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Forum: General Talk
02-03-2010, 01:13 PM
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'With the Audis, it was about not being in reverse. People starting to jump forward, thinking they were in reverse, and trying to go 'more backward' By stomping the gas.'
I worked for them (factory) and the issue was unintended accelleration meaning the car aquired super God-like power and was unstoppable going forward. I have heard of no cases going backwards. The CBS program's notorious example was a minister's wife unfortunatly killing a child by pinning it against a garage wall. It turns out and later admitted that she was turned to the rear seat tending a child back there with the engine running, in a forward gear and her foot slipped off the brake pedal and she mashed the gas pedal to the floor. CBS panned in on the tire rubber marks on the garage floor. Very sad situation of course but the vehicle was not at fault. Audi made a video of a full throttle test with a turbo model in a glass windowed showroom. They then took it on the road and filmed a number of full throttle at speed situations where the brakes always overcame a full throttle and the vehicle's speed situation repeatedly. This, I recall, went up to about 100++MPH.
Then the deluge of law suits and sap sucking attorneys from every flake that had a parking lot foot mix up. Mercedes even got them. The Pres of Mercedes at the time told one local know-it-all friends' Ferrari driving on occasion air line plane driver to go see his insurance co. Which was a correct response.
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Forum: General Talk
02-03-2010, 12:20 PM
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'Phil I've had a pedal stick in my old Pontiac. It over heated the brakes before I got to 50. I shut her down. That car didn't have rev limiters and the engine cost me a heck of a lot of time to build.'
I can't argue with that. Many older domestics had really $hitty brakes, especially the drum variety and very much so with trucks. Most modern cars (discs) will overcome engine HP as well as vehicle inerta fine. If they won't come to an absolute stop they will get the speed down to something very low. Lots of variables of course vehicle load included, but most modern ones will do it fine. It's easy enough to try out. Vacuum boosted brakes can loose the vacuum boost eventually as the throttle remains partial or wide open. It does take more pedal pressure of course. There is still neutral and the key back ups.
RML's example of the CHP family car at 120 MPH I just don't believe the car could not be stopped. I can be wrong but that one sounds like a few of the old Audi claims that were all debunked. It may have happened but certainly the driver factors in there real big. If someone had time to call 911 and have conversation time, I think the driver perhaps should not have been driving anything.
I made it down from the top of Mt Haleakala Maui with no brakes in a Renta-a-Wreck (domestic) rental speaking of $hitty brakes.
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Forum: General Talk
02-03-2010, 11:49 AM
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Just in the news, this is funny now:
'Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said he misspoke today when he said owners of recalled Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles should stop driving them until the company fixes a defect causing sudden acceleration.
LaHood sought to clarify his remarks in comments to reporters after a congressional hearing. He said that if owners are in doubt, they should take their cars to the dealership.
In earlier comments to a House Appropriations panel in Washington, LaHood advised drivers to “stop driving it and take it to a Toyota dealer.”
“What I said in there was obviously a misstatement,” LaHood told reporters. “If you own one of these cars, take it to the dealer. If you are in doubt, take it to the dealer and have them fix it.” '
LaHood Says Comment on Toyota Was ?Misstatement? (Update1) - Bloomberg.com
I think I could do better at Homeland Security as well as Sec of Transportation. Just another reason to be warey of the gov't giving you the rupture test combined with a prostate check by the illegal gay postman. It's good to support political patronage.
If your interested:
Secretary LaHood said he would bring President-elect Obama’s priorities to the Department and see them effectively implemented with a commitment to fairness across regional and party lines and between people who come to the issues with different perspectives.
Before becoming Secretary of Transportation, LaHood served for 14 years in the U.S. House of Representatives from the 18th District of Illinois (from 1995-2009). During that time he served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and, after that, on the House Appropriations Committee. Prior to his election to the House, he served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Robert Michel, whom he succeeded in representing the 18th District, and as District Administrative Assistant to Congressman Thomas Railsback. He also served in the Illinois State Legislature.
Before his career in government, Secretary LaHood was a junior high school teacher, having received his degree from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. He was also director of the Rock Island County Youth Services Bureau and Chief planner for the Bi-States Metropolitan Planning Commission in Illinois.
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Forum: General Talk
02-03-2010, 11:35 AM
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'Hit the Brakes (Car & Driver)
Certainly the most natural reaction to a stuck-throttle emergency is to stomp on the brake pedal, possibly with both feet. And despite dramatic horsepower increases since C/D’s 1987 unintended-acceleration test of an Audi 5000, brakes by and large can still overpower and rein in an engine roaring under full throttle. With the Camry’s throttle pinned while going 70 mph, the brakes easily overcame all 268 horsepower straining against them and stopped the car in 190 feet—that’s a foot shorter than the performance of a Ford Taurus without any gas-pedal problems and just 16 feet longer than with the Camry’s throttle closed. From 100 mph, the stopping-distance differential was 88 feet—noticeable to be sure, but the car still slowed enthusiastically enough to impart a feeling of confidence. We also tried one go-for-broke run at 120 mph, and, even then, the car quickly decelerated to about 10 mph before the brakes got excessively hot and the car refused to decelerate any further. So even in the most extreme case, it should be possible to get a car’s speed down to a point where a resulting accident'
Snippet from:
How To Deal With Unintended Acceleration - Tech Dept. - Auto Reviews - Car and Driver
GM tests Pontiac Vibe brakes against unintended acceleration in wake of Matrix recall — Autoblog
SUPERCELL FORUMS • View topic - My full throttle braking tests! |
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Forum: General Talk
02-03-2010, 10:43 AM
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Forum: General Talk
02-03-2010, 10:06 AM
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Just having flash backs to the CBS fabricated Audi 'unintended acceleration' flim flam. The media in that case took a complete BS 60 Minutes program and damn near sunk a manufacturer. CBS finally, very low key, admitted 'an error'.
If you are driving a Toyota, your magic brake pedal will overcome any engine acceleration your motor can possibly generate intentionally or unintentionally. Other options are shift to neutral and flip the key off. Be aware of the steering lock mechanism. If you doubt this, try mashing the gas pedal at 50MPH while applying the brakes very hard. Like magic the car will stop, overcoming the vehicle inertia as well as all the max power your put put can make.
I have listened to a number of TV and radio talking heads on this and I can't believe the horse $hit flying about this.
The Obama gov't is now saying you should park your Toyota, all 2,X million of them and call Toyota immediatly. I think the girl on the switch board at your dealer will be quiting. Better yet call Obama and see if he will provide transportation to work for you and if not will he make up the lost salary for 2.X million workers for a few weeks.
Here is the news release:
Transportation Secy: Don't Drive Recalled Toyotas - wcbstv.com
The Audi problem was a total fabrication, this Toyota deal appears to be very genuine but I believe the media is making far more out of this than reality dictates. The technology has changed to throttle-by-wire rather than a mechanical linkage. Toyota is a responsible co with plants in the US and I am sure they will get it handled as soon as humanly possible. I worked for a competitor of Toyota and have no interest in them.
Soon you will be seeing every Toyota accident being blamed on this deal. That's what happened to Audi. Every screwed up driver will be looking for an excuse.
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