Telly
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2003
- Messages
- 2,395
In the last few weeks the stories are increasing about Toyotas (including Lexus) suddenly deciding that they want to live life fast, real fast. And the poor drivers are powerless to rein them in.
I just don't understand. Whether it is caused by a mis-positioned rubber floormat that catches the accelerator, or whether there is a very rare glitch in the drive-by-wire system, what about the driver?
A case in point is the off-duty California hwy patrolman in his 2009 Lexus with wife, daughter, and SIL in the car going down a CA freeway. Car suddenly accelerates, going faster and faster. Braking does not help. SIL in backseat calls 911. You probably have heard the 911 tape by now.
They run out of road at 100+ MPH, all are killed.
Remember, this particular case is a hwy patrol officer. But he never thought to put the trans in neutral?!?!
Most cars and trucks of today have an engine rev limiter, if you put it into neutral with the throttle wide open, the computer turns off the fuel injectors till the revs drop low enough, to protect the engine. But even with old carbureted engines, or older fuel injection systems that did not have an engine rev limiter, if you're flying down a highway out of control and think you're gonna die, the hell with the engine! A flying piston is better than a flying car!
Why haven't any of these people done the obvious? How could a hwy patrolman NOT put it into neutral to defuse the situation? I find myself talking back to the news stories on internet, or talking back to the TV screen. I just don't understand.
Have "we" lost so much of the concept of automobiles that we need a big orange button in the center of the dash that says "PANIC" on it, that pressing that will solve whatever the problem is?
I just don't understand. Whether it is caused by a mis-positioned rubber floormat that catches the accelerator, or whether there is a very rare glitch in the drive-by-wire system, what about the driver?
A case in point is the off-duty California hwy patrolman in his 2009 Lexus with wife, daughter, and SIL in the car going down a CA freeway. Car suddenly accelerates, going faster and faster. Braking does not help. SIL in backseat calls 911. You probably have heard the 911 tape by now.
They run out of road at 100+ MPH, all are killed.
Remember, this particular case is a hwy patrol officer. But he never thought to put the trans in neutral?!?!
Most cars and trucks of today have an engine rev limiter, if you put it into neutral with the throttle wide open, the computer turns off the fuel injectors till the revs drop low enough, to protect the engine. But even with old carbureted engines, or older fuel injection systems that did not have an engine rev limiter, if you're flying down a highway out of control and think you're gonna die, the hell with the engine! A flying piston is better than a flying car!
Why haven't any of these people done the obvious? How could a hwy patrolman NOT put it into neutral to defuse the situation? I find myself talking back to the news stories on internet, or talking back to the TV screen. I just don't understand.
Have "we" lost so much of the concept of automobiles that we need a big orange button in the center of the dash that says "PANIC" on it, that pressing that will solve whatever the problem is?