Sudden Acceleration
02-27-10, 07:44 AM
#17
Lexus Test Driver
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Vacaville, CA
Posts: 957
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm not in the least bit worried about my RX and the sudden acceleration problem. That being said my wife has seen the news reports and asked me if our RX is going to suddenly take off on her. Never having been able to change her mind on things she has heard on the TV (LOL) I showed her while driving last night just how to move the gear shift selector to neutral while driving and then pull to the side of the road before turning off the ignition. I told her the engine will be screaming but not to worry as if it blows up Lexus will be glad to buy her a new one as they most likley would never be able to replace her if she crashed and was killed.
Jeff
Jeff
02-28-10, 10:14 PM
#18
Pole Position
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: WA
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just last night a TV news network was able to duplicate the sudden acceleration problem that toyota said is caused by floor mats/gas pedal ect. What is really interesting that no fault code was locked in the vehicles computer. According to the expert the problem is an electronic design flaw. Remember Toyota's outside expert was not able to duplicate the sudden acceleration.
I really do not understand why the recall does not include all Lexus vehicles because I've found, especially in my old RX 300, that Highlander parts were exact replacement. I would also add that Lexus never acknowledged the transmission design flaw in the RX 300, and only after a class action lawsuit acknowledged the slug problem in the 3.0 engine.
I really do not understand why the recall does not include all Lexus vehicles because I've found, especially in my old RX 300, that Highlander parts were exact replacement. I would also add that Lexus never acknowledged the transmission design flaw in the RX 300, and only after a class action lawsuit acknowledged the slug problem in the 3.0 engine.
2. The one report from Professor Gilbert on the news - The jury is still out on this one. According to Toyota during the hearing, Professor Gilbert Spliced into the chip and manipulated the code to get it to reproduce. Not sure how this is related to real world scenario and what sort warranty would apply when someone does such a thing to a chip.
3. Your RX300 would NOT fall into the 'sudden acceleration' due to electronic of the drive by throttle control system as it (RX300) does NOT have one. It uses an older system with the cable attach to the pedal.
03-02-10, 03:39 PM
#20
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: nottinghill
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just last night a TV news network was able to duplicate the sudden acceleration problem that toyota said is caused by floor mats/gas pedal ect. What is really interesting that no fault code was locked in the vehicles computer. According to the expert the problem is an electronic design flaw. Remember Toyota's outside expert was not able to duplicate the sudden acceleration.
I really do not understand why the recall does not include all Lexus vehicles because I've found, especially in my old RX 300, that Highlander parts were exact replacement. I would also add that Lexus never acknowledged the transmission design flaw in the RX 300, and only after a class action lawsuit acknowledged the slug problem in the 3.0 engine.
I really do not understand why the recall does not include all Lexus vehicles because I've found, especially in my old RX 300, that Highlander parts were exact replacement. I would also add that Lexus never acknowledged the transmission design flaw in the RX 300, and only after a class action lawsuit acknowledged the slug problem in the 3.0 engine.
03-03-10, 10:37 AM
#21
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: CA
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
disturbing report I read on the Los Angeles Times dated Sunday, Feb 28, 2010. A 2004 RX330 crashed into another car at 78 miles/hour, flipped, and killed the back seat passenger. Read the article here.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2282376.story
This is a real concern, as I bought my car after researching and thought the RX330 and RX350 were safe! What do you guys make of it?
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2282376.story
This is a real concern, as I bought my car after researching and thought the RX330 and RX350 were safe! What do you guys make of it?
03-03-10, 11:32 AM
#22
Lexus Champion
03-03-10, 12:30 PM
#23
disturbing report I read on the Los Angeles Times dated Sunday, Feb 28, 2010. A 2004 RX330 crashed into another car at 78 miles/hour, flipped, and killed the back seat passenger. Read the article here.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2282376.story
This is a real concern, as I bought my car after researching and thought the RX330 and RX350 were safe! What do you guys make of it?
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...,2282376.story
This is a real concern, as I bought my car after researching and thought the RX330 and RX350 were safe! What do you guys make of it?
03-04-10, 12:51 PM
#25
Super Moderator
Either that or their attorney will try to blame it on a technical issue. I've met a few that suddenly profess to be automotive experts when their ideas have no weight in chemistry, mechanics or any known physics (not even those of Star Trek).
I still only own a 1st gen RX300, but it's saved my life and/or serious bodily injury on a few occasions. Having lived in Mexico for 6 years and watching my uncle Antonio fix both and older and newer vehicles there and seeing the things that can get royally screwed up given the environment there, I'd take my Lexus every single time over any other vehicle. I saw horror stories galore down there with vehicles (cars on fire, broken accelerator pedals/cords, brake pads falling apart). My Lexus was one durable little SOB.
03-04-10, 03:09 PM
#26
Driver
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: CA
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I don't understand what's so hard about shifting a car into neutral. Maybe I'm just old, but I learned to drive on vehicles with carbs, and they got stuck once in a while. My dad taught me very early on that if that happens to put the vehicle in neutral, I'm pretty sure they mentioned it in driver's ed, as well. This is not to say Toyota shouldn't be fixing the problem, but it is not the life and death situation that the media and Congress are making it out to be.
03-05-10, 03:00 AM
#27
Pole Position
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: WA
Posts: 266
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The point is this - CURRENTLY, there is NO conclusive evidence that there is even an issue with the Electronic 'Drive by wire' system causing the 'sudden unintended acceleration' phenomenon. You CAN'T just fix a software bug WITHOUT having a known cause - it may introduce additional bug(s). On top of that countless of stress tests, regression tests and test passes have to be re-run on multiple models. Then you have to re-program to millions of cars worldwide.
This issue is being brought up mainly by the news media and congressional folks at the hearing without having any concrete engineering evidence, only people here say. Here's an article I ran across on the net that seems pretty fair on the issue: http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...o/4347704.html
I am sure that Toyota would fix the issue if they can find a Definite repro (if it even exist).
This issue is being brought up mainly by the news media and congressional folks at the hearing without having any concrete engineering evidence, only people here say. Here's an article I ran across on the net that seems pretty fair on the issue: http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...o/4347704.html
I am sure that Toyota would fix the issue if they can find a Definite repro (if it even exist).
03-05-10, 05:01 AM
#28
Super Moderator
We all know why Congress is doing, but that's not going to put me into an American vehicle that continues to fall apart. I've known people who have paid for American cars twice (in service/repairs).
03-05-10, 10:49 AM
#29
Moderator
In this thread, I had asked if any RX owner has experienced unintended acceleration .... Well no one has answered till yet.
So I guess it is fair to make this a generic discussion about unintended acceleration.
We can broadly classify them as
1. Operator error.
2. Unexpected behavior of the vehicle for which the operator is not ready.
3. Electro-mechanical defect.
I am going to make a sweeping statement and readers are welcome to disagree.
If the operator applies brakes firmly, any vehicle [specially consumer level*] will never accelerate and will come to stop even if the gas pedal is WOT. [Assumption: The brakes are working properly and we are not dealing with brake fade issue]. (* it mostly applies for extreme high power vehicles as their braking system is also capable of stopping the beasts)
The unexpected scenarios happen and usually the operator does not panic ..
ex: When the A/C cuts in and out the throttle automatically adjusts but we can still feel a small lurch. The brake pedal slightly sinks as the vacuum in the engine experiences the change affecting the brake booster.
A bit unnerving is when you are in larger engine. In GS4 there are times on a incline (at low speeds) the auto-trans responding to the throttle movement from the operator, drops from 2nd gear to 1st gear and with the boost in torque the vehicle surges.
Then there is adaptive learning which makes the vehicle seem different to different users.
Bottom line: You need to know your vehicle.
The electro-mecahnical issues can be divided up in "present condition" and "design".
Present condition is like floor carpet riding up on gas pedal or bunching up under the brake pedal. Frayed cable or misaligned cable which can stick are essentially part of the maintenance and upkeep.
At the bottom of the totem pole are the design defects and changes. Being an engineer I will say the probability exists that is why I have listed it here.
Drivers Ed (this in important and will saves life and property). Be prepared. Leave plenty of margin all around. Brake, gas, steer are there and in case one fails your back up are ... gear and ignition. If crash is unavoidable, quickly choose the best of the worst alternatives.
fun and game: Guess what most people do when they see an object rolling back in to them .... hit their brakes .... wrong either reverse or accelerate and steer out of the path.
Salim
So I guess it is fair to make this a generic discussion about unintended acceleration.
We can broadly classify them as
1. Operator error.
2. Unexpected behavior of the vehicle for which the operator is not ready.
3. Electro-mechanical defect.
I am going to make a sweeping statement and readers are welcome to disagree.
If the operator applies brakes firmly, any vehicle [specially consumer level*] will never accelerate and will come to stop even if the gas pedal is WOT. [Assumption: The brakes are working properly and we are not dealing with brake fade issue]. (* it mostly applies for extreme high power vehicles as their braking system is also capable of stopping the beasts)
The unexpected scenarios happen and usually the operator does not panic ..
ex: When the A/C cuts in and out the throttle automatically adjusts but we can still feel a small lurch. The brake pedal slightly sinks as the vacuum in the engine experiences the change affecting the brake booster.
A bit unnerving is when you are in larger engine. In GS4 there are times on a incline (at low speeds) the auto-trans responding to the throttle movement from the operator, drops from 2nd gear to 1st gear and with the boost in torque the vehicle surges.
Then there is adaptive learning which makes the vehicle seem different to different users.
Bottom line: You need to know your vehicle.
The electro-mecahnical issues can be divided up in "present condition" and "design".
Present condition is like floor carpet riding up on gas pedal or bunching up under the brake pedal. Frayed cable or misaligned cable which can stick are essentially part of the maintenance and upkeep.
At the bottom of the totem pole are the design defects and changes. Being an engineer I will say the probability exists that is why I have listed it here.
Drivers Ed (this in important and will saves life and property). Be prepared. Leave plenty of margin all around. Brake, gas, steer are there and in case one fails your back up are ... gear and ignition. If crash is unavoidable, quickly choose the best of the worst alternatives.
fun and game: Guess what most people do when they see an object rolling back in to them .... hit their brakes .... wrong either reverse or accelerate and steer out of the path.
Salim
03-05-10, 11:03 AM
#30
Intermediate
If the operator applies brakes firmly, any vehicle [specially consumer level*] will never accelerate and will come to stop even if the gas pedal is WOT. [Assumption: The brakes are working properly and we are not dealing with brake fade issue]. (* it mostly applies for extreme high power vehicles as their braking system is also capable of stopping the beasts)
Salim
Salim
That should be either one or another: acceleration “on”, or breaks “on”.
In case with Toyota “sudden acceleration”, if the engine is indeed rev’s up to high rpm producing full power and the car already has sufficient speed (means high dynamic energy), its breaks will not /may not stop it.
