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So I was going thru a sales brochure that a co-worker had and noticed this in it. It was some sort of towing sway control option where if the trailer starts swaying it reduces engine output and selectively actuates the brakes.
This sounds like an accident waiting to happen. I've only been towing since '88 , either a 26' enclosed snowmobile trailer (#7500 loaded) or boats , usually between #6000 to #11,000. And what I was always taught was if the trailer started swaying either reach down and tap the electric trailer brakes or floor it and if your truck has enough power you can pull out of the sway. Having an engine that is reducing power without your control sounds like a very bad idea. And most of the boat trailers I've towed don't have electric brakes so how will the system "selectively" apply braking ?
Anyone else notice this or heard of this system ? What are your opinions ?
Never heard of this, but I agree it sounds like a bad idea. If it works perfectly, OK then, but when it gets old and cranky, I could see it doing more harm than good.
These systems apply braking at individual wheels and manipulate the throttle to reduce or eliminate sway. They take advantage of ABS, the electronics that control it, etc - components that are largely already on the vehicle. It is a natural extension to the traction and stability controls already common on many vehicles.
Unless the "software" is bad, I don't see why these systems should be any less reliable than stability control. I have no personal experience with them, but I bet they act faster than most drivers can.
These systems apply braking at individual wheels and manipulate the throttle to reduce or eliminate sway. They take advantage of ABS, the electronics that control it, etc - components that are largely already on the vehicle. It is a natural extension to the traction and stability controls already common on many vehicles.
Unless the "software" is bad, I don't see why these systems should be any less reliable than stability control. I have no personal experience with them, but I bet they act faster than most drivers can.
Just watched the video. Maybe I'm just old or stubborn but I just don't have faith in anything that takes over throttle control .. there have been times in my past that WFO helped control the situation. If I didn't have the power on tap I would have lost control. Now that being said back when ABS came out, I was all over that and I completely trust it so Im not against computer controlled things.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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After all the Toyota issues anything that uses the computer to control important functions on a vehicle is cause for worry. Think about the number of times you see the blue screen of death or have a freeze on your PC. All of them have some degree of computer controls now but the least the better for me. Of course, when it comes to the 2011 Explorer, it wouldn't be on the short list anyway, butt ugly.
After all the Toyota issues anything that uses the computer to control important functions on a vehicle is cause for worry. Think about the number of times you see the blue screen of death or have a freeze on your PC. All of them have some degree of computer controls now but the least the better for me. Of course, when it comes to the 2011 Explorer, it wouldn't be on the short list anyway, butt ugly.
Those issues seems to lead to driver error, not Toyota's.
These systems apply braking at individual wheels and manipulate the throttle to reduce or eliminate sway. They take advantage of ABS, the electronics that control it, etc - components that are largely already on the vehicle. It is a natural extension to the traction and stability controls already common on many vehicles.
Unless the "software" is bad, I don't see why these systems should be any less reliable than stability control. I have no personal experience with them, but I bet they act faster than most drivers can.
Those issues seems to lead to driver error, not Toyota's.
The last I read was that the labs investigating the "problem" could not find a single case where the Toyota system had been faulty. They were all cases of drivers stomping on the accelerator instead of the brake and then complaining about gaining speed.
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