Author Topic: Runaway Prius in California sounds BOGUS (Read 1287 times)

blind ear · « **on:** March 10, 2010, 06:23:35 AM »

The follosing was cut and pasted from NBCLA on YAHOO

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/around-town/cars/Runaway-Prius-Needs-Help-to-StopCHP-86965487.html

C&P:
[Putting Runaway Prius in Neutral Didn't Work: CHP

Parks also suggested to Sikes to hold his ignition key in the off position for more than five seconds and to grab onto the gear shift and force the Prius out of gear but throughout the 911 call released Tuesday, it was unclear if Sikes attempted those suggestions.]

Neutral was not mentioned in the clip nor in the print article other than to say it wasn't clear if it was tried.

In the posted comments at the end of the article, "put it in neutral" was mentioned in several. All of the general public isn't as dumb as the media is.

It appears the media is trying once again to create more than actually happened or didn't happen. eddiegjr

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #1 on:** March 10, 2010, 08:47:55 AM »

After listening to some of this nonsense I have a theory to put forward.

Far too many people ignore all the feedback from the car. They have no idea how and why a car works the fact that they are getting down the road is good enough for them.

Lets say your accelerator does get to sticking down. You being important and far to busy to get to a shop decide you can just ride the brakes and get to work, from there tha Toyo dealer can come get this thing. Riding the brakes is working, as most of us know your engine can't over come the brakes. Now this plan is going along swimmingly, sure it ain't ideal but Ya Gotta get to work. Now you are smelling this horrible smell "ick it smells like a semi in a traffic jam in here", Well that is your brakes telling you they have just about had all they are going to take. Being the expert you are in how far you have to go you know you have been at this for ten minutes without any real problems and another fifteen and you'll be home free. This is when you have exceeded the design limitation of your brake system and the fun begins.

I haven't got an answer for why you don't just cut the motor off or why you don't knock it into nuetral (maybe riding the brake has the tranny bound up). I'm also confused as to why more people don't drown in their showers every morning. I owned a Mustang that was good for twisting the frame and locking the throttle open. Kill the motor for about a tenth of a second problem cured, continue foolishness.

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #2 on:** March 10, 2010, 08:55:48 AM »

My boss is now on a trip to So Cal and has a Prius as a rental car.
I said with all the stuff going around on them if you are about to get pulled over on the freway for speeding or if you miss a stop sign or light just scream that the car is out of control and gesture that the cop needs to stop you.
Heck if I had a Toyota I would be speeding every where.
Most of the time by Choice

Badnews Bob · « **Reply #3 on:** March 10, 2010, 10:18:59 AM »

I think alot of people are seeing a few easy dollars in a lawsuit and are gunning for Toyota. Some problem for sure are real but I bet most are not.

blind ear · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2010, 10:44:45 AM »

McDuck and Badnews, that is what I was thinking in this particular case. eddie

mcwoodduck · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2010, 10:55:04 AM »

Do you all remember the Audi 5000 and it's unwanted acceleration back in the early 90's i want to say 91?
Thye found that most were people that were not used to the location of the wide accelerator and the location of the brake.
Audi did some tests and widened the go peddel and moved it to the left a little. and then moved the break a little farther left.
Most people were pushing on the right side of the peddle and when they needed to stop were hitting the left side of the same peddle and then panicing and pushing harder on what thy thought was the break. Later audi 5000 were selling for a song. and they figured that of the crashes some were done to renovate the house or to get a new car at Audi's expense.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #6 on:** March 10, 2010, 11:00:24 AM »

Well put on the tin hats its a plot !

alsaqr · « **Reply #7 on:** March 10, 2010, 11:15:31 AM »

Quote

I haven't got an answer for why you don't just cut the motor off or why you don't knock it into nuetral (maybe riding the brake has the tranny bound up). I'm also confused as to why more people don't drown in their showers every morning.

Emptyquiver has it figured out.

Studies have shown that about 40 percent of people using public restrooms in the US do not have enough sense to wash their hands after using the toilet. How in the world are such mentally challenged people supposed to remember to put the car in neutral and/or shut the ignition off?

mechanic · « **Reply #8 on:** March 10, 2010, 11:22:05 AM »

All these vehicle use a drive by wire type accelerator now, the same type we have used for years on forklifts. It does not keep the vehicle from coming out of gear, nor does it preclude cutting the thing off. I think the Government Motors is piling on Toyota, and many folks are using it, as mentioned to generate a little extra income. I'm just waiting to get a good deal on one that no one will buy. It doesn't scare me any more than any other vehicle. All have the potential to do the same thing, and some probably have.

Empty Quiver · « **Reply #9 on:** March 12, 2010, 03:44:16 AM »

Mechanic, I hadn't really thought about it but I believe that a majority of the semi's on the road today are fly by wire too.

amdak · « **Reply #10 on:** March 12, 2010, 05:09:36 AM »

Buy american cars.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #11 on:** March 12, 2010, 08:25:42 AM »

My diesel trucks run by wire

kansasj · « **Reply #12 on:** March 12, 2010, 10:31:13 AM »

Toyota is in trouble! From now on everyone that drives into something or has an accident will claim that the throttle stuck!!

torpedoman · « **Reply #13 on:** March 12, 2010, 05:18:07 PM »

Just being a dumb ole country boy i would suggest they look into the cruise control system especially the accelerate circuit . that would be a common on all the affected models.

bcp · « **Reply #14 on:** March 12, 2010, 06:39:27 PM »

Quote

I haven't got an answer for why you don't just cut the motor off or why you don't knock it into nuetral

Controls all go through a computer. You can't control the transmission, etc., without the computer's permission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hybrid_Synergy_Drive

"The Synergy Drive is a drive-by-wire system with no direct mechanical connection between the engine and the engine controls: both the gas pedal/accelerator and the gearshift lever in an HSD car merely send electrical signals to a control computer."

blind ear · « **Reply #15 on:** March 12, 2010, 09:26:44 PM »

Joe public isn't totally stuped. The article stated the public was skeptical of the story in internet traffic but the article has been edited since first posted.

http://apnews.myway.com//article/20100313/D9EDHEGG0.html

Runaway Prius case presents nagging questions
Mar 12, 11:40 PM (ET)

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Investigators are confronted with a series of nagging questions as they try to unravel the case of a California real estate agent who said his Toyota Prius turned into a runaway death trap after the gas pedal became stuck.

Why didn't the driver simply throw the transmission into neutral as officers urged him to do? Why didn't a safety mechanism activate that was supposed to cut power to the engine in such situations? And could he have made the story up in pursuit of fame and money?

eddie

Gun Runner · « **Reply #16 on:** March 12, 2010, 10:12:35 PM »

In the case of the guy in SDiego, seems he just filed bankrupsey(sp) a while back ($700.000 dollars worth) was several payments behind on car payments. Plus couple factory reps checked his car over and said there was no problems with it. If they find out he lied he's looking at making a false 911 call plus probably will get a ticket for doing 94 MPH on the freeway and probably couple other charges. If they proved he lied about all this he's gonna be in deep EL TORO POO POO.
Gun Runner

Victor3 · « **Reply #17 on:** March 12, 2010, 10:22:20 PM »

I rekun whatever the cause (bogus, rarity or imagined) there will soon be a mandate that all new cars sold in the US have a prominent kill switch on the dash.

Having owned a Volvo (how's that for a supposedly safe car) that had the accelerator stick on full-throttle, I'm not adverse to the idea. Shouldn't add that much to the cost of a vehicle.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #18 on:** March 13, 2010, 12:13:13 AM »

Any of you guys ever seen a picture of an OSHA cowboy?

When this gets done, an automobile will make the osha cowboy look simple and inexpensive!

I still think this is obamamotorcompany and/or obamaautoworkerunion THANG! if you know what a THANG is?

blind ear · « **Reply #19 on:** March 13, 2010, 03:19:49 AM »

Took me a while to find where this thread went. I thought this thread was about the actions and intentions of the driver and not the product it's self. Oh well, I guess I am worng once more. eddie

Victor3: +1, HAN SOLO is da man.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #20 on:** March 13, 2010, 06:15:45 AM »

Quote from: eddiegjr on March 13, 2010, 03:19:49 AM

Took me a while to find where this thread went. I thought this thread was about the actions and intentions of the driver and not the product it's self. Oh well, I guess I am worng once more. eddie

Victor3: +1, HAN SOLO is da man.

Sorry eddie, my bad!

maybe you shudda said runaway driver in the title.

blind ear · « **Reply #21 on:** March 13, 2010, 06:18:42 AM »

No problem, eddie

Oldshooter · « **Reply #22 on:** March 13, 2010, 06:40:39 AM »

If its any consolation, I think the California runaway is bogus as well as most of the other complaints. I read about that dude and can see a trend in his operation. Some are looking for free money and some looking for 15 minutes of fame.

Now I'm sure that there are some problems but not to the extent that have been "publicised".

Someone on here has already stated that the brakes will overpower the engine and the key will certainly shut it off. The California guy is prolly a gold-digger!

Slowpoke Slim · « **Reply #23 on:** March 13, 2010, 03:11:56 PM »

Back when I was a kid, I had an old 69 Dodge coronet with a big block 440 in it. I had built that motor for raw horsepower, and it was pretty killer on the street. One day I was tooling along nice as you please, and it went wide open. I managed to hang on to it and get it stopped, but it was a wild ride for a few minutes. It turns out the throttle return spring broke.

I always put double springs on the throttle returns of all my cars after that. My 73 power wagon has a 440 in it now, and yup, double return springs.

Not at all related to the Toyota problem, but it spurred the memory of a runaway car in traffic... it was a miracle I didn't hit anyone. And NO my brakes definitely didn't keep up with the motor. I was spinning the back tires as I was locking up the front tires... I know a Prius won't do that, LOL.

1marty · « **Reply #24 on:** March 13, 2010, 03:50:58 PM »

the first thing this guy thought of was calling 911. Somehow my thought would be to put the think in neutral. I think he's a phoney

alsaqr · « **Reply #25 on:** March 14, 2010, 08:37:46 AM »

Toyota and the National Transportation Safety Board think it's phoney too. They were unable to get the car to do a runaway. That car has a brake override. Me thought it was phoney when the perp refused to put the car in neutral. Yep, the perp went and hired a lawyer right away. The guy is most likely a deadbeat who saw a chance to make some big bucks.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100314/ap_on_bi_ge/us_runaway_prius

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Investigators with Toyota Motor Corp. and the federal government could not replicate the runaway speeding reported by a Prius owner who said his car's accelerator stuck as he drove on a California freeway, according to a memo drafted for a congressional panel.

The memo, obtained Saturday by The Associated Press, said the experts who examined and test drove the car could not replicate the sudden, unintended acceleration James Sikes said he encountered. A backup mechanism that shuts off the engine when the brake and gas pedals are floored also worked properly during tests.

............................

The findings raise questions about "the credibility of Mr. Sikes' reporting of events," said Kurt Bardella, a spokesman for California Rep. [/quote] Darrell Issa, the top Republican on the oversight committee.

Sikes could not be reached to comment. However, his wife, Patty Sikes, said he stands by his story. ]

rdmallory · « **Reply #26 on:** March 14, 2010, 10:10:58 AM »

Back in the 70's with the big block engines (not motors) It was not uncommon the break a engine mount an have a throttle stick under full throttle. It had happened to me more than once with more than one car. No problem just reach down and shut of the key.

I had a Toyota rental last month and I can see where it would be an issue. To shut the thing off you had to hold a big button on the dash for about 3 seconds for it to shut off. Just pushing the button and releasing it did nothing. And if you held the brake hard I am sure you could over power the engine. But if you just rode the brake to slow it down you would soon smoke the brakes and boil the brake fluid so you would have the think quick.

Doug

saddlebum · « **Reply #27 on:** March 14, 2010, 11:55:58 AM »

It was a hoax. There's a great article on foxnews.com about it. I thought it sounded fishy when I heard the report on it. The guy said he tried to pull the pedal up to slow it down. They proved that you can't attempt that without tucking your head under the dash while driving,(at 90+ mph). He refused to put it in neutral. He said that the brakes wouldn't slow him down. Tests proved that they would stop the car and he said his brakes were checked and approved just days before. The police report said that their cars never touched and the officer used the PA speaker to instruct the guy to use pedal and parking brakes to slow and come to a stop. The guy is bankrupt and owes everbody money, including Toyota for the car. He has filed alot of insurance claims lately for stolen items of high value to get the money. It was a poorly thought out scam by a guy desperate for money.

Oldshooter · « **Reply #28 on:** March 15, 2010, 01:37:15 AM »

Yep I also saw where he said he pushed the brakes hard but did no good, the report also said that the brakes showed no sign that they were used that way!

skarke · « **Reply #29 on:** March 15, 2010, 02:22:21 AM »

I have a Camary hybrid. I cannot conceive of a way that this is not a big fat hoax.