You know... - Page 3

strupgolf · 02-25-2010, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadetree930

Read the testimony ... the devil is in the details.

Car WOULD NOT STOP with key turned off.
Car WOULD NOT STOP even with adult STANDING on the brakes.

Feel free to RTFA ... and then come back to discuss.

VIDEO: Owner Describes Surviving Out Of Control Lexus - The Consumerist

Here's a partial transcript from earlier this week:

“I merged over into the second lane. Not going into passing gear. At this time, I lost all control of the acceleration of the vehicle. The car goes into passing gear and the cruise light comes on at this time. I’m thinking that maybe the cruise is what caused the car to keep accelerating, as my foot is not on the gas pedal.
I take off the cruise control, but the car continues to accelerate. To make a long story short, I put the car into all available gears including neutral, but then I put it in reverse and it remains in reverse as the car speeds to over 100 mph down the interstate.

I place both feet on the brake after I firmly engage the emergency brake and nothing slows the car.

I figure the car is going to go its maximum speed and I was going to have to put the car into the upcoming guard rail in order to prevent killing anyone else, and I prayed for god to help me.

I called my husband on the blue tooth phone system.

I knew … [pauses to keep from crying] I’m sorry.

I knew he could not help me but I wanted to hear his voice one more time.

After 6 miles God intervened as the car came very slowly to a stop. I pulled it to the left median. With the car stopped and both feet still on the brake, the motor still revved up and down. At 35 mph it would not shut off. Finally, at 33 mph, I was able to turn the engine off.

After my husband arrived, he found nothing unusual about the accelerator or the floor mats, but the strange thing was that the dash lights and the radio were still on.

After the wrecker arrived, we gave the vehicle fob to the wrecker driver. When he hooked the car and prepared to winch it on to the back, he asked my husband to put the car in neutral so he could start the winch.

The driver was standing 20 to 25 feet away at the controls. Without thinking, my husband sat down in the car without the key fob and was able to shift the car into neutral, which he shouldn’t have been able to do. When he did that the car actually tried to start itself.”

Feel free to tell us what you would do differently.

Oh come on now. This all happened after ********6 miles ****** of driving a car that would not stop. Yea right, 6 long miles with a person who cant understand what to do to stop the car. Give me a BRAKE.

930gt-40r · 930gt-40r's Garage

Yea- f*** that testimony, how do we know they are telling the truth? I doubt all of this crap.
Turning off key=no power to ecu= no juice- just as much as putting shifter into nuetral= no connection between engine and axles= an over rev (assuming the throttle plate is still open)= halting the car. sorry, just because government wants to tear the Japanese manufacturers down to make our dumps not smell so bad doesnt mean that the laws of physics will change.

strupgolf · 02-25-2010, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 930gt-40r

The Cadillac CTS is fast, Ok- but it is still a bargain basement built pile of crap that is not going to stand the test of time. It doesn't matter how much they charge for it or who it competes with- there are always going to be things that don't fit right, rattles, and more plastic than rubbermaid. Yes they made the car perform, but so what? If it isn't going to be worth anything in ten minutes whats the point? Now if you talk to me about a 70' Chevelle or 69' Charger- those are real cars that ar here 40+ years later- not these "recyclable" and unsustainable junks they make today. America fired all of its engineers and replaced them with accountants (no offense to accountants, you guys just shouldnt design cars...)

As for the labor- the shops that build the German stuff do a great job- I agree with you. Reason? Non-U.A.W and German design and German expectations.

Again, those cars from the 60's and 70's were junk. They only survive because a few people like them. Their mechanicals were so basic, the body's prone to rust out any minute, and the suspensions were so old time. Those were not "real cars" like you stated, but now-days, if you drive one you wont go over 60 and the whole thing has been repurbished.

930gt-40r · 930gt-40r's Garage

oh yea, by the way, where the hell does this women live where she can go 100+ mph with no traffic for 6 miles? I cant even get that when I bring my 930 out at 3:00 in the AM, so riddle me this!!!

Nazgul280 · Nazgul280's Garage

Tonight's local news had a Toyota Dealer owner speaking out in defense of Toyota and he stated that Ford has more reported problems with gas pedals than Toyota does.

Makes you wonder about the author of this post's original musings...I think he may be on to something.

My opinion: Anyone who actually watches these Congressional Hearings like I have all last year when they attacked my company will quickly realize that the Inquisitors are so much less intelligent than the defendants. You can literally see how uniformed they are and how slanted the questions are if you really listen to it. Sometimes they remind me of a grand old cliche: If you say nothing people may think you're an idiot, but if you open your mouth people will know you're an idiot.

930gt-40r · 930gt-40r's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nazgul280

Makes you wonder about the author of this post's original musings...I think he may be on to something.

What are you suggesting? Do you also think that there are ulterior motives involved with all of this?

Rufblackbird · 02-25-2010, 06:31 PM

I find it extremely hard to believe that putting the car into neutral or even reverse did nothing...

and really, how did she know it was 6 miles? How possible is it to be doing everything she said she was doing at 100mph and be able to know she went 6 miles?

930gt-40r · 930gt-40r's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rufblackbird

I find it extremely hard to believe that putting the car into neutral or even reverse did nothing...

Well, the not going into reverse is explainable because in auto transes have what is literally called an idiot valve that negates the tranny selecting an unreasonable gear at speed. Now I have never seen a trans that has this valve that negates neutral neutral selection at any speed. Every car I have driven was able to go into neutral while coasting and successfully disengage the engine from the wheels mechanically. It is purely a mechanical function and thats why I question the testimony. She probley switched the gear lever around so fast that she didnt notice the diffrence between drive, nuetral or park because the tranny didnt have enough time to react.

Rufblackbird · 02-25-2010, 07:22 PM

that's true...cars nowadays have that idiot proof feature. I remember accidentally hitting reverse in a parking structure in mom's minivan years ago...it did not sound good!

jwasbury · 02-25-2010, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 930gt-40r

I dont know about the hybrids, but if you throw a car into nuetral, you are disconnecting the mechanical connection between the engine and the wheels, so WTF?

I'm not so sure this is always true Kris. My mother has a late model BMW 5 series ('07 or '08) which I've driven several times. I don't think there is any mechanical connection between the "gear selector" and the transmission. You press a freaking button on top of the "stick" to put it in Park.

island911 · 02-25-2010, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rufblackbird

I find it extremely hard to believe that putting the car into neutral or even reverse did nothing...
...

I suspect that the trans is controlled by a computer ... the driver just gets a vote on what he wants the car to do.

930gt-40r · 930gt-40r's Garage

True for the bimmers and such- Toyota doesnt have their varient of "I-drive" yet (save for Lexus) I just drove one of the newish tundras (09') and it has a mechanically activated trans.

island911 · 02-25-2010, 08:30 PM

wow; even the hybrids? ...two motors ...engaged at different times...

Rufblackbird · 02-25-2010, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by island911

I suspect that the trans is controlled by a computer ... the driver just gets a vote on what he wants the car to do.

dammit, should've tried putting the rental prius I had for a few days into neutral or even reverse on the freeway to see what happens...

I have a feeling reverse while going 60mph would be bad in my Tundra though...