reputation. If a news headline read:" TOYOTA MOST DANGEROUS VEHICLES ON ROAD: COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONS MAY RISK THE LIVES OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY"... ain't no one gonna be buyin' shit from Toyota.
Since I got into cars I've watched them get more and more electronically complicated and I've said time and again, eventually it'll come around and fail. If we put all our eggs in one basket, eventually someone will drop that basket and make a big damn omlette. Seems Toyota was the first to drop the basket. It was only a matter of time until someone fucked up.
on the topic of getting pulled over in our 20+ year old sports cars and saying the throttle stuck, lets obay the speed limits and laws and not give them a reason to pull us over and show them there is a difference between being the owner of a import sports car and a ricer.
on above comment..... doesn't those systems run on millivolts? anything showing over or under it allowed range will automaticly close the throttle? i would want to believe that a room full of engineers would think of a way to make sure this doesn't happen.
shutting the engine off, if you are on a highway, you should have plenty of run off room to hit the sholder and turn off your car and get it stopped. i used to race my dad's 71 Olds 442 W-30 with no power brakes from the factory. was able to stop it in plenty of time in the shut down area. just saying even if you have no power brakes you should be able to stop your car safely as long as you don't panic.
on above comment..... doesn't those systems run on millivolts? anything showing over or under it allowed range will automaticly close the throttle? i would want to believe that a room full of engineers would think of a way to make sure this doesn't happen.
shutting the engine off, if you are on a highway, you should have plenty of run off room to hit the sholder and turn off your car and get it stopped. i used to race my dad's 71 Olds 442 W-30 with no power brakes from the factory. was able to stop it in plenty of time in the shut down area. just saying even if you have no power brakes you should be able to stop your car safely as long as you don't panic.
Poodles;1509642 said:
+1, I think that most modern computer controlled cars are pretty good with this. Even my grandparent's 07 mustang has a soft rev limit at 4000 rpms if its in park or neutral and there is no load on the engine, and thats a good 2500 rpms short of the redline.
Keros;1510326 said:
umm
not or anything but everytime you get your butt in an airplane, what do you think controls engine, tail functions etc? It is not levers and pullies, it is all electronic based. Specifically they call it hydro-electrical systems that makes the most high end car look likes childs play. "Fly by wire" is not new.
Anyway,
Car and Drver did a test on this very thing (throttle= 100%) while applying brakes and inlcuded a 500 rwhp mustang Roush nd 100mph to 0 stops.
Results?
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/how_to_deal_with_unintended_acceleration-tech_dept
Absalutely Figgie, but airplanes have backups of backups... Cars do not.
I find it alarming that the truth of the matter seems very shrouded in speculation. Regardless of floormats, software errors, or ECUs getting a mind of their own, I suppose my overall point is that we simply do not know precisely what the problem is... there's alot of marketing and rumours surrounding what really happened in that CHP officers car before the crash. The simple fact that alot of news reports are alluding that it's not just floormats that's the problem, even if Toyota is saying it is, seems that there's plenty of lies going around.
Perhaps I was harsh in my response about drive by wire... but I still wouldn't buy one. Call me ol' fashion, but I like having a throttle cable and a clutch.
I find it alarming that the truth of the matter seems very shrouded in speculation. Regardless of floormats, software errors, or ECUs getting a mind of their own, I suppose my overall point is that we simply do not know precisely what the problem is... there's alot of marketing and rumours surrounding what really happened in that CHP officers car before the crash. The simple fact that alot of news reports are alluding that it's not just floormats that's the problem, even if Toyota is saying it is, seems that there's plenty of lies going around.
Perhaps I was harsh in my response about drive by wire... but I still wouldn't buy one. Call me ol' fashion, but I like having a throttle cable and a clutch.