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Location: Still in Portland, Oregon, for some reason
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This thread is not, I repeat NOT meant to be yet another Toyota bashing thread. It is simply an observation that I have made after having purchased my new car in September and it's proof that Toyota's issues have made the auto industry sit up and take notice.
My new 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe has an electronic throttle but I don't mind. I couldn't help but notice the increase in warnings about floor mats, either. Not only did the 2010 model get two retention posts for the mat instead of one, the carpeted mats that came with the car included a bright orange warning label that stated not to stack floor mats and to make sure they are secured. The rubber mats I bought for the winter season also came with this label that also insisted I not remove the warning. I did it anyway. I don't stack mats and I know how to fit them, thank you very much.
The precautions don't end there, either. Hyundai adjusted the position and changed the shape of the accelerator pedal, as well. It is shorter and positioned higher up now and even when fully depressed, leaves a great deal of clearance between the edge of the pedal and the floor. Clearly this is done to prevent an unsecured floor mat from jamming up underneath the pedal. There is also a greater distance between the two pedals, I'm assuming to avoid driver confusion and panic should a UA incident occur. Not only that but it now comes with a brake override that I discovered out of curiosity. If the gas pedal is depressed beyond a certain point and the brake pedal is pressed, the throttle immediately goes back to zero. The brake pedal must be released before the throttle will respond again.
I found this rather interesting and it's proof that the car industry does pay attention to these things.
I honestly could never understand why most drivers couldn't switch their car into neutral if it started accelerating unintentionally. Scary, yes. But a bit overhyped.
Basically with the NSTA finding it really has been over blown. Even then the number of compaints as shown by conputer wasn't even different enough to recognise on toyotas. Reminds me of the results of teh Exploer ;firestone tire probelem. result to install tire pressure monitors to tell people you need to check the tires.
I honestly could never understand why most drivers couldn't switch their car into neutral if it started accelerating unintentionally. Scary, yes. But a bit overhyped.
thats simply because they won't make the news then and get the big payoff law suit..
The OP's point though is a good one. Car manufacturers do not want any hint of DEATH caused by one of their vehicles.
It costs nothing to design an accelerator pedal that won't get stuck with stacked or incorrectly installed floor mats. So I think we will see many vehicles with different gas pedals in next year or two.
The car carpet police are gonna come bust you for takin off their tags.
This morning backing my 85 volvo wagon out of the barn my foot slipped off the clutch and the car sort of lurched for it. I had a little ice on my boots I guess.
The odd thing on this cable driven throttle body is the car acceled to 3,000 RPM all by it self. I stopped with the engine reving in orbit, dropped it into 1st gear and away we went. I drove the 1/2 mile driveway stopped to turn and drove back all in auto throttle mode.
I figured i must have broken a vacuum line somewhere. I shut the engine off and it sputtered a bit being at a way to high rpm. Popped the hood and checked the throttle plate linkage for stuck or a frayed cable end. nada. looked over all the snake pit vac lines and didn't find anything wrong there either.
Started the car and it was normal, go figure.
My best guess is the CIS motor Constant Idle Solenoid went to wide open at the cold start controll that allows more metered air to a cold start system, and or it's flutter valve jammed.
So it doesn't have be a freak wild carpet ride, or a bad rehostat on a fly by wire system to get un-controlled RPM.
Back in 1984 or so my dad and I was traveling in his suburban. He states out loud that he has been riding the brakes as the engine was speeding up on it's own. He slips it in neutral and we get off at a off ramp. One of the solenoids on the carb was increasing the fuel volumne. I forget if it was vacuum or electric but we disabled it and drove home.
On newer vehicles now you can turn off the key fully and still have steering control, as long as you do not remove the key! Years past you had to turm back a small partial turn, all the way back would lock steering.
thats simply because they won't make the news then and get the big payoff law suit..
Probably. Although, I talked to someone in my family and she said if it happened to her she would have tried to brake and she wouldn't have thought to shift to neutral. She's definitely bright, just doesn't think much about cars. A lot of people don't really have much of a clue.
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