Toyota recalls and related issues: BusinessWeek-Media owes Toyota an apology
02-22-10, 06:09 PM
#526
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Only to an extent. Though his company, of course, does buisness in America, owns property here, and hires American workers, he himself is not an American citizen, not under the authority of the U.S. Congress, and does not legally have to appear there and answer their questions. He has chosen to do so, for PR, image, and perhaps other reasons. But, if the Senators and Congressmen choose to be rude and treat him harshly, there is no reason why he has to sit there and take it.......he can get up and just walk right out of the room. In fact, Congressional panelists that DO abuse witnesses who testify before them can be reprimanded or censured by a majority vote of their own colleagues.....as Joe McCarthy was long ago.
Last edited by mmarshall; 02-22-10 at 06:12 PM.
02-22-10, 06:45 PM
#527
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Autoblog - ABC investigates sudden acceleration without error code.
Wonder if they'll do similar tests for other manufacturers.
Wonder if they'll do similar tests for other manufacturers.
02-22-10, 06:52 PM
#528
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Autoblog - ABC investigates sudden acceleration without error code.
Wonder if they'll do similar tests for other manufacturers.
Wonder if they'll do similar tests for other manufacturers.
02-22-10, 07:02 PM
#529
Toyota's Statement in Regard to ABC News Story: Expert Recreates Sudden Acceleration in Toyota
Toyota spoke with Mr. Gilbert on February 16 in an effort to understand his concerns. During this discussion, Mr. Gilbert explained that he had connected a resistor between the output wires of the two accelerator pedal sensors on a Toyota Tundra. In other words, he had artificially introduced an abnormal connection between two otherwise independent signals coming from the accelerator pedal sensors. Mr. Gilbert advised Toyota that he believed that his intentional misdirection of these signals could cause the vehicle to accelerate unexpectedly.
In response to Mr. Gilbert's claim as communicated to Toyota, Toyota confirmed that what Mr. Gilbert described would not cause unintended acceleration to occur. In fact, under the abnormal condition described last week by Mr. Gilbert, if there is a short with low resistance between the two signals, the electronic throttle control system illuminates the "check engine" light and the vehicle enters into a fail-safe mode of engine idle operation. If there is a short with high resistance, outside the range of "check engine" light illumination, the accelerator pedal continues to be responsive to driver input and the vehicle will return to the idle condition when the foot is taken off of the accelerator pedal. Unintended acceleration would not occur.
After watching the story today on ABC News featuring Mr. Gilbert, Toyota was surprised to learn that Mr. Gilbert appears now to be making a different claim regarding the electronic throttle control system and in a vehicle other than as described to Toyota last week. Although it is difficult to tell from the footage used in the story, Mr. Gilbert appears to be introducing a different external and artificial method to manipulate the throttle. In order to set the record straight, Toyota welcomes the opportunity to evaluate the Toyota Avalon shown in today's story and the method by which Mr. Gilbert allegedly caused the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally. We welcome the attendance of ABC News at any such evaluation of this vehicle and Mr. Gilbert's testing.
Toyota spoke with Mr. Gilbert on February 16 in an effort to understand his concerns. During this discussion, Mr. Gilbert explained that he had connected a resistor between the output wires of the two accelerator pedal sensors on a Toyota Tundra. In other words, he had artificially introduced an abnormal connection between two otherwise independent signals coming from the accelerator pedal sensors. Mr. Gilbert advised Toyota that he believed that his intentional misdirection of these signals could cause the vehicle to accelerate unexpectedly.
In response to Mr. Gilbert's claim as communicated to Toyota, Toyota confirmed that what Mr. Gilbert described would not cause unintended acceleration to occur. In fact, under the abnormal condition described last week by Mr. Gilbert, if there is a short with low resistance between the two signals, the electronic throttle control system illuminates the "check engine" light and the vehicle enters into a fail-safe mode of engine idle operation. If there is a short with high resistance, outside the range of "check engine" light illumination, the accelerator pedal continues to be responsive to driver input and the vehicle will return to the idle condition when the foot is taken off of the accelerator pedal. Unintended acceleration would not occur.
After watching the story today on ABC News featuring Mr. Gilbert, Toyota was surprised to learn that Mr. Gilbert appears now to be making a different claim regarding the electronic throttle control system and in a vehicle other than as described to Toyota last week. Although it is difficult to tell from the footage used in the story, Mr. Gilbert appears to be introducing a different external and artificial method to manipulate the throttle. In order to set the record straight, Toyota welcomes the opportunity to evaluate the Toyota Avalon shown in today's story and the method by which Mr. Gilbert allegedly caused the vehicle to accelerate unintentionally. We welcome the attendance of ABC News at any such evaluation of this vehicle and Mr. Gilbert's testing.
at least they are responding sooner now... they are splicing wires, introducing whatever they want to the system, hoping to find something... thats pretty crazy.
I hope they splice the airbag wires ;-).
02-22-10, 07:05 PM
#530
A federal grand jury in New York has subpoenaed documents related to the sudden acceleration problems on some of Toyota's cars.
Toyota's president will testify before Congress Wednesday. He'll likely be asked about an internal company memo that shows the car manufacturer saved $100 million in 2007 by persuading government regulators to narrow their investigation. The regulators agreed to just a limited recall.
Congress already has thousands of pages of Toyota documents to sift through, but CBS News obtained one internal document that could be devastating to Toyota's claims that electronics aren't at issue.
CBS News has learned that as early as 2005 Toyota engineers were redesigning software in response to complaints of cars surging unexpectedly, reports CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.
That could be crucial because publicly Toyota has insisted for six years - through eight federal investigations - that electronics are not to blame when its cars surge, sometimes out of control.
Instead, Toyota faults drivers, floor mats and - more recently - sticky gas pedals.
The internal document obtained by CBS News appears to contradict Toyota's claims. Dating back five years, it tracks Toyota's "monthly progress" in addressing "Surging back and forth sensation at constant throttle" in 2006 Lexus hybrids like the RX400h model. Toyota engineer Masahiro Ikeda notes surging "between 39-44 miles per hour" and "at 70 mph." The "fix"? Redesigning software for the car's Electronic Control Unit or ECU. "Software planned for first week in August," the internal document says.
In a response on Monday, Toyota acknowledged the internal reports of surging and the software fix. But a spokesman said it wasn't a problem of unintended acceleration; it was a more subtle rocking sensation that caused a seasick feeling and was fixed for customer comfort.
Experts say a glitch in Toyota's "Electronic Throttle Control System" would be much more expensive and problematic than faulty floor mats.
Two sensors measure the position of the accelerator pedal under the driver's foot.
"If it's an electrical problem, which I believe it is, then it really means that we have to question the whole way that the systems are constructed," electrical engineer Antony Anderson said.
So far, Toyota has recalled 7.475 million vehicles for supposed sticky pedals and floor mats. But those vehicles - and millions more on the road - have the electronic throttle control system at issue in the company's own report in 2005.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...html?tag=stack
Toyota's president will testify before Congress Wednesday. He'll likely be asked about an internal company memo that shows the car manufacturer saved $100 million in 2007 by persuading government regulators to narrow their investigation. The regulators agreed to just a limited recall.
Congress already has thousands of pages of Toyota documents to sift through, but CBS News obtained one internal document that could be devastating to Toyota's claims that electronics aren't at issue.
CBS News has learned that as early as 2005 Toyota engineers were redesigning software in response to complaints of cars surging unexpectedly, reports CBS News Correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.
That could be crucial because publicly Toyota has insisted for six years - through eight federal investigations - that electronics are not to blame when its cars surge, sometimes out of control.
Instead, Toyota faults drivers, floor mats and - more recently - sticky gas pedals.
The internal document obtained by CBS News appears to contradict Toyota's claims. Dating back five years, it tracks Toyota's "monthly progress" in addressing "Surging back and forth sensation at constant throttle" in 2006 Lexus hybrids like the RX400h model. Toyota engineer Masahiro Ikeda notes surging "between 39-44 miles per hour" and "at 70 mph." The "fix"? Redesigning software for the car's Electronic Control Unit or ECU. "Software planned for first week in August," the internal document says.
In a response on Monday, Toyota acknowledged the internal reports of surging and the software fix. But a spokesman said it wasn't a problem of unintended acceleration; it was a more subtle rocking sensation that caused a seasick feeling and was fixed for customer comfort.
Experts say a glitch in Toyota's "Electronic Throttle Control System" would be much more expensive and problematic than faulty floor mats.
Two sensors measure the position of the accelerator pedal under the driver's foot.
"If it's an electrical problem, which I believe it is, then it really means that we have to question the whole way that the systems are constructed," electrical engineer Antony Anderson said.
So far, Toyota has recalled 7.475 million vehicles for supposed sticky pedals and floor mats. But those vehicles - and millions more on the road - have the electronic throttle control system at issue in the company's own report in 2005.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...html?tag=stack
02-22-10, 07:08 PM
#531
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/t...to-154197.aspx
at least they are responding sooner now... they are splicing wires, introducing whatever they want to the system, hoping to find something... thats pretty crazy.
I hope they splice the airbag wires ;-).
at least they are responding sooner now... they are splicing wires, introducing whatever they want to the system, hoping to find something... thats pretty crazy.
I hope they splice the airbag wires ;-).
02-22-10, 07:12 PM
#532
... what is even funnier is abc guy saying "WOW I HAD NO BRAKES" and other guy correcting him that he did
02-22-10, 07:14 PM
#533
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Wow so they are now introducing a resistor between the two sensor wires as well as some external and artificial method of controlling the throttle?
This has clearly been 100% staged.
ABC News deserves to be totally grilled and criticized for this, but of course that will never happen.
This has clearly been 100% staged.
ABC News deserves to be totally grilled and criticized for this, but of course that will never happen
.
02-22-10, 09:02 PM
#534
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Utter bull****.
Something deep inside of me wishes that Toyota would say "F'k you USA" and pull all their cars, advertising, close all their offices and factories, and focus on the next worlds biggest market.... like china or something.
Wonder what the press would say then?
Something deep inside of me wishes that Toyota would say "F'k you USA" and pull all their cars, advertising, close all their offices and factories, and focus on the next worlds biggest market.... like china or something.
Wonder what the press would say then?
02-22-10, 09:28 PM
#535
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this is snowballing out of control. I am very interested in the details of that ABC test, because they did not reveal how thye introduced this short circuit. Also anxiously awaiting the congressional hearing
02-22-10, 10:09 PM
#536
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http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/t...to-154197.aspx
at least they are responding sooner now... they are splicing wires, introducing whatever they want to the system, hoping to find something... thats pretty crazy.
I hope they splice the airbag wires ;-).
at least they are responding sooner now... they are splicing wires, introducing whatever they want to the system, hoping to find something... thats pretty crazy.
I hope they splice the airbag wires ;-).
Wow so they are now introducing a resistor between the two sensor wires as well as some external and artificial method of controlling the throttle?
This has clearly been 100% staged.
ABC News deserves to be totally grilled and criticized for this, but of course that will never happen.
This has clearly been 100% staged.
ABC News deserves to be totally grilled and criticized for this, but of course that will never happen
.Utter bull****.
Something deep inside of me wishes that Toyota would say "F'k you USA" and pull all their cars, advertising, close all their offices and factories, and focus on the next worlds biggest market.... like china or something.
Wonder what the press would say then?
Something deep inside of me wishes that Toyota would say "F'k you USA" and pull all their cars, advertising, close all their offices and factories, and focus on the next worlds biggest market.... like china or something.
Wonder what the press would say then?
ABC News has become a complete joke. What little respect I had left for them has gone down the toilet after tonight's broadcast.
Not to mention this bored crackpot professor. What a loser. Theoretically, I'm sure the ECU could also read on an 10th-grade level and do the laundry. Just like the PS3 processors that are used by NORAD.
I mean COME ON!! How much tinkering did he have to do to make that "work"? That fat bastard should be ashamed of himself. Honestly, I think the Toyota ECU *might* be a *factor* in *some* of these real-world acceleration cases, but his "experiment" is FARRRRRRR from being conclusive proof. Just sensationalist crap. He's probably been calling every news outlet hoping to get on TV, and ABC were the first ones that took the bait. Idiots!
This really is getting completely out of control. I'm curious to see where this will end. Someone here predicted that it would be over in a matter of weeks when all of this stuff first broke. Yeah right. That was wishful thinking too...
02-22-10, 10:59 PM
#537
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Utter bull****.
Something deep inside of me wishes that Toyota would say "F'k you USA" and pull all their cars, advertising, close all their offices and factories, and focus on the next worlds biggest market.... like china or something.
Wonder what the press would say then?
Something deep inside of me wishes that Toyota would say "F'k you USA" and pull all their cars, advertising, close all their offices and factories, and focus on the next worlds biggest market.... like china or something.
Wonder what the press would say then?
02-22-10, 11:16 PM
#538
Lexus Champion
What do you expect from the company that brought you the Jonas Brothers/Miley Cyrus, hosts George Stephanopoulos and Whoopi Goldberg, as well as their AM radio stations syndicating Rush Limbaugh's show?
