Toyota Runaway Cause: Electronic Throttle/Cruise Control?

On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:12:20 -0600, Al Falfa wrote:

>> And why call 911? Did they figure Scotty was going to beam them out of
>> the car?
>>
>> Ed
> Under the circumstances, panic was very likely a factor. Putting one's
> car in neutral under such unusual circumstances is not a conditioned
> response.

Last time something like this happened to me, I was 19. I also am not a
CHiP. I knew enough to put the car in neutral and kill the motor.

On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:09:39 -0600, E. Meyer wrote:

>> And why call 911? Did they figure Scotty was going to beam them out of
>> the car?
>>
>> Ed
>>
>>
>>
> "The guy was supposedly..."; "Supposedly the car was a Lexus..."; "Since
> it was reportedly a rental..."
>
> I feel like I'm reading a court transcript or a CYA newscast. Are you
> guys all lawyers?

Pre law.

"Hachiroku ãƒ�ãƒ�ãƒ*ク" > wrote in message
news
> On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:12:20 -0600, Al Falfa wrote:
>
>>> And why call 911? Did they figure Scotty was going to beam them out of
>>> the car?
>>>
>>> Ed
>> Under the circumstances, panic was very likely a factor. Putting one's
>> car in neutral under such unusual circumstances is not a conditioned
>> response.
>
> Last time something like this happened to me, I was 19. I also am not a
> CHiP. I knew enough to put the car in neutral and kill the motor.
>
I don't know if the Lexus is like the Prius but there is nothing intuitive
about shifting from a Prius from Drive to Neutral. The shift lever is
always resting in the neutral position. After playing with this for a while
it seems the fastest way to get from drive to neutral is to pull it into the
drive slot and then move back to the neutral slot. Is this what you did
when you were 19?

On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:39:56 -0600, Al Falfa wrote:

>
> "Hachiroku ãƒ�ãƒ�ãƒ*ク" > wrote in message
> news
>> On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:12:20 -0600, Al Falfa wrote:
>>
>>>> And why call 911? Did they figure Scotty was going to beam them out of
>>>> the car?
>>>>
>>>> Ed
>>> Under the circumstances, panic was very likely a factor. Putting one's
>>> car in neutral under such unusual circumstances is not a conditioned
>>> response.
>>
>> Last time something like this happened to me, I was 19. I also am not a
>> CHiP. I knew enough to put the car in neutral and kill the motor.
>>
> I don't know if the Lexus is like the Prius but there is nothing intuitive
> about shifting from a Prius from Drive to Neutral. The shift lever is
> always resting in the neutral position. After playing with this for a
> while it seems the fastest way to get from drive to neutral is to pull it
> into the drive slot and then move back to the neutral slot. Is this what
> you did when you were 19?


Nah. I pushed in the clutch and shifted into neutral.

"Don Stauffer" > wrote in message
...
>
> Consider the Prius is drive by wire and shift by wire. Also, the car has
> ABS. Theoretically a signal could hold the brake bypass open. A computer
> malfunction could cause a lot of havoc.
>
> I have owned two cars that had a sticking throttle problem, but they were
> both stick shift and my first impulse was always to depress the clutch.
> Since my new Prius is automatic (and computer controlled at that) I am a
> bit worried. I am thinking of engaging parking brake and testing full
> throttle. The parking brake does seem to be a purely mechanical deal.
>
> Before my retirement I worked in the aerospace industry, and have seen
> products (not from my employer but from another company) that made me feel
> uncomfortable in their fly-by-wire implementations. And those were quad
> redundant. I suspect my Prius control computer has NO redundancy.

See
http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/u...f/brakemap.jpg
or http://tinyurl.com/yjr2b3l which is the hydraulic diagram from the NHW20
Prius. During normal operation (no faults, HV batt less than 82% SOC) SMC
1&2 are both closed and SCSS is open. When you brake the pressure sensors
(PMC 1&2) and the stroke sensor tell the brake ECU how hard you want to
brake and the HV (hybrid vehicle) ECU applies regenerative braking
accordingly. The stroke simulator is there merely to give you a normal pedal
"feel". If you brake too hard for regeneration to soak it all up or the HV
batt is at 82% the brake ECU modulates SLAFR (Solenoid Linear Apply Front
Left), SLRFL (Solenoid Linear Release Front Left), ETC. to allow fluid from
the accumulator and thus the assist pump motor to flow to the wheel
cylinders to apply them. The rears are applied first to help maintain
proper brake balance.

If a fault occurs or all electrical power is lost SCSS closes and SMC 1&2
open and the brake system functions exactly like any other unassisted
hydraulic braking system would, except the rears are not applied.

Daniel Who Wants to Know wrote:
> See
> http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/u...f/brakemap.jpg
> or http://tinyurl.com/yjr2b3l which is the hydraulic diagram from the NHW20
> Prius. During normal operation (no faults, HV batt less than 82% SOC) SMC
> 1&2 are both closed and SCSS is open. When you brake the pressure sensors
> (PMC 1&2) and the stroke sensor tell the brake ECU how hard you want to
> brake and the HV (hybrid vehicle) ECU applies regenerative braking
> accordingly. The stroke simulator is there merely to give you a normal pedal
> "feel". If you brake too hard for regeneration to soak it all up or the HV
> batt is at 82% the brake ECU modulates SLAFR (Solenoid Linear Apply Front
> Left), SLRFL (Solenoid Linear Release Front Left), ETC. to allow fluid from
> the accumulator and thus the assist pump motor to flow to the wheel
> cylinders to apply them. The rears are applied first to help maintain
> proper brake balance.
>
> If a fault occurs or all electrical power is lost SCSS closes and SMC 1&2
> open and the brake system functions exactly like any other unassisted
> hydraulic braking system would, except the rears are not applied.
>
>

Thanks, Daniel.

On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:26:39 -0800, john wrote:

> A Prius owner tried to resume her cruise control, and then the car
> accelerated out of control.
>
> http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=8982147
>
> http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/RunawayToyotas/

The new cruise controls do not cancel below 30 MPH like the old ones did.

It's in the Owner's Manual.

During my years selling Toyotas, I always believe Toyota buyers were not too
swift by agreeing to pay us so much more to buy one of our Toyotas, rather
than one of the domestics we also sold. However, I would expect they would
be savvy enough to place the tranny in neutral and apply the brakes, rather
than lose control of their car and run off a cliff, but apparently some of
them are not very savvy. LOL



"Hachiroku ????" > wrote in message
news
> On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:26:39 -0800, john wrote:
>
>> A Prius owner tried to resume her cruise control, and then the car
>> accelerated out of control.
>>
>> http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=8982147
>>
>> http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/RunawayToyotas/
>
> The new cruise controls do not cancel below 30 MPH like the old ones did.
>
> It's in the Owner's Manual.
>
>
>

On Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:17:13 -0800, jr92 wrote:

> On Nov 4, 10:26Â*pm, john > wrote:
>> A Prius owner tried to resume her cruise control, and then the car
>> accelerated out of control.
>>
>> http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=8982147
>>
>> http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/RunawayToyotas/
>
>
>
> I had the same problem happen to me many years ago. My '76 Pinto had the
> throttle stick wide open. After about 8 minutes, and a top end speed of
> about 67mph, I found a cotton field and ran it into it, slowing me down
> enough that I could jump out of the car before it hit a fence post. I
> wasnt hurt, but it cost me 94 bucks to replace the bumper that was busted,

Could have definitely put that car into neutral, shut off the engine and
coasted to a stop...>
>
>
> Point being, how the hell does a Toyota PRUIS "ACCELERATE OUT OF
> CONTROL" under ANY conditions?????????????

I think the correct term is "Operator Error".

On Nov 4, 10:26*pm, john > wrote:
> A Prius owner tried to resume her cruise control, and then the car
> accelerated out of control.
>
> http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=8982147
>
> http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/RunawayToyotas/



I had the same problem happen to me many years ago. My '76 Pinto had
the throttle stick wide open. After about 8 minutes, and a top end
speed of about 67mph, I found a cotton field and ran it into it,
slowing me down enough that I could jump out of the car before it hit
a fence post. I wasnt hurt, but it cost me 94 bucks to replace the
bumper that was busted,



Point being, how the hell does a Toyota PRUIS "ACCELERATE OUT OF
CONTROL" under ANY conditions?????????????