Final Toyota woes report due today.

[Fuel Miser]

Final report on Toyota woes due today

Associated Press / February 8, 2011

WASHINGTON ? The government plans to release the findings of its investigation into runaway Toyotas today, completing a 10-month review that could address whether faulty electronics played a role in the Japanese automaker?s safety recalls.

The Transportation Department said its study examined whether electronics or electromagnetic interference were factors in reports of Toyotas accelerating unintentionally.

Toyota has recalled more than 11 million vehicles since fall 2009 to address sticking accelerator pedals, pedals that snagged on floor mats, and other safety issues.

In August, transportation officials said a preliminary review did not reveal any electronics flaws.

Toyota paid a record $48.8 million in fines for its handling of two recalls. The company has said it has not found any flaws in its electronic throttle control systems and said the previously announced recalls have addressed the safety concerns.

Toyota has begun installing override systems on new cars that automatically cut the throttle when the brake and gas pedals are applied at the same time.

? Copyright 2011 Globe Newspaper Company
http://www.boston.com/business/artic...oes_due_today/

[dieselbenz]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20110...ctronic-causes
It was all a bunch of BS from incompetent drivers.

[theholycow]

Electronic or otherwise I still think there was something not quite right with Toyota's systems, but either way the big problem wasn't the electronic throttle, it was the other systems that didn't work as expected.

The throttle plate is mechanical and can get stuck whether controlled by a cable or a computer, that's a fact of life. Besides the throttle plate itself, the cable or the computer can get stuck, that's also a fact of life. Interfaces for backup safety systems like shutting the engine off and shifting to neutral need to work as expected, preferably in a standardized way.

When you start messing with those interfaces it becomes difficult to recover from a stuck throttle.

So you go to turn the key but there's no key. You press the "Start" button but it doesn't work the way it works every day when the car is in Park because they added a delay for shutting it off while driving...a deadly delay.

You try to shfit to neutral but the shifter isn't there, it's been replaced by a dial or buttons; or it's got some weird lockout; or it's facing the wrong direction; or it doesn't obey your shift (maybe because you're still flooring the accelerator).

That's the real problem, and most manufacturers are guilty. Toyota had something more going on, maybe it was a floor pan design that made doubled-up floor mats catch the accelerator, maybe it was something else...but when it's all said and done a stuck throttle should NOT equal loss of control.

[dieselbenz]

Well NASA studied it for a year and found out what we already knew: Toyota driver's are incompetent.
And a few just straight lied about it.
http://jalopnik.com/#!5755213/govern...ius-was-a-hoax

[VetteOwner]

Originally Posted by theholycow

Electronic or otherwise I still think there was something not quite right with Toyota's systems, but either way the big problem wasn't the electronic throttle, it was the other systems that didn't work as expected.

The throttle plate is mechanical and can get stuck whether controlled by a cable or a computer, that's a fact of life. Besides the throttle plate itself, the cable or the computer can get stuck, that's also a fact of life. Interfaces for backup safety systems like shutting the engine off and shifting to neutral need to work as expected, preferably in a standardized way.

When you start messing with those interfaces it becomes difficult to recover from a stuck throttle.

So you go to turn the key but there's no key. You press the "Start" button but it doesn't work the way it works every day when the car is in Park because they added a delay for shutting it off while driving...a deadly delay.

You try to shfit to neutral but the shifter isn't there, it's been replaced by a dial or buttons; or it's got some weird lockout; or it's facing the wrong direction; or it doesn't obey your shift (maybe because you're still flooring the accelerator).

That's the real problem, and most manufacturers are guilty. Toyota had something more going on, maybe it was a floor pan design that made doubled-up floor mats catch the accelerator, maybe it was something else...but when it's all said and done a stuck throttle should NOT equal loss of control.

good points, several times a year my chevette's throttle cable sticks (not redline but 2-3K) do i freak out? no. do i loose steering? no, can i turn the key off? yes, can i shift to neutral? yes Can i push the clutch in AND brake? yes

my jimmys floor mat makes it stick but i have the same options as stated above.

i mean really whats the appeal of pushbutton start and gear shift and all these damn interlocks???? are we really that fat, lazy, and mostly retarded????