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Runaway Toyota Prius reached 90 mph - police
Reuters ^

Posted on 03/09/2010 8:02:35 AM PST by Sub-Driver

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To: Sub-Driver

Paging Mr. Nader...that car sounds UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED to me.....


61 posted on 03/09/2010 8:35:54 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
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To: Don Corleone
The Prius has a "Start" button that is activated by the presence of an RF fob in the car, and the brake peddal depressed. While running, pushing the button will shut off the power plant.

Why all these run-away cars? Panic and ignorance. Too many folks are just too damned dumb to be allowed to drive!

62 posted on 03/09/2010 8:35:54 AM PST by Redleg Duke
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To: DoughtyOne
Folks, shift into neutral, move over to the side of the road and press on the brakes during the process

The Prius has a shift-by-wire system. The gearshift selector merely tells the PCM what gear is desired, and servo motors in the tranaxle performe the actual operation.

It seems conceivable that if the vehicle control systems are ignoring the driver inputs from the electronic accelerator pedal, they could also be ignoring the driver inputs from the electronic gear selector.

Here's a PDF from Toyota: https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfoPortal/staticcontent/en/techinfo/html/prelogin/docs/2ndprius.pdf

"Electronic Gearshift Selector

The Prius elecronic gearshift selector is a newly developed momentary select shift-by-wire system that engages the transaxle in Reverse, Neutral, Drive, or engine Brake modes."
63 posted on 03/09/2010 8:36:22 AM PST by chrisser (Starve the Monkeys!)
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To: cweese

I think he was about to get a ticket and used the pedal defense.


64 posted on 03/09/2010 8:36:25 AM PST by MaxMax (Conservatism isn't a party)
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To: Mr Rogers
I had never heard of such a thing, but it seems plausible that on a Prius, the computer might decide you didn’t really want neutral, and not give it to you.

And then the GPS Navigation unit says "I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that."

65 posted on 03/09/2010 8:37:09 AM PST by VRWCmember
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To: Mr Rogers; All
The controls ON ALL MODERN AIRCRAFT "simply input into a computer..." and have been that way in military aircraft for over 30 years.

It's called "fly by wire" and has a rock-solid reputation for reliability. Such systems are so reliable that complex aircraft which would otherwise be uncontrollable by the best pilots (the B-2 Spirit, "flying wing" for example)--are actually controlled by computers, with the pilots through their controls only giving the craft pretty much general direction...

Yes Virginia, it is possible to have failsafe electronic controls...

This story of the Toyota really is unbelievable. Either the guy is REALLY stupid, or, this is a hoax.

The ghost in the machine story doesn't fly...

66 posted on 03/09/2010 8:38:38 AM PST by AnalogReigns
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To: Sub-Driver

All you conspiracy theorist are full of crap. Toyota has a problem that is either too costly to fix, or they don’t entirely know what to fix. I.e., it may well be software that is the root cause.

If this whole “sudden acceleration” problem is nothing more than a GM quid-pro, then why isn’t Honda being taken down?


67 posted on 03/09/2010 8:38:45 AM PST by Diplomat
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To: FreePaul
What was the MPG at 90 MPH? The world needs to know.

14.3 MPG. And at the same speed a BMW M3 will do 16.1 MPG

Top Gear: they test for what the sane never consider

68 posted on 03/09/2010 8:41:06 AM PST by Oztrich Boy (great thing about being a cynic: you can enjoy being proved wrong.)
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To: chrisser

Then Chrisser, it does sound as if it could be possible for the electronic system to have been faulty. I do still submit that in the midst of such an event, a lot of folks would be stumped as to what to do, shifting into neutral not being considered.

Try asking your wife or a few of your friends what they would do if their gas peddle stuck. Most will say press on the brake real hard and try to stop. I tried this on a friend and they didn’t think of putting the car in neutral.


69 posted on 03/09/2010 8:41:44 AM PST by DoughtyOne (If we as Republicans can't clean up our house, who can or will? Just say no to MeCain(D).)
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To: Mr Rogers
The gear knob on a Prius isn’t attached to the transmission. It is simply an input to the computer. Freaky!

That sort of setup is unworkable.

:)

70 posted on 03/09/2010 8:43:39 AM PST by TankerKC (Law Enforcement IS Big Government.)
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To: LouAvul

Just put it in neutral. Sheesh. Freaking rocket science.


71 posted on 03/09/2010 8:48:10 AM PST by SAJ (Zerobama? A phony and a prick, ergo a dildo.)
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To: UriÂ’el-2012

Why, thank you!

Recently, I had the whole “Letter to my Children” by Whittaker Chambers on it, and got a Freepmail from both Whittaker Chamber’s grandson and Jim Robinson.

Copyright infringement...Jim didn’t tell me to take it down, just a heads up. I sure wasn’t going to argue...not my website!


72 posted on 03/09/2010 8:50:53 AM PST by rlmorel (We are traveling "The Road to Serfdom".)
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To: equalitybeforethelaw

“This is hugh and series.”

No! It’s a mute point, and is irrevalunt!


73 posted on 03/09/2010 8:53:08 AM PST by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: chrisser

They need a kill switch that kills the electric Motor and the gas engine in the prius that won’t re-set unless the car is in park and they key is cycled a few times.


74 posted on 03/09/2010 8:54:43 AM PST by GraceG
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To: Diplomat

“If this whole “sudden acceleration” problem is nothing more than a GM quid-pro, then why isn’t Honda being taken down?”

One principle in politics is you take one enemy down at a time. The Toyota recall damage to the company is on a roll...so why would they disperse their energy by focusing on another car maker?

I don’t doubt that there is a technical problem with certain Toyotas—and the Dems and UAW are only exploiting it. So the initial problem is not a conspiracy, HOWEVER the exploitation of it is....

Modern cars which are all computer controlled (to one extent or another) are VERY (VERY) complex, therefore, it’s to be expected that there are (minor) glitches...in every single brand. But why all the focus ONLY on Toyota?

Has GM, Ford, Chrysler, BMW, Hyundai, Honda, etc. had NO safety recalls involving electronics in the past year? Of course they have...but not piled-on in the news from the US government in any way like has happened to Toyota.

The fact that Government Motors’ biggest world-wide rival is Toyota, doesn’t raise red-flags for you? It should...


75 posted on 03/09/2010 8:54:52 AM PST by AnalogReigns
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To: rlmorel
I'm an Army brat.

Brats and Juniors are unique people.


76 posted on 03/09/2010 8:55:16 AM PST by Uri’el-2012 (Psalm 119:174 I long for Your salvation, YHvH, Your law is my delight.)
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To: Sub-Driver

Jeff Dunham comments on the Prius.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNz1itJ1pd8


77 posted on 03/09/2010 8:55:40 AM PST by Jack Hydrazine
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To: Mr Rogers

Thanks for the additional info. I don’t know much about the Prius. Still...if you went 30 miles and had 20 minutes to regain some composure I’d like to think you’d try to shut the damn thing off.


78 posted on 03/09/2010 8:56:26 AM PST by GBA
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To: Don Corleone
Turning off the key doesn’t work? When all else fails....
79 posted on 03/09/2010 8:57:06 AM PST by AngelesCrestHighway
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To: TankerKC

If the F16 was stuck with the same automotive design, prototyping and testing protocol that the Prius is it WOULD be unworkable. Fly-by-wire seems to be too sophisticated and trouble prone at this stage in time for cars and riding lawnmowers.


80 posted on 03/09/2010 8:58:35 AM PST by steve86 (Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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