Kamikaze Kars

the other "Steve", as in Wozniak. This is odd, since he's complaining that his Prius, built in Japan, is experiencing acceleration problems too. This begins to look more and more like some sort of computer problem, or electromagnetic interference from some source (cellphones?) on these vehicles. Also, I mentioned "bad caps" on motherboards starting around 2005, and those ended up not just in desktop and laptop computers but in many other items too, probably automotive computer systems. I wonder if some of the problems we see developing now could be due to that. Although most of the bad capacitors were Taiwanese, there were some Japanese produced bad caps too.

That's one reason my current motherboard is a Gigabyte all solid capacitor MA785G-UD3H.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/35202321/site/14081545?__source=yahoo|headline|quote|text|&par=yahoo

Toyota has always maintained there's no problem with the Prius.

Now Japan's Ministry of Transportation wants to make sure the gas-electric hybrid is safe. It's ordering Toyota to investigate a rash of complaints about braking problems with the Prius. Here in the U.S., the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received 102 complaints. Among those now questioning their Prius is Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. He says his Prius unintentionally accelerates. If it does unintentionally accelerate like millions of other Toyota's, it creates an even bigger headache for the Japanese automaker. The recall for faulty gas pedals has focused on models built in North America. Cars and trucks build in Japan have been cleared by Toyota. That would change if the Prius models were found to unintentionally accelerate. That's because Toyota builds the Prius in Japan.

Seems he's on the hook for speeding in his Prius. Something starting to not pass the smell test for him.
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http://www.cnbc.com/id/35216106
Steve Wozniak is no stranger to lead-foot syndrome. He was famously pulled over for speeding when authorities clocked his Prius at 105mph, and slapped with a $700 fine for his efforts. I have detailed Woz's mobile mania, from his speeding tickets to his almost obsessive love of his fleet of Segways. Woz has joined the chorus over Toyota's sudden acceleration issues and those sticky gas pedals that are dominating the media discourse nowadays. Woz reportedly says his 2010 Prius can unintentionally accelerate to as much as 97mph when he's on cruise control. I'll try to reach Woz later this morning to see if he wants to re-open his traffic cases with this "new evidence" and a new defense.

...everyone with a speeding ticket in the past couple years in a Toyota will be trying to get it overturned. Just remember to tell the officer at the time, "It just took off on me!" or probably will be tossed, if not laughed out of court.

I'm trying to figure what LaHood's agenda(if any)is.They're coming out of the woodwork on this one

I've been a Toyota master tech for over 20yrs and I've seen it all.I've been to the regional headquarters with other master techs to be instructed on the current "fix".I can say this,no tech in the entire NY region has ever seen or been able to confirm a case of unintended acceleration.Sure,we've all seen the occasional driver nail the gas instead of the brakes,cream the car and say the car "took off"(much like Woz transferring the blame for his speeding tickets).

Toyota's attention to detail in the current concern is exemplary.We take our jobs quite seriously and are required to check even the "JT" vehicles with our laptop scanners.We must supply Toyota with printouts of the live and monitor data of the 15-20 computer systems in every vehicle,no exceptions.

I don't know enough about the alleged Prius complaint to comment but I'm quite familiar with how the braking system works.Much of the braking force you feel when stopping a Prius is not the brakes themselves but the 2 motors in the transaxle slowing the car.The car's brakes take over at the very last moment to stop the car,the "pedal feel" is built in to fool you.This is why the brake pads on a Prius will last well over 100K before replacement!

There are redundant systems built in,the system would set a code if there was any type of "interference".No,cell phones are not a concern for interference in the Prius.The system has no alternator,it has an invertor/convertor that supplies the 12V systems and works off the 288V main battery and charges the 12V aux batt.

There is a very small window where it switches from regen braking to the mechanical brakes.

About time someone in this runaway administration of Czars got called on the carpet for over aggression and running off at the mouth. They all seem intent on seeing who can talk the toughest. Of course the consumer is concerned with safety, so everything beyond that is politics as usual.

if I was and had stock in Toyota, I'd hold it. If I had none, I'd start buying some soon. My wife has a 2000 Camry that, besides oil changes, brakes, tires and other general maintenance items has only been in the shop for one problem...a faulty oxygen sensor that caused no driving problems. Except for the way she junks up the interior with all her school crap, the car cleans up to almost immaculate condition. A few scratches but no rust in 10 years...and still has the original exhaust. To me this speaks well of what Toyota can do but perhaps, like in most manufacturing segments, some quality has been sacrificed over the decade. I'd trust Toyota to bounce back quickly. We'll consider another one, I'm sure. I bought Corollas for my kids to use in College and have had only one problem. A starter died on the first one...a '96 we bought used. I replaced it myself for about 100 bucks. Unfortunately, my daughter totaled it while driving in the rain or we might still have it. It was replaced with an '05 that hasn't had a hiccup in almost 5 years.

There was a day when I said I'd never have a Japanese car as the first ones I remember weren't good at all. They drove like buckboards and rusted quickly in northern winters from road salt corrosion. Toyota fixed all of that while people buying from Detroit were still relying on Ziebart and Rusty Jones in the aftermarket. I think they'll be ok.

Toyota will regain the confidence it earned over the years.

And it is smart to ride out the ups and downs.

if enough people sell, there will be enough people who realize the recalls were not that common for Toyota, so will buy the stock while it is low.

Angeline

I bought a 2010 Corrolla and when I call the dealership they keep telling me that I'm unable to bring my car in for the fix. Toyota is not handling this recall very well. Obviously, I know all you have to do is throw the thing into neutral but I want the piece on the pedal just in case.

but nothing happens instantly. Consider that it's only been just recently that the H1N1 vaccine has been readily available but we've been hearing about it since last Fall. From the time the pedal problem was isolated to when the redesign "fix" was determined was quite short in comparison. Consider that the manufacturer of the part has to tool up to produce a massive number of replacement parts is nothing that happens overnight and, if it does, the quality of replacement parts will be suspect. If it's just a mechanical problem with the pedal, just take it easy with the accelerator for the time being and you should be ok. The news media wants us to panic. They enjoy the ability to do that. I'd rather take away their fun. Drive sensibly and be patient.

I'm waiting to see what happens in the case in the story below. If a lot of documents are released, it might cause PR trouble.
Link to the story:
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toyota-lawyer3-2010feb03,0,7374631.story

lawyer may not be so much about exhibiting ethical behavior as being self serving.

Could it be that, every time he approaches an automobile dealership, he sees the lights go out, blinds drop and a "Closed" sign suddenly on the front door?

"he served 6months in The Army in 1959"

Trying to find any info on Nader's illustrious military career is like trying to find obama's senior thesis,it ain't out there.Either that or it's where I can't find it

I wonder if the clown has "bad paper".

Last year Ford "added" 4.5 million older model vehicles to the cruise control recall.

For the past ten years, Ford has been doing a dance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and consumers over the issue of leaking cruise control switches in certain company vehicles. As of 2008, it had recalled some 9.6 million vehicles to repair a faulty Texas Instruments cruise-control deactivation switch, and now after a NHTSA investigation, the Blue Oval has added 4.5 million more Ford and Mercury vehicles to the recall.

That's why I am suspicious of its authenticity.

...the police are only minutes away.

When David W. Gilbert testified in front of Congress on 2/24,he manufactured the problem he testified about.A problem that could never happen in the real world,Gilbert is a lying scam artist.

This 8min video rips his congressional testimony down to the lie it was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3gQWGZ8uBw

I've not heard of him. I went back to the article and checked the names in it, including the author. I don't see a Kane or Gilbert. What's the connection?

I doubt those 2-3 wires are just waving around singly under the hood. Most times wires are wrapped or put in plastic tubing and it's often likely that wires get bared at the same point because of that. In the past it's been one of the more common ways for shorts to happen, between wires, wrapped next to each other, both impacted by something that knicked or rubbed against them till bare wire was exposed.

Also he'd have us believe this only happens in the wires, but since the wires are coming through a firewall the short could happen at the firewall connections, where once again many wires are all bundled together closely.

His description of the sensor may or not be accurate. I know in past, the cars I've worked on had sensors that had minimum and maximum values which related in the onboard computer to whatever programmed values were in it. Sometimes by totally removing the plug from a sensor, or shorting across the plug, you could achieve either minimum or maximum value.

For example, one of the things most likely to fail on Chrysler products in years past were the MAP sensors (Manifold Absolute Pressure). The car could be driveable or completely disabled unable to keep running although usually able to crank since the MAP didn't kick in until the start cycle was finished. The easiest road repair enabling someone to drive the car to a dealer was to simply disconnect the MAP sensor. The onboard computer either ignored it or set at a middle value and then relied on the other sensors alone. End result is someone could drive the car without advancing the timing too much if they didn't try to accelerate too fast and thereby make it to a service center.

So, does that mean the Toyotas have a problem with the sensor or sensors controlling the throttle and timing, thereby the speed? If the problem can't be found in the computer programming, the sensors should also come under scrutiny, but ONLY on the cars where the problems are reported. For cars without the problem, it makes no sense to look at them to discover it.

Electronic problems are commonly intermittent. Nothing I hated worse in a car than tracking down a short that was intermittent. Some sensors may be messing up intermittently too.

I can't believe all these people are messing up on how they are driving, causing the problem while looking to blame Toyota for it. Some maybe, but I believe the majority of them are honest about it. Trying to blame the victim is not the proper approach.