ExiledInIllinois Posted March 13, 2010 Author Share Posted March 13, 2010 Say it aint so! The guy was lying?!?! Toyota wasn't to blame?!?! You were right Fez and JA! Still doesn absolve Toyota from their engineering problems now and in the past. The sad part about this is what that guy does to all the legitimate claims... Especially with an unscrupulous company like Toyota. This only entrenches you guys into more of a anti-consumer/protectionist stance. All one can do is hope a legit problem doesn't happen. Like I said before, I never disputed that it could be a hoax... Actually, said it would take some balls to do it... I did weigh heavy against it giving more faith in humankind. I was wrong. I am still going to err on the side of protecting the consumer first and foremost. This story won't change my beliefs that people are mostly good, it shouldn't. I believe I have the right approach for the sake of people who may be victims. Let justice and truth shake out. Which in this case it did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 15, 2010 Author Share Posted March 15, 2010 Did anybody here what the guy's (with the Prius in Cali) lawyer said: "It is like a "ghost in the machine", at times it may seem fine and can't (the fault) be repeated." "Can't read the code." Blah blah blah... He's got a point... Like with anything that is controlled by computers. I am not bringing up what has been said about this or that... I think we have killed that horse. Any comments on what the lawyer said? IMO, it is down right scary if we have computer controls systems THAT MAY behave like that. I mean it (what he said) is plausible. This doesn't mean I think he is not lying either. I mean the auto industry really brought it on themselves with some of the proprietorship technology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 You were right Fez and JA! Still doesn absolve Toyota from their engineering problems now and in the past. The sad part about this is what that guy does to all the legitimate claims... Especially with an unscrupulous company like Toyota. This only entrenches you guys into more of a anti-consumer/protectionist stance. All one can do is hope a legit problem doesn't happen. Like I said before, I never disputed that it could be a hoax... Actually, said it would take some balls to do it... I did weigh heavy against it giving more faith in humankind. I was wrong. I am still going to err on the side of protecting the consumer first and foremost. This story won't change my beliefs that people are mostly good, it shouldn't. I believe I have the right approach for the sake of people who may be victims. Let justice and truth shake out. Which in this case it did. And me, ya bastard. bull ****. The gas and electric motors COMBINED put out 110hp. You are not going to do 90 mph in a Prius with the brakes engaged. In fact, I was first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 Regarding that recent Toyota Prius driver who "claimed" his car was accelerating.... Toyota Hybrid Horror Hoax So why did he do it? Sleuth work at the Web sites Jalopnik.com and Gawker.com reveals that Sikes and his wife Patty in 2008 filed for bankruptcy and are over $700,000 in debt. Among their creditors is Toyota Financial Services for a lease on a 2008 Toyota Prius, with value at time of bankruptcy of $20,494. The Jalopnik Web site shows a copy of Toyota's secured claims form, though when Jalopnik questioned Sikes by e-mail he denied being behind on his Prius payments. Sikes also has a history of filing insurance claims for allegedly stolen items that are slowly coming to light. In 2001 he filed a police report with the Merced County Sheriff's Department for $58,000 in stolen property, including jewelry, a prosumer mini-DV camera and gear, and $24,000 in cash, according to Fox40 in Sacramento. His bankruptcy documents show a 2008 payment of $7,400 for an allegedly stolen saxophone and clothes. For what it's worth, Sikes owned and operated a Web site called AdultSwingLife.com. Amazing. And of course scumbags like this who put other peoples' lives at risk will never see a day of jail time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 AP Source: Toyota to cast doubt in Prius case "Every time the technician placed the gas pedal to the floor and the brake pedal to the floor the engine shut off and the car immediately started to slow down," the memo read. Tom, Fez, I believe both of you have a Prius, is this what should happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 AP Source: Toyota to cast doubt in Prius case "Every time the technician placed the gas pedal to the floor and the brake pedal to the floor the engine shut off and the car immediately started to slow down," the memo read. Tom, Fez, I believe both of you have a Prius, is this what should happen? I wouldn't be surprised of the engine stalled under those conditions. I'm not willing to test that on my car, though. I did, however, see if I could accelerate from 60mph against brake pressure. Nope. Not even light brake pressure, with the gas pedal floored. Didn't stall the engine, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 I wouldn't be surprised of the engine stalled under those conditions. I'm not willing to test that on my car, though. I did, however, see if I could accelerate from 60mph against brake pressure. Nope. Not even light brake pressure, with the gas pedal floored. Didn't stall the engine, though. You're not willing to floor the brake and gas at the same time going 60mph? Gutless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted March 15, 2010 Share Posted March 15, 2010 I wouldn't be surprised of the engine stalled under those conditions. I'm not willing to test that on my car, though. I did, however, see if I could accelerate from 60mph against brake pressure. Nope. Not even light brake pressure, with the gas pedal floored. Didn't stall the engine, though. Come on you Mary you can do. Rush hour on the Cabin John. Come on you wimp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 16, 2010 Author Share Posted March 16, 2010 That model year must have had "brake priority." Good for Toyota! Some kept on saying that some models/years did NOT. I am not saying this was legit or defending it either way... Nobody commented on the "ghost in the machine" comment. Is it physically possible? Plausible? Ghost in the machine? But Gilbert's work--the subject of Toyota's webcast--is something of a diversion at this point. Toyota demonstrated fairly definitively that a wiring fault similar to the one he used to make cars run away is very unlikely to occur in the real world. But Gilbert was trying to prove something else entirely. As Eric Evarts noted on the Consumer Reports blog, "In his Congressional testimony, Gilbert says this shows Toyota's system is not infallible. His primary conclusion is that his test should have triggered an error code. In his report, he does not claim his procedure explains how unintended acceleration occurs in the real world." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynical Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 QUOTE (DC Tom @ Mar 9 2010, 11:34 AM) *bull ****. The gas and electric motors COMBINED put out 110hp. You are not going to do 90 mph in a Prius with the brakes engaged. In fact, I was first. Actually, yes it probably could. It has more to do with torque than HP. And that would be assuming the Prius did NOT have the brake override system already in place. The Prius does, as all Toyota hybrids are supposed to have. This is what makes the Sikes claim questionable. However, it is also possible his car is an "exception" (got the wrong module, or one not properly programmed), or the reality that even electronic parts fail (even intermittently), so you will excuse me if I still do not take a side in the Sike's claim at this point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted March 16, 2010 Share Posted March 16, 2010 Actually, yes it probably could. It has more to do with torque than HP. And that would be assuming the Prius did NOT have the brake override system already in place. The Prius does, as all Toyota hybrids are supposed to have. This is what makes the Sikes claim questionable. However, it is also possible his car is an "exception" (got the wrong module, or one not properly programmed), or the reality that even electronic parts fail (even intermittently), so you will excuse me if I still do not take a side in the Sike's claim at this point. No, it probably couldn't. People have tried it with more powerful cars (torque and HP) and failed. The Prius is a light weight, low-power car that brakes well. You're not going to overpower the brakes with the motor. Try driving one. I'm so tempted to submit this whole discussion to MythBusters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Another Toyota involved in a crash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Movinon Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Another Toyota involved in a crash Toyota just can't catch a break Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Brakes vs. motors... http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/...ation-tech_dept Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 President asks NAS & NASA to get involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 3, 2010 Author Share Posted April 3, 2010 President asks NAS & NASA to get involved. Ghost in the machine... Thank God it is not John's daughter's computer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beerball Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Ghost in the machine... Thank God it is not John's daughter's computer! huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 Toyota hit with $16M fine over recalls in US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Monday that documents obtained from the Japanese automaker showed that Toyota knew of the problem with the sticking gas pedals in late September but did not issue a recall until late January. The sticking gas pedal recall involved 2.3 million vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted April 5, 2010 Share Posted April 5, 2010 I have now personally witnessed one instance of the "stuck gas pedal" syndrome...on our '09 Tacoma, with my wife driving. Mechanical (as opposed to electrical) issue - the pedal itself didn't recover to a "neutral" position when she took her foot off it; she had to tap it to free it up. Still didn't overpower the brakes, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meazza Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 I have now personally witnessed one instance of the "stuck gas pedal" syndrome...on our '09 Tacoma, with my wife driving. Mechanical (as opposed to electrical) issue - the pedal itself didn't recover to a "neutral" position when she took her foot off it; she had to tap it to free it up. Still didn't overpower the brakes, though. How much are you going to sue for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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