Murphy's law of sales says the one you want is never the one on sale.
Well, for 60 Days, all that is about to change. Through June 1, all lexus moelds are being offered with special APR financing and lease rates during the 60 to 0 Cerfified Pre-Owned Sales Event.
Now is the time to check out that Lexus you been looking for.
Find out more see Tony Costanzo or email him at acostanzo@rallyelexus.com
This really is the time for a deal, so I had to post it up, otherwise come June you'll pay more. I know I need to save every dollar I can every month.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
A New Generation Maintenance You Never Thought Of
Something most people never think about in our "keyless" world.
All of out new Lexus models come with a remote key, or a fob key to operate our "keyless" car. It is a little rectangular smooth object about the size of a matchbox( did I date myself since no one smokes anymore). This mechanical wonder opens your doors without a push of the button(for those of you who are nostalgic, you can push the button on the fob) just by touching the door handle with your fob in your pocket. The car "sees" the fob key and allows it through a wireless signal to let the car start when you push the start button.
Well what do you think enables this little fob to work like that? Electricity!!
Inside this marvel is a small round "watch" type battery. This tiny battery powers this remote fob key and transmits the necessary signals to your Lexus to allow it to do all those things.
So as with all things electrical that use batteries, this battery needs to be replaced from time to time to ensure proper operation. Lexus recommends that you replace the batteries in your remote fob keys approximately once a year. Now there are certain circumstances where you may need to replace them more often, and here are a few ides on how to handle the keys to avoid them going prematurely "dead".
If you park in your garage, don't leave the key in the car. The remote key is now constantly sending a signal to car letting it know it is within range. This is just like having an emergency flash light in your pantry closet but you left the light on. It drains the battery and now your remote key may not work. It might not happen over night but if you do this with regularity the battery may only last a couple of months instead of a year or so.
If you keep the spare in the house, keep it away from your microwave and other house hold items that transmit wireless waves (like a wireless modem, or other bluetooth type equipment). The fob can mistake these signals and think it is in the car and transmit a start signal.
Rallye Lexus will be incorporating fob battery replacement into it's one year/15,000 mile service as to make it more convenient and avoid any issues. Look for your new maintenance schedules soon.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Even the Key is Carbon Fiber
CarAndDriver.com2012 Lexus LFA Tested Short Take Road Test: Ferrari-like Lexus hits 60 in 3.7 seconds. In other words, the LFA is PDQ
Aaron Robinson of Car and Driver magazine is the first in the world to test the 2012 Lexus LFA he takes it to the track and shares his experience.
Quotes from the story:
The LFA has a seductive shapewide, low, wind-swept, and perforated with important-looking vents and ducts. Flush panels hidden in the duct cutouts that form the top of the doors grant access to the cabin. The cockpit swallows you up like a hot dog in a leather and carbon-fiber bun.
The 553-hp, 4.8-liter V-10 lights with a burst of authority, a throat-clearing mini-explosion up to 2000 or so rpm the LFA has a deeper, huskier, coarser voice than a Ferrari.
Any car that runs to 60 in the three-second range is pretty thrilling.
Some magazines have already criticized the LFA for having artificial-feeling controls, but the example delivered to us showed the chassis sophistication of the European masters.
Even given its long gestation, the LFA does not drive like a car from a company new to the genre and eager to impress. It drives like a car from a company that has done this type of car many times and isnt worried that customers wont be pleased. If Toyota can do this on its first go with the LFA, just think what it could do to the Corolla or Camry if the urge ever strikes.
What's Really Driving the Toyota Controversy?
WashingtonExaminer.com
In this opinion article by Don Watkins and Yaron Brook, the authors reveal some behind-the-scenes players that may be fueling the fire of the Toyota recalls.
Quotes from the story:
In February, Toyota executives were hauled in front of Congress, purportedly so that renowned auto experts like House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman of California could determine the cause of reported cases of unintended acceleration and evaluate Toyotas alleged failure to respond. The hearings had the fingerprints of politics all over them.
The Detroit lobby is hard to distinguish from the government itself now that the government holds a 60 percent stake in General Motors. Even if concerns about an electronic problem in Toyotas vehicles turn out to be baseless, domestic manufacturers stand to benefit by prolonging the parade of bad publicity.
Anyone who thinks Toyotas executives were summoned to Congress to discuss the evidence concerning Toyotas vehicles has missed the point. Regardless of what we ultimately discover about Toyota, this was about a horde of pressure groups seeking to impose their economic agendas via political power.
The cause is the governments power to intervene in the market to pick winners and losers. In the auto industry alone, the government controls everything from whom car companies can hire (unionized employees) to what kind of vehicles they must build (hybrids). The truth is Toyotas troubles should not be a political issue.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/OpEd-Contributor/Don-Watkins-and-Yaron-Brook-Whats-really-driving-the-Toyota-controversy-89271207.html
In this opinion article by Don Watkins and Yaron Brook, the authors reveal some behind-the-scenes players that may be fueling the fire of the Toyota recalls.
Quotes from the story:
In February, Toyota executives were hauled in front of Congress, purportedly so that renowned auto experts like House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman of California could determine the cause of reported cases of unintended acceleration and evaluate Toyotas alleged failure to respond. The hearings had the fingerprints of politics all over them.
The Detroit lobby is hard to distinguish from the government itself now that the government holds a 60 percent stake in General Motors. Even if concerns about an electronic problem in Toyotas vehicles turn out to be baseless, domestic manufacturers stand to benefit by prolonging the parade of bad publicity.
Anyone who thinks Toyotas executives were summoned to Congress to discuss the evidence concerning Toyotas vehicles has missed the point. Regardless of what we ultimately discover about Toyota, this was about a horde of pressure groups seeking to impose their economic agendas via political power.
The cause is the governments power to intervene in the market to pick winners and losers. In the auto industry alone, the government controls everything from whom car companies can hire (unionized employees) to what kind of vehicles they must build (hybrids). The truth is Toyotas troubles should not be a political issue.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/OpEd-Contributor/Don-Watkins-and-Yaron-Brook-Whats-really-driving-the-Toyota-controversy-89271207.html
Monday, March 29, 2010
Going Off Road: You Need a GX460
FourWheeler.com 2010 Lexus GX460 First Drive: Still The Most Trailable Midside Luxo-Rig?
Douglas McColloch spends a week behind the wheel of the 2010 Lexus GX460 putting it to the off-road test and writes about his experience with the vehicle.
Quotes from the story:
It would be an understatement to say we were impressed when Lexus introduced the midsize GX 470 SUV for the 2003 model year. We were so awed, in fact, by its overall trail prowess (as well as its splendid highway manners) that we bestowed our annual Four Wheeler of the Year award upon it. A year later, the GX won the award a second time, thanks to its new-for-2004 Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System. To date, it's still the only vehicle to have won our award in consecutive years.
We spent a day test driving the new GX recently, and we can happily report that the latest Lexus is just as trailworthy as ever-perhaps even more so.
We know that plenty of old-timers will gripe about "taking the driver out of the equation," and while that's true to some extent, the things we like about the Crawl Control are (a) it's only there when you want it, and (b) we're delighted to see companies such as Lexus and Toyota still devoting resources and engineering dollars on technology that's specifically geared to the unique demands of off-pavement driving.
Friday, March 26, 2010
“Complaints beget complaints.”
Wall Street Journal Columnist Questions Toyota’s “Mysteriously High Level” of Acceleration Complaints :
In today’s Wall Street Journal, columnist Holman Jenkins addresses Toyota’s “mysteriously high level” of unintended acceleration complaints compared to most car makers. “One pattern…is unmistakable,” Jenkins notes, commenting on the widespread press coverage of Toyota’s recalls and reflecting back on the situation with Audi more than 20 years ago. “Complaints beget complaints.”
Jenkins notes.
“Perceptions that Toyotas are unusually unsafe may be entirely a product of a ‘complaint’ bandwagon…partly encouraged by trial lawyers and activists.”
Despite this, he writes, “careful studies by several governments, including the U.S. government, concluded there was no defect behind” the earlier Audi acceleration complaints.
Jenkins also notes that since 2001, trial lawyers have been “urging a revival of sudden unintended acceleration litigation, insisting that such cases could prevail in absence of evidence of a defect, and even amid evidence of driver error, simply by harping in front of a jury on a record of ‘Other Similar Incidents.’…“That’s the roadmap being followed now.” Toyota is not the first target of this kind of campaign, the Journal points out. In fact, “a 10-year battle against Ford over a 1999 Aerostar minivan crash ended four weeks ago when a jury rendered a verdict in favor of Ford after just two hours of deliberation.”
In today’s Wall Street Journal, columnist Holman Jenkins addresses Toyota’s “mysteriously high level” of unintended acceleration complaints compared to most car makers. “One pattern…is unmistakable,” Jenkins notes, commenting on the widespread press coverage of Toyota’s recalls and reflecting back on the situation with Audi more than 20 years ago. “Complaints beget complaints.”
Jenkins notes.
“Perceptions that Toyotas are unusually unsafe may be entirely a product of a ‘complaint’ bandwagon…partly encouraged by trial lawyers and activists.”
Despite this, he writes, “careful studies by several governments, including the U.S. government, concluded there was no defect behind” the earlier Audi acceleration complaints.
Jenkins also notes that since 2001, trial lawyers have been “urging a revival of sudden unintended acceleration litigation, insisting that such cases could prevail in absence of evidence of a defect, and even amid evidence of driver error, simply by harping in front of a jury on a record of ‘Other Similar Incidents.’…“That’s the roadmap being followed now.” Toyota is not the first target of this kind of campaign, the Journal points out. In fact, “a 10-year battle against Ford over a 1999 Aerostar minivan crash ended four weeks ago when a jury rendered a verdict in favor of Ford after just two hours of deliberation.”
The Darker Side Of Green
You have to check out the new CT200h...Check it out. I think this could be the Scion of Lexus.
Now you don't have to search everywhere for the info, check out this link to Lexus.com
Thursday, March 25, 2010
LS460L: The Ultimate Lexus
AutomobileMag.com
Reviews: 2010 Lexus LS460L
Four editors from AutomobileMag.com test drive the 2010 Lexus LS460L and each provide a brief review of their thoughts on the vehicle.
Quotes from the story:
Given the LS has always been the ultimate Lexus, I've come to expect nothing less than the utmost in luxury, refinement, and technology at a reasonable price tag.
Coupled with snow tires, this all-wheel-drive system lets the long-wheelbase LS plow its way through some surprisingly deep snow.
In a day when we have 5000-pound crossovers that claim to be sport coupes and Cadillac sedans lapping the Nrburgring, the LS demonstrates a refreshing purity of purpose and a near obsessive commitment to proper execution.
Every aspect of this vehicle, from the one-finger effort steering to the smooth-as-glass eight-speed transmission is finessed to be as unobtrusive as possible.
When I fired up the LS460L, a message flashed onto the navigation screen telling me there was a new Lexus Insider article waiting I pushed the button to listen, and heard a three- or four-minute podcast about a historic inn near the Delaware Water Gap The podcast is part of the Lexus Insider series of recorded messages sent to the car's audio system.
The array of controls available to rear-seat passengers in the flip-down center armrest rivals the instrument panel in the original Lexus LS from twenty years ago. And it's certainly a wonderful place to ride, the equal or better of the rear seats from the obvious competitors: Mercedes-Benz S-class, BMW 7-series, Audi A8, and the new Jaguar XJ.
The LS remains the purest expression of the Lexus philosophy and is just as appealing today as it was back in 1990.
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_lexus_ls460l_sedan/index.html
Reviews: 2010 Lexus LS460L
Four editors from AutomobileMag.com test drive the 2010 Lexus LS460L and each provide a brief review of their thoughts on the vehicle.
Quotes from the story:
Given the LS has always been the ultimate Lexus, I've come to expect nothing less than the utmost in luxury, refinement, and technology at a reasonable price tag.
Coupled with snow tires, this all-wheel-drive system lets the long-wheelbase LS plow its way through some surprisingly deep snow.
In a day when we have 5000-pound crossovers that claim to be sport coupes and Cadillac sedans lapping the Nrburgring, the LS demonstrates a refreshing purity of purpose and a near obsessive commitment to proper execution.
Every aspect of this vehicle, from the one-finger effort steering to the smooth-as-glass eight-speed transmission is finessed to be as unobtrusive as possible.
When I fired up the LS460L, a message flashed onto the navigation screen telling me there was a new Lexus Insider article waiting I pushed the button to listen, and heard a three- or four-minute podcast about a historic inn near the Delaware Water Gap The podcast is part of the Lexus Insider series of recorded messages sent to the car's audio system.
The array of controls available to rear-seat passengers in the flip-down center armrest rivals the instrument panel in the original Lexus LS from twenty years ago. And it's certainly a wonderful place to ride, the equal or better of the rear seats from the obvious competitors: Mercedes-Benz S-class, BMW 7-series, Audi A8, and the new Jaguar XJ.
The LS remains the purest expression of the Lexus philosophy and is just as appealing today as it was back in 1990.
http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/editors_notebook/1003_2010_lexus_ls460l_sedan/index.html
Actions Speak Louder than Words
"Actions Speak Louder than Words”
“Many consumers tell us over and again that they believe Toyota has been over-scrutinized and that they remain very confident in the safety of our products – as are we,” wrote TMS Vice President Michael Rouse in a new public posting on the Toyota USA Newsroom web site.
Describing the steps that Toyota has taken to make things right, Rouse wrote that, “Actions speak louder than words,” noting that the company and its dealers:
· Made more than 1.5 million combined recall repairs; (I'd like to see any other manufacture do so well and so quick)
· Launched an independent external review of vehicle
electronics; (when was the last time Detroit did that? or will? Never)and
· Continue to make fundamental changes to the ways the company
operates to be even more responsive to customers.
In addition, Rouse noted, “There has been a great deal of confusion, speculation and misinformation about our recent recalls – much of it in the media or as a result of unsupported claims about ‘unintended acceleration’ caused by our electronics,” Rouse explained. This is a complex issue, he wrote. Echoing a theme in a number of recent press reports and opinion columns recently, “Rushing to judgment on the basis of unfounded theories is a disservice.”
To read Michael Rouse’s complete posting, please click on
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/our-point-of-view-post.aspx?id=2837
“Many consumers tell us over and again that they believe Toyota has been over-scrutinized and that they remain very confident in the safety of our products – as are we,” wrote TMS Vice President Michael Rouse in a new public posting on the Toyota USA Newsroom web site.
Describing the steps that Toyota has taken to make things right, Rouse wrote that, “Actions speak louder than words,” noting that the company and its dealers:
· Made more than 1.5 million combined recall repairs; (I'd like to see any other manufacture do so well and so quick)
· Launched an independent external review of vehicle
electronics; (when was the last time Detroit did that? or will? Never)and
· Continue to make fundamental changes to the ways the company
operates to be even more responsive to customers.
In addition, Rouse noted, “There has been a great deal of confusion, speculation and misinformation about our recent recalls – much of it in the media or as a result of unsupported claims about ‘unintended acceleration’ caused by our electronics,” Rouse explained. This is a complex issue, he wrote. Echoing a theme in a number of recent press reports and opinion columns recently, “Rushing to judgment on the basis of unfounded theories is a disservice.”
To read Michael Rouse’s complete posting, please click on
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/our-point-of-view-post.aspx?id=2837
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Toyota, Flying Saucers and Bigfoot
Columnist Jerry Flint Criticizes the Media for Uncritical Look at Complaints About Toyotas
Under the headline "Toyota, Flying Saucers and Bigfoot" Tuesday, Forbes columnist Jerry Flint took members of the media to task Tuesday for accepting as real the claims of runaway Toyotas "without serious questioning."
"Toyota has had a bit of good news in recent days. One of the claims of unintended acceleration has begun to look like a phony."
"Then The New York Times ran an op-ed piece by a UCLA psychology professor (emeritus) questioning all such claims. The writer, who had worked on the issue years ago, wrote that they were usually driver error--stepping on the accelerator pedal instead of the brakes--and noting that older drivers tend to make these mistakes more often."
Flint also shared a few of his thoughts about why so many new complaints are being filed and what the long-term impact may be on Toyota. In addition to drivers putting their foot on the wrong pedal and "dreams of the big payoff" from a lawsuit, Flint suggested that people’s feet may simply be getting bigger. "Maybe these bigger feet overlap" the brake and gas pedals, he said. As for how all this will impact Toyota, Flint said the company "might spend more money on lawyers over the next few years than on developing fuel-stingy engines."
To read the entire column, click on
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/23/toyota-autos-brakes-business-backseat-safety.html
Under the headline "Toyota, Flying Saucers and Bigfoot" Tuesday, Forbes columnist Jerry Flint took members of the media to task Tuesday for accepting as real the claims of runaway Toyotas "without serious questioning."
"Toyota has had a bit of good news in recent days. One of the claims of unintended acceleration has begun to look like a phony."
"Then The New York Times ran an op-ed piece by a UCLA psychology professor (emeritus) questioning all such claims. The writer, who had worked on the issue years ago, wrote that they were usually driver error--stepping on the accelerator pedal instead of the brakes--and noting that older drivers tend to make these mistakes more often."
Flint also shared a few of his thoughts about why so many new complaints are being filed and what the long-term impact may be on Toyota. In addition to drivers putting their foot on the wrong pedal and "dreams of the big payoff" from a lawsuit, Flint suggested that people’s feet may simply be getting bigger. "Maybe these bigger feet overlap" the brake and gas pedals, he said. As for how all this will impact Toyota, Flint said the company "might spend more money on lawyers over the next few years than on developing fuel-stingy engines."
To read the entire column, click on
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/23/toyota-autos-brakes-business-backseat-safety.html
RUSHERS: Lexus and Ryan Leslie
Lexus once again is trying something different. They have hooked up with Ryan Leslie, one of the hottest new young producers/performers around today. This is like a mini suspense movie. Is the star Ryan or the new GX460? You decide, but you'll agree that it definitely is something different and fun.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
JD Powers: Toyota has more first place awards than anyone this year
Toyota Happy With JD Power Survey Results
Based on comments made by Toyota, this article reports that the company is happy with the results of the JD Power and Associates survey results.
Quotes from the story:
We are pleased that TMS has once again led the way with the most segment awards in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. Were especially proud of our consistency in the annual study. Since 1994 Lexus has continued to place among the top three nameplates in every year of eligibility, while Toyota has been in the top five among non-luxury manufacturers since 1990.
Toyota has once again topped this years study as the top-ranking full-line manufacturer, said Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc.
Other examples of Toyotas commitment to excellence, quality products and customer satisfaction include:
Toyota received four 1st place awards more than any other brand.
18 Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles made the list of Most Reliable New Car in 10 different vehicle categories by a leading national consumer publication.
Toyota owner loyalty remains the highest in the industry, according to internal studies.
The Tundra full-size pickup and the GX 470 midsize premium SUV each topped its respective segments for the fifth year in a row.
The Highlander midsize SUV and Sequoia full-size SUV each topped their respective segments for the third consecutive year.
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/toyota-happy-with-jd-power-survey-results-18234.html
Based on comments made by Toyota, this article reports that the company is happy with the results of the JD Power and Associates survey results.
Quotes from the story:
We are pleased that TMS has once again led the way with the most segment awards in the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study. Were especially proud of our consistency in the annual study. Since 1994 Lexus has continued to place among the top three nameplates in every year of eligibility, while Toyota has been in the top five among non-luxury manufacturers since 1990.
Toyota has once again topped this years study as the top-ranking full-line manufacturer, said Jim Lentz, president of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc.
Other examples of Toyotas commitment to excellence, quality products and customer satisfaction include:
Toyota received four 1st place awards more than any other brand.
18 Toyota, Lexus and Scion vehicles made the list of Most Reliable New Car in 10 different vehicle categories by a leading national consumer publication.
Toyota owner loyalty remains the highest in the industry, according to internal studies.
The Tundra full-size pickup and the GX 470 midsize premium SUV each topped its respective segments for the fifth year in a row.
The Highlander midsize SUV and Sequoia full-size SUV each topped their respective segments for the third consecutive year.
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/toyota-happy-with-jd-power-survey-results-18234.html
People, Not Cars, Were to Blame--Research from NPR
Runaway Cars: Driver Error Or Car Malfunction?
Alix Spiegel of NPR reviews research performed by experts in the 80s that shows driver error contributes to sudden unintended acceleration.
Quotes from the story:
When this report on sudden acceleration finally came out in 1989, its conclusions were unwavering: The problem was driver error. People, not cars, were to blame.
According to the research, they say, human beings have a long history of pushing the wrong pedal.
Richard Schmidt, a human performance psychologist at UCLA, combed through all the accident reports in the state of North Carolina for a seven-year period. He found regular reports of pedal error.
The perseveration response you just keep repeating the same error over and over and over again is particularly likely to happen when people have misdiagnosed the problem. For instance, they might believe that they are hitting the brake when they are in fact hitting the gas. Because their basic analysis is wrong, under stress which tends to make creative thinking difficult and narrows your field of attention they are liable to repeat and repeat that wrong action in an attempt to fix it.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124815144&ps=rs
Alix Spiegel of NPR reviews research performed by experts in the 80s that shows driver error contributes to sudden unintended acceleration.
Quotes from the story:
When this report on sudden acceleration finally came out in 1989, its conclusions were unwavering: The problem was driver error. People, not cars, were to blame.
According to the research, they say, human beings have a long history of pushing the wrong pedal.
Richard Schmidt, a human performance psychologist at UCLA, combed through all the accident reports in the state of North Carolina for a seven-year period. He found regular reports of pedal error.
The perseveration response you just keep repeating the same error over and over and over again is particularly likely to happen when people have misdiagnosed the problem. For instance, they might believe that they are hitting the brake when they are in fact hitting the gas. Because their basic analysis is wrong, under stress which tends to make creative thinking difficult and narrows your field of attention they are liable to repeat and repeat that wrong action in an attempt to fix it.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124815144&ps=rs
Toyota Hysteria: Who's Fault is it Really?
Toyota hysteria: Horror stories really about us
As a follow up to the article he wrote for Forbes.com, Michael Fumento explains that the Toyota crisis is the result of media blowing things out of proportion.
Quotes from the story:
The mass reports of sudden-acceleration incidents just don't add up. Measured by reports to the National Highway Safety Administration, these same Toyotas were actually safe just a few months ago. And overseas they still are.
Clearly, the biggest cause of Toyota sudden-acceleration complaints is media coverage.
The NHTSA gets a constant stream of "speed control" complaints regarding every model of car. A recent New York Times analysis found almost 13,000 over the last decade (of which 10,000 didn't involve Toyotas).
People who cause accidents -- especially serious ones -- understandably want to blame something other than themselves. Sudden unintended acceleration does the trick.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/toyota_hysteria_fkQ7bahdNpTHOyesUuyGRJ
As a follow up to the article he wrote for Forbes.com, Michael Fumento explains that the Toyota crisis is the result of media blowing things out of proportion.
Quotes from the story:
The mass reports of sudden-acceleration incidents just don't add up. Measured by reports to the National Highway Safety Administration, these same Toyotas were actually safe just a few months ago. And overseas they still are.
Clearly, the biggest cause of Toyota sudden-acceleration complaints is media coverage.
The NHTSA gets a constant stream of "speed control" complaints regarding every model of car. A recent New York Times analysis found almost 13,000 over the last decade (of which 10,000 didn't involve Toyotas).
People who cause accidents -- especially serious ones -- understandably want to blame something other than themselves. Sudden unintended acceleration does the trick.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/toyota_hysteria_fkQ7bahdNpTHOyesUuyGRJ
NY Prius Incident- NY State PD States "Driver Error" Cause
Investigators: New York Prius crash likely driver error
From Evan Buxbaum, CNN
March 22, 2010 7:50 p.m. EDT
Authorities say the data recorder of this Prius shows the accelerator, not the brake, was engaged.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The wrecked 2005 Prius' data recorder showed no indication of brake compression.
Police say there was no indication the driver engaged the brake.
Police say the data was collected in a cooperative effort with NHTSA and Toyota.
"A Toyota Prius was not the cause of a March 9 crash in Harrison, New York, said authorities citing "black and white" results in their investigation."
"Harrison, New York, Police Capt. Anthony Marraccini revealed at a news conference Monday that evidence extracted from the wrecked 2005 Prius' data recorder showed no indication of brake compression as the car headed toward a stone wall. Rather, the accelerator was pressed 100 percent, authorities said."
"Toyota has been very cooperative," said Marraccini. "There's no possibility of any distortion of this data," he continued. "These are the facts that surround this."
" the driver may have been stepping on the accelerator, instead of the brake as she told police."
""We do see these accidents on occasion," Marraccini said Monday."
"I think with all this hype about Toyota, people are just looking to point fingers," he said."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/22/ny.prius.crash.probe/
From Evan Buxbaum, CNN
March 22, 2010 7:50 p.m. EDT
Authorities say the data recorder of this Prius shows the accelerator, not the brake, was engaged.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The wrecked 2005 Prius' data recorder showed no indication of brake compression.
Police say there was no indication the driver engaged the brake.
Police say the data was collected in a cooperative effort with NHTSA and Toyota.
"A Toyota Prius was not the cause of a March 9 crash in Harrison, New York, said authorities citing "black and white" results in their investigation."
"Harrison, New York, Police Capt. Anthony Marraccini revealed at a news conference Monday that evidence extracted from the wrecked 2005 Prius' data recorder showed no indication of brake compression as the car headed toward a stone wall. Rather, the accelerator was pressed 100 percent, authorities said."
"Toyota has been very cooperative," said Marraccini. "There's no possibility of any distortion of this data," he continued. "These are the facts that surround this."
" the driver may have been stepping on the accelerator, instead of the brake as she told police."
""We do see these accidents on occasion," Marraccini said Monday."
"I think with all this hype about Toyota, people are just looking to point fingers," he said."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/03/22/ny.prius.crash.probe/
Order Yours Now, You Only Have Until The End of June
You can have one if you can pass the credit selection process and can drop $297,562.56. for the 24 month lease. Then you get to keep it for an additional $93,750 . Only deep pockets may apply.
Complete Financing Details of the 2011 Lexus LFA Unveiled
Nitrobahn.com provides the details regarding the lease option for the limited edition 2011 Lexus LFA. Quotes from the story:
The Lexus LFA is scheduled to go into production in December this year.
Notifications for ordering the car shall start now and continue till the end of June.
Toyota is producing only 500 cars for the global market, among which 150 are reserved for U.S. customers, all of which will have many customization options at the time of placing the order for the supercar.
http://www.nitrobahn.com/news/complete-financing-details-2011-lexus-lfa/
Complete Financing Details of the 2011 Lexus LFA Unveiled
Nitrobahn.com provides the details regarding the lease option for the limited edition 2011 Lexus LFA. Quotes from the story:
The Lexus LFA is scheduled to go into production in December this year.
Notifications for ordering the car shall start now and continue till the end of June.
Toyota is producing only 500 cars for the global market, among which 150 are reserved for U.S. customers, all of which will have many customization options at the time of placing the order for the supercar.
http://www.nitrobahn.com/news/complete-financing-details-2011-lexus-lfa/
Monday, March 22, 2010
Lexus makes the CT 200h Official
Lexus announces today that the CT 200h will definately go into production and be the leading edge in the Preimum Luxury Compact Segment.
Quotes from the release:
"The sporty five-door will be on display March 31 through April 11 at the 2010 New York International Auto Show. The new CT 200h debuted at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in early March and will join the HS 250h as Lexus’ second dedicated hybrid. "
“The CT 200h is expected to lead the class in fuel economy and deliver low emissions, but the CT 200h isn’t just about being a hybrid, it’s about having fun,” said Mark Templin, Lexus division group vice president and general manager. “The stylish CT 200h has an attitude and driving dynamic unlike any other Lexus hybrid. It will excite eco-conscious, young consumers and symbolize urban, luxury living.”
Here is a video of the car from CNET before they announced the US availability. I guess they origionally were only going to build it for Europe. Check it out, pretty slick.
The Real Scandal.....
The Real Scandal Behind the Toyota Recall
Fuzzy findings, media manipulation, and tort lawyers scare the public and destroy millions in shareholder and resale value, writes Ed Wallace
This article shows that when someone has an agenda they manipulate the truth to make it fit. Then when the public has half the information, they start making assumptions and you know what happens when you ASSUME.
Here are some quotes from the article:
" I called a few respected local Toyota (TM) dealers in the Dallas area to ask a simple question: "In the past 10 years, how many Toyotas have come into your service department with the complaint of unintended acceleration?"The answer I got again and again? "None.""
"A Trip Down Audi Memory Lane
What's ominous is that the Audi 5000 case seems to have set the example for how stories concerning serious defects in automobiles would be covered in the future.
Yes, there were people on TV (and in newspaper articles) who swore that their Audis, too, had become possessed and uncontrollable, and there's little doubt that they sincerely believed what they said. That does not alter the fact they were mistaken": In time, our government painstakingly tested every "possessed car," and no causative defect was ever found."
"The Audi case seems to have foreshadowed a scenario occurring now with Toyota."
" Turns out the Audi official had been correct: The cars did not have any known defect"
"Toyota looked into the complaints covering brakes on its hybrid electric Prius. While no real problem was found, Toyota did issue a recall to update the computer codes.
And just for the record: Many antilock brake systems feel as if they are skipping or failing to take hold quickly when engaged suddenly on bumpy roads."
"Firestone's Firestorm
In some ways this case is little different from the Ford-Firestone fiasco of a decade ago. When Lea Thompson with Dateline NBC lifted up a Firestone tire's torn and separated tread for the camera, few viewers noticed that particular tire had almost no tread left. Old tires without treads often fail."
"The Auto Industry Hall of Shame
Automotive history should have a Hall of Infamy for scandals like this next one—the 1988 story involving Consumer Reports. The magazine's "investigation" of rollover problems it "found" while reviewing the Suzuki Samurai focused intense media coverage on a nonevent, destroying not just a vehicle but nearly its manufacturer."
"Consumer Reports' raw video and its test drivers'"" took the Suzuki Samurai through its paces 16 times, some runs going in excess of 50 miles an hour, without ever once lifting the vehicle's wheels off the ground. Sheehan wrote in his notes: "Easy to control … Never felt it would tip over.""
"one eyewitness claimed to have heard""If you can't find someone to roll this car, I will."
"Sales of the Suzuki Samurai fell from 83,314 units to just 5,031 after the Consumer Reports story ran";
"Now it's Toyota's turn. They investigated the complaints, found a number of small problems and said that's the only problems they could find, and moved relatively fast to fix those issues. "
Fuzzy findings, media manipulation, and tort lawyers scare the public and destroy millions in shareholder and resale value, writes Ed Wallace
This article shows that when someone has an agenda they manipulate the truth to make it fit. Then when the public has half the information, they start making assumptions and you know what happens when you ASSUME.
Here are some quotes from the article:
" I called a few respected local Toyota (TM) dealers in the Dallas area to ask a simple question: "In the past 10 years, how many Toyotas have come into your service department with the complaint of unintended acceleration?"The answer I got again and again? "None.""
"A Trip Down Audi Memory Lane
What's ominous is that the Audi 5000 case seems to have set the example for how stories concerning serious defects in automobiles would be covered in the future.
Yes, there were people on TV (and in newspaper articles) who swore that their Audis, too, had become possessed and uncontrollable, and there's little doubt that they sincerely believed what they said. That does not alter the fact they were mistaken": In time, our government painstakingly tested every "possessed car," and no causative defect was ever found."
"The Audi case seems to have foreshadowed a scenario occurring now with Toyota."
" Turns out the Audi official had been correct: The cars did not have any known defect"
"Toyota looked into the complaints covering brakes on its hybrid electric Prius. While no real problem was found, Toyota did issue a recall to update the computer codes.
And just for the record: Many antilock brake systems feel as if they are skipping or failing to take hold quickly when engaged suddenly on bumpy roads."
"Firestone's Firestorm
In some ways this case is little different from the Ford-Firestone fiasco of a decade ago. When Lea Thompson with Dateline NBC lifted up a Firestone tire's torn and separated tread for the camera, few viewers noticed that particular tire had almost no tread left. Old tires without treads often fail."
"The Auto Industry Hall of Shame
Automotive history should have a Hall of Infamy for scandals like this next one—the 1988 story involving Consumer Reports. The magazine's "investigation" of rollover problems it "found" while reviewing the Suzuki Samurai focused intense media coverage on a nonevent, destroying not just a vehicle but nearly its manufacturer."
"Consumer Reports' raw video and its test drivers'"" took the Suzuki Samurai through its paces 16 times, some runs going in excess of 50 miles an hour, without ever once lifting the vehicle's wheels off the ground. Sheehan wrote in his notes: "Easy to control … Never felt it would tip over.""
"one eyewitness claimed to have heard""If you can't find someone to roll this car, I will."
"Sales of the Suzuki Samurai fell from 83,314 units to just 5,031 after the Consumer Reports story ran";
"Now it's Toyota's turn. They investigated the complaints, found a number of small problems and said that's the only problems they could find, and moved relatively fast to fix those issues. "
Friday, March 19, 2010
Truth Takes A Backseat in the News Safety Coverage
Here is the whole article because the more I read it the more it burned me. I think it will for you too.
Truth Takes Backseat in Safety Coverage
Auto makers learn from mistakes. Journalists do not.
By Drew WinterWard's AutoWorld, Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM
Whether it's due to competitive pressures or the fact mainstream journalists don't know much about cars, automotive safety stories usually represent journalism at its worst.
In the mid-1980s, there was the Audi sudden-acceleration debacle. Independent tests proved early on the Audi 5000 sedan would not go anywhere under full throttle if a foot was placed firmly on the brakes.
Given this fact, the explanation for “sudden acceleration” seemed obvious: Drivers mistakenly were stepping on the gas instead of the brake.
But that wasn't compelling enough for most reporters and television crews. There was too much human tragedy being trotted out by personal-injury attorneys and too many seductive stories about electronic gremlins creating demon cars.
The bad journalism culminated with the esteemed CBS “60 Minutes” news show doing a report so biased against Audi it could have been scripted by the Trial Lawyers Assn.
After years of investigating thousands of reported cases, the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. concluded sudden acceleration in the Audi 5000 was “pedal misapplication.”
Despite being cleared, it took Audi a dozen years to recover in the U.S.
Media misbehavior got worse in the 1993 furor over “sidesaddle” fuel tanks on General Motors' fullsize pickups.
In a report on the allegedly defective design of the tanks, “Dateline NBC” conducted a crash test that included putting a loose cap on the tank and attaching model-rocket motors to ensure a fiery blaze for the cameras.
GM engineers grew suspicious when they could not duplicate the blaze, and NBC producers would not allow them to examine the test vehicle.
A search of junkyards near the test site turned up the wreck and revealed the deception. That led to an unprecedented 3.5-minute on-air apology to GM by news anchors Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips.
Insiders called it the worst black eye for NBC News in its history. NBC's disgrace supposedly was a wakeup call for all journalists, but it did not last.
The 2000 Ford/Firestone tire fiasco showed many major news outlets put the search for truth in the back seat while they got cozy with trial lawyers and ignored key facts that favored Ford.
In his new book on the Ford/Firestone crisis, “Feeding Frenzy,” author Jon Harmon, a former Ford public relations official, says it was common for local and national news reporters to take damaging, misleading documents handed to them by trial attorneys and then trumpet them as a “scoop” on the evening news as if it were the product of a major investigation.
And now we have the Toyota sudden-acceleration story, which looks more like the Audi madness every day. Independent tests that show Toyota vehicles can be braked to a safe stop from 100 mph (161 km/h) under full throttle are being ignored.
Plus, the same sharks that helped lawyers gin up hysteria for lawsuits against Ford in 2000 are being quoted by reporters today as “consumer-safety activists.”
In the 1980s, Audi invented the shift interlock system and shared it with other auto makers to make sure drivers always put their foot on the brake before they put their cars in gear. The device eliminated “sudden acceleration” almost overnight.
The Ford/Firestone crisis led to mandates for tire-pressure monitors and electronic stability control, which promise to save thousands of lives every year.
Auto makers are learning from their mistakes. Unfortunately, drivers and journalists are not.
http://wardsautoworld.com/ar/auto_truth_takes_backseat/
Here is the link if you want to get his book, should be required reading for car guys and journalists!
http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Frenzy-Jon-Harmon/dp/1608607313
Truth Takes Backseat in Safety Coverage
Auto makers learn from mistakes. Journalists do not.
By Drew WinterWard's AutoWorld, Mar 1, 2010 12:00 PM
Whether it's due to competitive pressures or the fact mainstream journalists don't know much about cars, automotive safety stories usually represent journalism at its worst.
In the mid-1980s, there was the Audi sudden-acceleration debacle. Independent tests proved early on the Audi 5000 sedan would not go anywhere under full throttle if a foot was placed firmly on the brakes.
Given this fact, the explanation for “sudden acceleration” seemed obvious: Drivers mistakenly were stepping on the gas instead of the brake.
But that wasn't compelling enough for most reporters and television crews. There was too much human tragedy being trotted out by personal-injury attorneys and too many seductive stories about electronic gremlins creating demon cars.
The bad journalism culminated with the esteemed CBS “60 Minutes” news show doing a report so biased against Audi it could have been scripted by the Trial Lawyers Assn.
After years of investigating thousands of reported cases, the National Highway Traffic Safety Admin. concluded sudden acceleration in the Audi 5000 was “pedal misapplication.”
Despite being cleared, it took Audi a dozen years to recover in the U.S.
Media misbehavior got worse in the 1993 furor over “sidesaddle” fuel tanks on General Motors' fullsize pickups.
In a report on the allegedly defective design of the tanks, “Dateline NBC” conducted a crash test that included putting a loose cap on the tank and attaching model-rocket motors to ensure a fiery blaze for the cameras.
GM engineers grew suspicious when they could not duplicate the blaze, and NBC producers would not allow them to examine the test vehicle.
A search of junkyards near the test site turned up the wreck and revealed the deception. That led to an unprecedented 3.5-minute on-air apology to GM by news anchors Jane Pauley and Stone Phillips.
Insiders called it the worst black eye for NBC News in its history. NBC's disgrace supposedly was a wakeup call for all journalists, but it did not last.
The 2000 Ford/Firestone tire fiasco showed many major news outlets put the search for truth in the back seat while they got cozy with trial lawyers and ignored key facts that favored Ford.
In his new book on the Ford/Firestone crisis, “Feeding Frenzy,” author Jon Harmon, a former Ford public relations official, says it was common for local and national news reporters to take damaging, misleading documents handed to them by trial attorneys and then trumpet them as a “scoop” on the evening news as if it were the product of a major investigation.
And now we have the Toyota sudden-acceleration story, which looks more like the Audi madness every day. Independent tests that show Toyota vehicles can be braked to a safe stop from 100 mph (161 km/h) under full throttle are being ignored.
Plus, the same sharks that helped lawyers gin up hysteria for lawsuits against Ford in 2000 are being quoted by reporters today as “consumer-safety activists.”
In the 1980s, Audi invented the shift interlock system and shared it with other auto makers to make sure drivers always put their foot on the brake before they put their cars in gear. The device eliminated “sudden acceleration” almost overnight.
The Ford/Firestone crisis led to mandates for tire-pressure monitors and electronic stability control, which promise to save thousands of lives every year.
Auto makers are learning from their mistakes. Unfortunately, drivers and journalists are not.
http://wardsautoworld.com/ar/auto_truth_takes_backseat/
Here is the link if you want to get his book, should be required reading for car guys and journalists!
http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Frenzy-Jon-Harmon/dp/1608607313
Toyota Demands...Deserves an Apology from ABC News
You don't see ABC News manning up about when they make a mistake. They just hope no one notices
Gawker.com
Toyota Demands Retraction and Apology From ABC News Over Manufacturer Death Ride
The team at Gawker.com writes about Toyotas request for a retraction and an apology regarding the ABC News cocked-up story by Brian Ross. The article provides the letter written by Toyota to ABC News president as well as the response from ABC News and a short review of the current status of the request.
Quotes from the story:
Toyota says Ross "singularly failed in his basic duty as a journalist to disclose material information about Professor Gilbert that would have directly influenced his credibility with the audience."
Brian Ross is not a good reporter. And he's been off the radar at a particularly sensitive timeRoss hasn't covered Toyota since the furor over his report erupted. An ABC News spokesman says he's in the midst of a "long-planned vacation," and that ABC is "in receipt of Toyota's letter. Our lawyers are looking at it, and we will respond."
Gawker.com
Toyota Demands Retraction and Apology From ABC News Over Manufacturer Death Ride
The team at Gawker.com writes about Toyotas request for a retraction and an apology regarding the ABC News cocked-up story by Brian Ross. The article provides the letter written by Toyota to ABC News president as well as the response from ABC News and a short review of the current status of the request.
Quotes from the story:
Toyota says Ross "singularly failed in his basic duty as a journalist to disclose material information about Professor Gilbert that would have directly influenced his credibility with the audience."
Brian Ross is not a good reporter. And he's been off the radar at a particularly sensitive timeRoss hasn't covered Toyota since the furor over his report erupted. An ABC News spokesman says he's in the midst of a "long-planned vacation," and that ABC is "in receipt of Toyota's letter. Our lawyers are looking at it, and we will respond."
WSJ: Harrison Prius accident, DRIVER ERROR
Prius Probe in Harrison, N.Y., Suggests Driver Error
In an article by Kate Linebaugh, Toyota and NHSTA investigators found that the driver never touched the brake and was standing on the accelerator full throttle. This is information is seemingly starting to come out in more of these incidents that the press is reporting.
Here is a quote:
An investigation of a Toyota Prius accident in Harrison, N.Y., suggests driver error may have been involved after federal safety regulators said the brakes hadn't been applied and the throttle was "wide open."
Based on information retrieved from the onboard computer systems of the Prius in Harrison, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spokeswoman said: "There was no application of the brakes and the throttle was fully open."
The driver said she believed she had applied full force to the brakes
In an article by Kate Linebaugh, Toyota and NHSTA investigators found that the driver never touched the brake and was standing on the accelerator full throttle. This is information is seemingly starting to come out in more of these incidents that the press is reporting.
Here is a quote:
An investigation of a Toyota Prius accident in Harrison, N.Y., suggests driver error may have been involved after federal safety regulators said the brakes hadn't been applied and the throttle was "wide open."
Based on information retrieved from the onboard computer systems of the Prius in Harrison, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spokeswoman said: "There was no application of the brakes and the throttle was fully open."
The driver said she believed she had applied full force to the brakes
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Edmunds: How Hard is it to Stop a Prius? Pretty Easy Actually
How Hard Is It To Stop a Prius?
Edmunds.com simulates a Toyota Prius Stuck Throttle in a Video
A staffer from Edmunds.com shows on video how to stop a Prius during a possible stuck throttle situation by brake application, shifting to neutral and also debunks the possibility of the car breaking by accidentally being shifted into reverse.
Wide open throttle, speeds picking up and I am going to step on the brake after a second the engine disengages and the brakes just take over.
Throttle to the floor, speeds coming up and I am going to just slip it into neutral engines disconnected and I can just use the brakes no problem at all. Its important to note that the Prius lever requires you to hold the lever just for a moment or two to make sure you didnt bump it accidentally.
We were able to get out of the situation with brakes, with neutral and even when we accidentally put it in reverse the car just beeped at us.
Edmunds.com simulates a Toyota Prius Stuck Throttle in a Video
A staffer from Edmunds.com shows on video how to stop a Prius during a possible stuck throttle situation by brake application, shifting to neutral and also debunks the possibility of the car breaking by accidentally being shifted into reverse.
Wide open throttle, speeds picking up and I am going to step on the brake after a second the engine disengages and the brakes just take over.
Throttle to the floor, speeds coming up and I am going to just slip it into neutral engines disconnected and I can just use the brakes no problem at all. Its important to note that the Prius lever requires you to hold the lever just for a moment or two to make sure you didnt bump it accidentally.
We were able to get out of the situation with brakes, with neutral and even when we accidentally put it in reverse the car just beeped at us.
A Super...Supercar. As if the Regular LF-A Wasn't Special Enough
InsideLine.com Lexus LFA Special Edition is RevealedBrief overview regarding the announcement of the Lexus LFA Special Edition and the running of it at the Nurburgring 24 hours.
Quotes from the story:
Two production LFAs, prepped by Gazoo Racing, will contest the Nurburgring endurance race in May, in what will be the first full-fledged competition for the two-seater.
Lexus is planning to release the LFA Special Edition, according to Autocar and other Web sites. Rumored earlier as the LFA Nurburgring Edition, the Special Edition reportedly will get a 10-horsepower bump in output, a recalibrated transmission that slices 0.2 second from shift speeds, a stiffer suspension, new alloy rims with semi-slick tires, a larger fixed rear wing and a new front splitter, according to Autocar, which adds that the car will be available in four colors Black, Matte Black, Whitest White and Orange.
Lexus: The Best...AGAIN.The Truth Hurts Doesn't Detroit
Consumer Reports Annual Auto Issue: The Good, The Bad, And The Green
Truthaboutcars.com
Provides an overview of Consumer Reports 2010 Annual Auto Issue.
Quotes from the story:
The best car overall is the Lexus LS 460L, with an outstanding 99 out of 100 in our road test This V8-powered, preternaturally quiet rolling living room deliver[s] brisk acceleration and a relatively good 21 mpg overall Consumer Reports Magazine
It also names the much maligned Prius and the best "Green" car on the planet.
The 2000-2009 ES model line also garnered the "Best of the Best" in the Upscale Luxury Used Car category.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/consumer-reports-annual-auto-issue-the-good-the-bad-and-the-green/
Truthaboutcars.com
Provides an overview of Consumer Reports 2010 Annual Auto Issue.
Quotes from the story:
The best car overall is the Lexus LS 460L, with an outstanding 99 out of 100 in our road test This V8-powered, preternaturally quiet rolling living room deliver[s] brisk acceleration and a relatively good 21 mpg overall Consumer Reports Magazine
It also names the much maligned Prius and the best "Green" car on the planet.
The 2000-2009 ES model line also garnered the "Best of the Best" in the Upscale Luxury Used Car category.
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/consumer-reports-annual-auto-issue-the-good-the-bad-and-the-green/
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
How Safe are Your Tires?
At Rallye Lexus when we perform a service we always include a Multi-point inspection to check basic items like tires and brakes. After seeing how much low tire treads effect stopping a car, I changed how often I change the tires on my own wife's car. You be the judge after you watch these videos. I always used to think 4/32's was ok (new tires are around 10/32's) until I saw the difference in braking performance in the wet weather(NY State inspection requires at least 2/32's). You be the judge. If you need help in checking them stop by Rallye Lexus Service Department any time for a complimentary tire check and Lexus Multi-point inspection.
Forbes: Newspapers Hear What They Want To Hear
Sorry to rehash this article but I thought I should print it in full. I ran across it again and when I read through it once more it twisted me. In this article from Forbes by Michael Formento really puts into perspective that newspapers and other news outlets don't report the news anymore, they manufacture it to what they think people want to hear to get attention. Everyone else in the world and on the web knew this guy was a fraud, but not the news outlets. That doesn't sell papers.When the real truth comes out it never makes the front pages like their half truths. Read through this article and see all the inconsistencies and how the press mis-reported the incident to fan the false flames against Toyota.
Toyota Hybrid Horror Hoax
Michael Fumento, 03.12.10, 01:37 PM EST
Exploring an overblown media frenzy.
"On the very day Toyota was making a high-profile defense of its cars, one of them was speeding out of control," said CBS News--and a vast number of other media outlets worldwide. The driver of a 2008 Toyota Prius, James Sikes, called 911 to say his accelerator was stuck, he was zooming faster than 90 miles per hour and absolutely couldn't slow down.
It got far more dramatic, though. The California Highway Patrol responded and "To get the runaway car to stop, they actually had to put their patrol car in front of the Prius and step on the brakes." During over 20 harrowing minutes, according to NBC's report, Sikes "did everything he could to try to slow down that Prius." Others said, "Radio traffic indicated the driver was unable to turn off the engine or shift the car into neutral."
In fact, almost none of this was true. Virtually every aspect of Sikes's story as told to reporters makes no sense. His claim that he'd tried to yank up the accelerator could be falsified, with his help, in half a minute. And now we even have an explanation for why he'd pull such a stunt, beyond the all-American desire to have 15 minutes of fame (recall the "Balloon Boy Hoax" from October) and the aching need to be perceived as a victim.
The lack of skepticism from the beginning was stunning. I combed through haystacks of articles without producing such needles as the words "alleges" or "claims." When Sikes said he brought his car to a Toyota ( TM - news - people ) dealer two weeks earlier, recall notice in hand, and they just turned him away, the media bought that, too. In Sikes We Trust. Then the pundits deluged us with a tsunami of an anti-Toyota sanctimony.
Where to begin?
Well, the patrol car didn't slow down the Prius; the bumpers never touched. The officers used a loudspeaker to tell Sikes to use the brakes and emergency brake together. He did; the car slowed to about 55 mph. Sikes turned off the engine and coasted to a halt. He stopped the car on his own.
There wasn't anything wrong with the transmission or the Prius engine button either.
Over a 23-minute period the 911 dispatcher repeatedly pleaded with Sikes to shift into neutral. He simply refused and then essentially stopped talking to her except to say that he thought he could smell his brakes burning.
"I thought about" shifting into neutral, Sikes said at a televised press conference the day after the incident. But "I had never played with this kind of a transmission, especially when you're driving and I was actually afraid to do that." Sikes, who has driven the car for two years, also said "I figured if I knocked it over [the gear knob] the car might flip."
He told CNN, "I was afraid to try to [reach] over there and put it in neutral. I was holding onto the steering wheel with both hands--94 miles an hour in a Toyota Prius is fast." Yet for much of the ride he had a phone in one hand. And this is especially interesting: Most gear shifts are on the console, requiring the hand to drop to shift. But, as this image shows, in the 2008 Prius it's located on the dash within inches of the steering wheel precisely to allow shifting without the hand leaving the wheel. I sat in one and did it easily. Another unique feature of the shift is that it's amazingly simple, with only forward, reverse, neutral and "B." The express purpose of "B" is to slow the car while preserving the brakes, as in a steep descent. Sikes actually could have shifted into two different gears.
Moreover, why would Sikes describe shifting gears as somehow "playing with the transmission." And apparently he's never shifted while the vehicle was moving and thought somehow a gear shift could flip his car.
The dispatcher also pleaded with him repeatedly to hit the ignition button. Again, he says he was simply afraid to.
Early in the press conference he said it was because "There was too much traffic to just shut the car off. You know, turn off the vehicle and get hit in the rear." But that's always true when you slow down; just make sure nobody's right behind you. Later he switched gears, pun not intended, saying he was afraid the steering wheel and wheels would lock up.
Then there are the brakes.
Sikes said his brakes had just been checked out a few weeks earlier, but during the incident he "was laying on the brakes. It was not slowing down."
Others have made similar claims, so Car & Driver magazine recently put them to the test. They found a V-6 Camry at full throttle could be stopped at 435 feet. But to really test the claim, they used a powerful 540-horsepower supercharged Roush Stage 3 Mustang. It took 903 feet, but stop it did. By comparison the Prius can only muster 110 anemic ponies. Further, as Newton's Second Law reminds us, weight is inherently a factor in slowing a moving object. The Prius weighs about two-thirds of what the Roush does.
But while these other cars were brought to full stop, Sikes says he couldn't even reduce his speed. A video on the Web also demonstrates a 2008 Prius easily slowed to a stop with the accelerator fully depressed.
An assisting officer said he saw Sikes apply the brakes and smelled them. But of course that was only when he drew close to the vehicle. The officer doesn't know what Sikes was doing before he arrived on the scene.
Now here's the potential smoking gun: Sikes told the reporters that "I was reaching down and trying to pull up on the gas pedal. It didn't move at all; it was stationary." That's awfully daring for somebody who insisted he didn't even want to take a hand off his steering wheel, notwithstanding that he did so to hold his phone.
I tried to imitate Sikes' alleged effort in a 2008 Prius. From the front bottom of the steering wheel to the front bottom of the accelerator in up position it's 28.5 inches; while fully deployed it's 2.5 inches farther away. I have average-length arms (33-inch shirt sleeve) and no gut. But even though the steering wheel was as flush to the dashboard as it goes, it prevented me from all but touching the accelerator in the up position.
To reach behind a deployed accelerator and get any kind of a grip you'd have to add at least three more inches. In my case, it required squashing my face against the radio and completely removing my eyes from the road. Only the tallest men could physically do what Sikes claimed he did and no press accounts refer his being exceptionally tall. But to settle this issue (albeit not the others), Sikes would simply have to sit in his Prius and show he could reach behind the pedal while it was fully depressed. Why has nobody asked him to do so? Moreover, even for an orangutan it would be an incredibly awkward move for somebody afraid to pop a car into neutral or hit the ignition button.
So why did he do it? Sleuth work at the Web sites Jalopnik.com and Gawker.com reveals that Sikes and his wife Patty in 2008 filed for bankruptcy and are over $700,000 in debt. Among their creditors is Toyota Financial Services for a lease on a 2008 Toyota Prius, with value at time of bankruptcy of $20,494. The Jalopnik Web site shows a copy of Toyota's secured claims form, though when Jalopnik questioned Sikes by e-mail he denied being behind on his Prius payments.
Sikes also has a history of filing insurance claims for allegedly stolen items that are slowly coming to light. In 2001 he filed a police report with the Merced County Sheriff's Department for $58,000 in stolen property, including jewelry, a prosumer mini-DV camera and gear, and $24,000 in cash, according to Fox40 in Sacramento. His bankruptcy documents show a 2008 payment of $7,400 for an allegedly stolen saxophone and clothes.
For what it's worth, Sikes owned and operated a Web site called AdultSwingLife.com. More salacious material on this man will continue to pour in.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/12/toyota-autos-hoax-media-opinions-contributors-michael-fumento.html
But the press conference alone makes it clear Sikes' story didn't wash. Journalism schools are supposed to teach that skepticism is paramount. "If your mother says it, check it out," goes the old adage. Yet comments on Web sites across the country reveal that practically everyone thought the Prius incident was a hoax--though they couldn't prove it--except for the media.
They have been as determined to not investigate Sikes' claims as Sikes was to not stop his car. It's a Toyota media feeding frenzy and the media aren't about to let little things like incredible stories and readily-refutable claims get in the way.
Michael Fumento is director of the nonprofit Independent Journalism Project where he specialized in science is
Toyota Hybrid Horror Hoax
Michael Fumento, 03.12.10, 01:37 PM EST
Exploring an overblown media frenzy.
"On the very day Toyota was making a high-profile defense of its cars, one of them was speeding out of control," said CBS News--and a vast number of other media outlets worldwide. The driver of a 2008 Toyota Prius, James Sikes, called 911 to say his accelerator was stuck, he was zooming faster than 90 miles per hour and absolutely couldn't slow down.
It got far more dramatic, though. The California Highway Patrol responded and "To get the runaway car to stop, they actually had to put their patrol car in front of the Prius and step on the brakes." During over 20 harrowing minutes, according to NBC's report, Sikes "did everything he could to try to slow down that Prius." Others said, "Radio traffic indicated the driver was unable to turn off the engine or shift the car into neutral."
In fact, almost none of this was true. Virtually every aspect of Sikes's story as told to reporters makes no sense. His claim that he'd tried to yank up the accelerator could be falsified, with his help, in half a minute. And now we even have an explanation for why he'd pull such a stunt, beyond the all-American desire to have 15 minutes of fame (recall the "Balloon Boy Hoax" from October) and the aching need to be perceived as a victim.
The lack of skepticism from the beginning was stunning. I combed through haystacks of articles without producing such needles as the words "alleges" or "claims." When Sikes said he brought his car to a Toyota ( TM - news - people ) dealer two weeks earlier, recall notice in hand, and they just turned him away, the media bought that, too. In Sikes We Trust. Then the pundits deluged us with a tsunami of an anti-Toyota sanctimony.
Where to begin?
Well, the patrol car didn't slow down the Prius; the bumpers never touched. The officers used a loudspeaker to tell Sikes to use the brakes and emergency brake together. He did; the car slowed to about 55 mph. Sikes turned off the engine and coasted to a halt. He stopped the car on his own.
There wasn't anything wrong with the transmission or the Prius engine button either.
Over a 23-minute period the 911 dispatcher repeatedly pleaded with Sikes to shift into neutral. He simply refused and then essentially stopped talking to her except to say that he thought he could smell his brakes burning.
"I thought about" shifting into neutral, Sikes said at a televised press conference the day after the incident. But "I had never played with this kind of a transmission, especially when you're driving and I was actually afraid to do that." Sikes, who has driven the car for two years, also said "I figured if I knocked it over [the gear knob] the car might flip."
He told CNN, "I was afraid to try to [reach] over there and put it in neutral. I was holding onto the steering wheel with both hands--94 miles an hour in a Toyota Prius is fast." Yet for much of the ride he had a phone in one hand. And this is especially interesting: Most gear shifts are on the console, requiring the hand to drop to shift. But, as this image shows, in the 2008 Prius it's located on the dash within inches of the steering wheel precisely to allow shifting without the hand leaving the wheel. I sat in one and did it easily. Another unique feature of the shift is that it's amazingly simple, with only forward, reverse, neutral and "B." The express purpose of "B" is to slow the car while preserving the brakes, as in a steep descent. Sikes actually could have shifted into two different gears.
Moreover, why would Sikes describe shifting gears as somehow "playing with the transmission." And apparently he's never shifted while the vehicle was moving and thought somehow a gear shift could flip his car.
The dispatcher also pleaded with him repeatedly to hit the ignition button. Again, he says he was simply afraid to.
Early in the press conference he said it was because "There was too much traffic to just shut the car off. You know, turn off the vehicle and get hit in the rear." But that's always true when you slow down; just make sure nobody's right behind you. Later he switched gears, pun not intended, saying he was afraid the steering wheel and wheels would lock up.
Then there are the brakes.
Sikes said his brakes had just been checked out a few weeks earlier, but during the incident he "was laying on the brakes. It was not slowing down."
Others have made similar claims, so Car & Driver magazine recently put them to the test. They found a V-6 Camry at full throttle could be stopped at 435 feet. But to really test the claim, they used a powerful 540-horsepower supercharged Roush Stage 3 Mustang. It took 903 feet, but stop it did. By comparison the Prius can only muster 110 anemic ponies. Further, as Newton's Second Law reminds us, weight is inherently a factor in slowing a moving object. The Prius weighs about two-thirds of what the Roush does.
But while these other cars were brought to full stop, Sikes says he couldn't even reduce his speed. A video on the Web also demonstrates a 2008 Prius easily slowed to a stop with the accelerator fully depressed.
An assisting officer said he saw Sikes apply the brakes and smelled them. But of course that was only when he drew close to the vehicle. The officer doesn't know what Sikes was doing before he arrived on the scene.
Now here's the potential smoking gun: Sikes told the reporters that "I was reaching down and trying to pull up on the gas pedal. It didn't move at all; it was stationary." That's awfully daring for somebody who insisted he didn't even want to take a hand off his steering wheel, notwithstanding that he did so to hold his phone.
I tried to imitate Sikes' alleged effort in a 2008 Prius. From the front bottom of the steering wheel to the front bottom of the accelerator in up position it's 28.5 inches; while fully deployed it's 2.5 inches farther away. I have average-length arms (33-inch shirt sleeve) and no gut. But even though the steering wheel was as flush to the dashboard as it goes, it prevented me from all but touching the accelerator in the up position.
To reach behind a deployed accelerator and get any kind of a grip you'd have to add at least three more inches. In my case, it required squashing my face against the radio and completely removing my eyes from the road. Only the tallest men could physically do what Sikes claimed he did and no press accounts refer his being exceptionally tall. But to settle this issue (albeit not the others), Sikes would simply have to sit in his Prius and show he could reach behind the pedal while it was fully depressed. Why has nobody asked him to do so? Moreover, even for an orangutan it would be an incredibly awkward move for somebody afraid to pop a car into neutral or hit the ignition button.
So why did he do it? Sleuth work at the Web sites Jalopnik.com and Gawker.com reveals that Sikes and his wife Patty in 2008 filed for bankruptcy and are over $700,000 in debt. Among their creditors is Toyota Financial Services for a lease on a 2008 Toyota Prius, with value at time of bankruptcy of $20,494. The Jalopnik Web site shows a copy of Toyota's secured claims form, though when Jalopnik questioned Sikes by e-mail he denied being behind on his Prius payments.
Sikes also has a history of filing insurance claims for allegedly stolen items that are slowly coming to light. In 2001 he filed a police report with the Merced County Sheriff's Department for $58,000 in stolen property, including jewelry, a prosumer mini-DV camera and gear, and $24,000 in cash, according to Fox40 in Sacramento. His bankruptcy documents show a 2008 payment of $7,400 for an allegedly stolen saxophone and clothes.
For what it's worth, Sikes owned and operated a Web site called AdultSwingLife.com. More salacious material on this man will continue to pour in.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/12/toyota-autos-hoax-media-opinions-contributors-michael-fumento.html
But the press conference alone makes it clear Sikes' story didn't wash. Journalism schools are supposed to teach that skepticism is paramount. "If your mother says it, check it out," goes the old adage. Yet comments on Web sites across the country reveal that practically everyone thought the Prius incident was a hoax--though they couldn't prove it--except for the media.
They have been as determined to not investigate Sikes' claims as Sikes was to not stop his car. It's a Toyota media feeding frenzy and the media aren't about to let little things like incredible stories and readily-refutable claims get in the way.
Michael Fumento is director of the nonprofit Independent Journalism Project where he specialized in science is
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Forget Wind in the Hair, This Will Set it On FIRE
For those of you who need to have alittle more get up and go in the morning, Lexus is now serving up a ISC-F... As you know, if the car is an F model it is going to be wicked.....
Last week, I blogged about Lexus’ new “F” car, the limited-edition IS350C F-Sport. While no photos of the car were available then, we were unable to show you an image of it. Now we have them, and here they are (photos of the car on other blog sites were of a different model). As for the car itself, here’s a recap: The car features a list of new items from the company’s F-Sports parts bin, including new 19-in. forged aluminum wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 225/35ZR-19 tires in front and 255/35ZR=19 tires at rear, a new grille, new shocks co-developed with Bilstein and leather-wrapped shift knob with the F-Sport logo. Image to be released from Lexus later this week.
All models will have an individually-numbered badge on the center console. The IS 350C F-Sport Special Edition also comes with black leather-trimmed seats with sporty blue contrast stitching. Other Special Edition standard features include heated and ventilated front seats with wood trim; Bi-Xenon HID headlamps with Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS); headlamp washers; and Lexus Navigation. The car will hit Lexus dealerships later this month for $57,500.
Rallye Lexus 3rd Annual Tuner Event Set for June 6th
For anyone with a custom Lexus or who just enjoys performance vehicles, this is the event in June to be at. Last year there was a huge turn out of some of the best custom Lexus vehicles you will see in New York. It even attracted some vintage cool Corvettes and a brand new Lamborghini. So set your calendar and check back for more information as we get closer. Check out the link to the North East Lexus Owners Club (NELOC) forum about the event. There is a link in there to pictures from last years event.
Spring is Here...Don't You Need The Wind in Your Hair
This article offers a review of the Lexus IS250C with regards to design, features and performance specifically comparing it to other convertibles in its class.
Quotes from the story:
As a convertible, it has the best seating room among the lot.
At $36,750 [it] comes along with a Lexus Navigation Sat Nav. For such amount of money, it is really a great value considering the features that it comes along which are not included or even present in other convertibles.
IS250C scored five stars in crash
test.
It has a silky smooth performance and it will offer smoothest gear change you would have ever experienced.
Lexus IS250C has quality, innovation, offers you prestige and high technology. $36,750 may look like a lot of money to you, but the features included cannot be seen in the BMW even if you spend $40,000. For such a beauty, it is worth paying that money.
http://blog.itechtalk.com/2010/review-on-lexus-is250c/
Quotes from the story:
As a convertible, it has the best seating room among the lot.
At $36,750 [it] comes along with a Lexus Navigation Sat Nav. For such amount of money, it is really a great value considering the features that it comes along which are not included or even present in other convertibles.
IS250C scored five stars in crash
test.
It has a silky smooth performance and it will offer smoothest gear change you would have ever experienced.
Lexus IS250C has quality, innovation, offers you prestige and high technology. $36,750 may look like a lot of money to you, but the features included cannot be seen in the BMW even if you spend $40,000. For such a beauty, it is worth paying that money.
http://blog.itechtalk.com/2010/review-on-lexus-is250c/
The Runaway Prius...Hoax of the Year?
Writer Michael Fumento uses evidence from media interview with James Sikes and investigations performed by Jalopnik.com and Gawker.com in an attempt to prove that the incident of a runaway Prius claim by Mr. Sikes is a publicity stunt and a means for this individual, who is currently in financial ruin, to make a quick buck.
Quotes from the story:
Virtually every aspect of Sikes's story as told to reporters makes no sense. His claim that he'd tried to yank up the accelerator could be falsified, with his help, in half a minute. And now we even have an explanation for why he'd pull such a stunt, beyond the all-American desire to have 15 minutes of fame (recall the "Balloon Boy Hoax" from October) and the aching need to be perceived as a victim.
Sikes said during the incident he "was laying on the brakes. It was not slowing down." Others have made similar claims, so Car & Driver magazine recently put them to the test. They found a V-6 Camry at full throttle could be stopped at 435 feet. But to really test the claim, they used a powerful 540-horsepower supercharged Roush Stage 3 Mustang. It took 903 feet, but stop it did. By comparison the Prius can only muster 110 anemic ponies. Further, as Newton's Second Law reminds us, weight is inherently a factor in slowing a moving object. The Prius weighs about two-thirds of what the Roush does.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/12/toyota-autos-hoax-media-opinions-contributors-michael-fumento_print.html
Quotes from the story:
Virtually every aspect of Sikes's story as told to reporters makes no sense. His claim that he'd tried to yank up the accelerator could be falsified, with his help, in half a minute. And now we even have an explanation for why he'd pull such a stunt, beyond the all-American desire to have 15 minutes of fame (recall the "Balloon Boy Hoax" from October) and the aching need to be perceived as a victim.
Sikes said during the incident he "was laying on the brakes. It was not slowing down." Others have made similar claims, so Car & Driver magazine recently put them to the test. They found a V-6 Camry at full throttle could be stopped at 435 feet. But to really test the claim, they used a powerful 540-horsepower supercharged Roush Stage 3 Mustang. It took 903 feet, but stop it did. By comparison the Prius can only muster 110 anemic ponies. Further, as Newton's Second Law reminds us, weight is inherently a factor in slowing a moving object. The Prius weighs about two-thirds of what the Roush does.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/03/12/toyota-autos-hoax-media-opinions-contributors-michael-fumento_print.html
I'm not afraid of my Prius...
The Washington Examiner
Theodore H. Frank: I am not afraid of my Toyota Prius
In this opinion article, the Contributor explains that as a junior defense lawyer in the mid-90s, he litigated a number of bogus sudden acceleration cases against GM. Now, just as back in the 90s, he feels that the public hysteria of the Toyota situation has reached unprecedented proportions and that driver error is truly to blame.
Quotes from the story:
Fifty-odd deaths over 10 years and millions of Toyotas is a relatively small compared to the general risk of being on the road at all.
Were seeing the same pattern again today. Initial reports of a problem, followed by dozens of new reports coming to light as people seek to blame their earlier accidents on sudden acceleration.
In the 24 cases where driver age was reported or readily inferred, the drivers included those of the ages 60, 61, 63, 66, 68, 71, 72, 72, 77, 79, 83, 85, 89These electronic defects apparently discriminate against the elderly, just as the sudden acceleration of Audis and GM autos did before them.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/OpEd-Contributor/I-am-not-afraid-of-my-Toyota-Prius-87361597.html
Theodore H. Frank: I am not afraid of my Toyota Prius
In this opinion article, the Contributor explains that as a junior defense lawyer in the mid-90s, he litigated a number of bogus sudden acceleration cases against GM. Now, just as back in the 90s, he feels that the public hysteria of the Toyota situation has reached unprecedented proportions and that driver error is truly to blame.
Quotes from the story:
Fifty-odd deaths over 10 years and millions of Toyotas is a relatively small compared to the general risk of being on the road at all.
Were seeing the same pattern again today. Initial reports of a problem, followed by dozens of new reports coming to light as people seek to blame their earlier accidents on sudden acceleration.
In the 24 cases where driver age was reported or readily inferred, the drivers included those of the ages 60, 61, 63, 66, 68, 71, 72, 72, 77, 79, 83, 85, 89These electronic defects apparently discriminate against the elderly, just as the sudden acceleration of Audis and GM autos did before them.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/OpEd-Contributor/I-am-not-afraid-of-my-Toyota-Prius-87361597.html
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Take a Test Drive in a LF-A
This may be the closest most of us get to it. A road test from Chris Harris at EVO magazine. Can I place your order for one?
Buy American----Buy a Toyota
As a follow up to his March 3, 2010 article, Roy Exum claims that Toyotas greatest strength is not the simple fact that the company makes what many believe are the safest and most reliable cars in the world. Instead, he is convinced that Toyota's greatest "trump card," the one thing that will determine a brilliant rebound and further solidify its position as the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, is its people.
Quotes from the story:
I am convinced Toyota has been wronged, this despite acknowledging evidence there have been issues with gas pedals, floor mats, transmissions, leaky oil lines or whatever.
[People] urged me to "Buy American," to not overlook the valiant efforts General Motors is making and Ford's recent triumphs. I heartily agree, but, in my way of thinking, when 175,000 Americans are employed each day by Toyota and the company continues to invest literally billions of dollars in our nation, only a fool - or a misguided member of Congress - would fail to recognize such a significance.
http://chattanoogan.com/articles/article_170444.asp
Quotes from the story:
I am convinced Toyota has been wronged, this despite acknowledging evidence there have been issues with gas pedals, floor mats, transmissions, leaky oil lines or whatever.
[People] urged me to "Buy American," to not overlook the valiant efforts General Motors is making and Ford's recent triumphs. I heartily agree, but, in my way of thinking, when 175,000 Americans are employed each day by Toyota and the company continues to invest literally billions of dollars in our nation, only a fool - or a misguided member of Congress - would fail to recognize such a significance.
http://chattanoogan.com/articles/article_170444.asp
NY Times: Braking Bad
This is an article from the New York Times relating that most unintended accleration issues are unfortunately due to driver error, not mechanical. Panic reactions are hard to over come.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/opinion/11schmidt.html?ref=opinion
In this opinion article by Richard A. Schmidt, who served as an expert for Audi and testified in court on many occasions regarding the unintended acceleration cases in the 1980s, explains that his research of more than 150 cases for Audi showed that in most cases the driver who intended to push the brake pushed the accelerator instead. He further goes on to explain how the current Toyota situation is very similar to that of the cases against Audi in the 1980s and that ultimately, the US governments suggested fix of smart pedals will ultimately provide clearer evidence of driver error.
Quotes from the story:
Smart pedals might help prevent more such accidents if the cause of unintended acceleration turns out to be some vehicle defect. The trouble, unbelievable as it may seem, is that sudden acceleration is very often caused by drivers who press the gas pedal when they intend to press the brake.
In 1989, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration concluded that the incidents of unintended acceleration by the Audi 5000 were mostly caused by this kind of pedal error not some electro-mechanical defect in the vehicle.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/opinion/11schmidt.html?ref=opinion
In this opinion article by Richard A. Schmidt, who served as an expert for Audi and testified in court on many occasions regarding the unintended acceleration cases in the 1980s, explains that his research of more than 150 cases for Audi showed that in most cases the driver who intended to push the brake pushed the accelerator instead. He further goes on to explain how the current Toyota situation is very similar to that of the cases against Audi in the 1980s and that ultimately, the US governments suggested fix of smart pedals will ultimately provide clearer evidence of driver error.
Quotes from the story:
Smart pedals might help prevent more such accidents if the cause of unintended acceleration turns out to be some vehicle defect. The trouble, unbelievable as it may seem, is that sudden acceleration is very often caused by drivers who press the gas pedal when they intend to press the brake.
In 1989, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration concluded that the incidents of unintended acceleration by the Audi 5000 were mostly caused by this kind of pedal error not some electro-mechanical defect in the vehicle.
LA Times: Toyota hysteria; "Way over the Top"
LATimes.com Opinion: Toyota hysteria; Reaction to its cars safety record is way over the top
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-fumento9-2010mar09,0,3126393.story
An opinion editorial piece written by Michael Fumento regarding his personal opinions that the media hype surrounding the Toyota recall situation has been blown completely out of proportion creating unnecessary hysteria.
Quotes from the story:
Sudden acceleration in Toyotas over the last decade has been linked with -- which doesn't mean "caused" -- 52 deaths, according to NHTSA. It was just 19 before the current publicity. A Los Angeles Times investigation brought it up to 56, including those culled from lawsuits. Whatever the count and cause, that's too many. But it's also out of 20 million Toyotas sold, and out of the 420,000 Americans NHTSA says died in motor vehicle accidents that decade.
Edmunds.com found that while Toyota was third in U.S. car sales from 2001 through 2010, it was 17th in NHTSA complaints. Thus, even if every sudden-acceleration complaint proved valid, Toyotas are among the safest cars made.
Toyota directly and indirectly employs about 200,000 Americans, and directly invests more than $18 billion in this country every year. The Toyota Camry, built in Kentucky and Indiana, is the most "American" car on the market, according to Cars.com.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-fumento9-2010mar09,0,3126393.story
An opinion editorial piece written by Michael Fumento regarding his personal opinions that the media hype surrounding the Toyota recall situation has been blown completely out of proportion creating unnecessary hysteria.
Quotes from the story:
Sudden acceleration in Toyotas over the last decade has been linked with -- which doesn't mean "caused" -- 52 deaths, according to NHTSA. It was just 19 before the current publicity. A Los Angeles Times investigation brought it up to 56, including those culled from lawsuits. Whatever the count and cause, that's too many. But it's also out of 20 million Toyotas sold, and out of the 420,000 Americans NHTSA says died in motor vehicle accidents that decade.
Edmunds.com found that while Toyota was third in U.S. car sales from 2001 through 2010, it was 17th in NHTSA complaints. Thus, even if every sudden-acceleration complaint proved valid, Toyotas are among the safest cars made.
Toyota directly and indirectly employs about 200,000 Americans, and directly invests more than $18 billion in this country every year. The Toyota Camry, built in Kentucky and Indiana, is the most "American" car on the market, according to Cars.com.
How can wires rewire themselves? When you have an agenda they do!
PopularMechanics.com Toyota Fires Back: Electronics Dont Rewire Themselves
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4348506.html?nav=RSS20&src=syn&dom=yah_buzz&mag=pop
As a follow up to his previous article regarding the Toyota pedal and how it would be nearly impossible for an error to increase acceleration, Mike Allen of PopularMechanics.com uses information presented by Toyota on March 8, 2010 regarding the issues and unrealistic nature of Professor Dave Gilberts testing.
Quotes from the story:
One pertinent factoid: Not a single case of sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) has been attributed to bad wiring. None. Toyota has been harvesting parts from vehicles with documented SUA issues as part of the recall, and they're checking them all. None of them have shown any sign of corrosion or shorted wiring.
You can engineer around any safety system if you try hard enough. Toyota also illustrated that Gilbert's modification works on cars from many different manufacturers. During a webcast explaining the modifications, Toyota had a half-dozen cars built by a half-dozen companies that were rewired in the same manner. All of them produced the same result as that Avalon.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4348506.html?nav=RSS20&src=syn&dom=yah_buzz&mag=pop
As a follow up to his previous article regarding the Toyota pedal and how it would be nearly impossible for an error to increase acceleration, Mike Allen of PopularMechanics.com uses information presented by Toyota on March 8, 2010 regarding the issues and unrealistic nature of Professor Dave Gilberts testing.
Quotes from the story:
One pertinent factoid: Not a single case of sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) has been attributed to bad wiring. None. Toyota has been harvesting parts from vehicles with documented SUA issues as part of the recall, and they're checking them all. None of them have shown any sign of corrosion or shorted wiring.
You can engineer around any safety system if you try hard enough. Toyota also illustrated that Gilbert's modification works on cars from many different manufacturers. During a webcast explaining the modifications, Toyota had a half-dozen cars built by a half-dozen companies that were rewired in the same manner. All of them produced the same result as that Avalon.
Congressional electronic test was rigged
DetNews.com Acceleration test rigged, Toyota says
http://detnews.com/article/20100309/AUTO01/3090377/Acceleration-test-rigged--Toyota-says
Provides a review of the press conference held by Toyota in an effort to debunk statements made by Professor David Gilbert during U.S. House committee holding hearings that he had discovered an electronic flaw in the acceleration system of Toyota.
Quotes from the story:
The engineers said Professor David Gilbert of Southern Illinois University had rewired the circuitry in a way that would cause uncontrolled acceleration not only in Toyota vehicles but in all the cars they tested. "Any circuit can be taken and re-engineered and rewired to perform what it is you want it to do," said Matthew Schwall, an engineer at Menlo Park, Calif.-based Exponent, a firm retained by Toyota to examine its vehicles.
Chris Gerdes, a professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford University, said he spoke with Gilbert, who confirmed that he had stripped insulation from wires connecting the pedal to the throttle and connected wires that were normally too far apart to touch in his experiment.
"Dr. Gilbert's demonstration is not evidence of a design flaw or a safety risk," Gerdes said at the news conference webcast from Torrance, Calif. "Dr. Gilbert provides no evidence that his scenario occurs in the real world."
http://detnews.com/article/20100309/AUTO01/3090377/Acceleration-test-rigged--Toyota-says
Provides a review of the press conference held by Toyota in an effort to debunk statements made by Professor David Gilbert during U.S. House committee holding hearings that he had discovered an electronic flaw in the acceleration system of Toyota.
Quotes from the story:
The engineers said Professor David Gilbert of Southern Illinois University had rewired the circuitry in a way that would cause uncontrolled acceleration not only in Toyota vehicles but in all the cars they tested. "Any circuit can be taken and re-engineered and rewired to perform what it is you want it to do," said Matthew Schwall, an engineer at Menlo Park, Calif.-based Exponent, a firm retained by Toyota to examine its vehicles.
Chris Gerdes, a professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford University, said he spoke with Gilbert, who confirmed that he had stripped insulation from wires connecting the pedal to the throttle and connected wires that were normally too far apart to touch in his experiment.
"Dr. Gilbert's demonstration is not evidence of a design flaw or a safety risk," Gerdes said at the news conference webcast from Torrance, Calif. "Dr. Gilbert provides no evidence that his scenario occurs in the real world."
Toyota doing more than any other Manufacture,EVER
Here is a blog from Roy Exum. Read his full article for more info, but he hits it on the head that Toyota is doing something that other Manufactures would never dream of doing for their customers, even though they have most of the same issues. And in most cases alot worse.
Chattanoogan.com Roy Exum: Toyotas Silent Mule
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_170186.asp In this opinion article by Roy Exum he warns the American people and Congress that Toyota will soon fire back and return stronger than ever as the worlds largest automotive manufacturer.
Quotes from the story:
Right now Toyota is processing 50,000 recalled vehicles a day, somewhat easily, too, I might add. To do so, their dealers are loaning cars while repairs are being made, paying rental fees and even taxi receipts. The simple fact is that never in the history of the auto industry has there been such an intense response. General Motors, on the other hand, will not offer a similar assistance program to the 1.3 million owners in this latest recall because, quite frankly, it doesn't have the clout nor the "want to" that Toyota does right now.
What you need to know is that, in the last 20 years, there have been 569 recalls of Toyota vehicles. At the same time, there have been 3,498 recalls of General Motors vehicles. Yes, there have also been 2,691 Ford recalls and 2,419 Chrysler recalls, too.
Chattanoogan.com Roy Exum: Toyotas Silent Mule
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_170186.asp In this opinion article by Roy Exum he warns the American people and Congress that Toyota will soon fire back and return stronger than ever as the worlds largest automotive manufacturer.
Quotes from the story:
Right now Toyota is processing 50,000 recalled vehicles a day, somewhat easily, too, I might add. To do so, their dealers are loaning cars while repairs are being made, paying rental fees and even taxi receipts. The simple fact is that never in the history of the auto industry has there been such an intense response. General Motors, on the other hand, will not offer a similar assistance program to the 1.3 million owners in this latest recall because, quite frankly, it doesn't have the clout nor the "want to" that Toyota does right now.
What you need to know is that, in the last 20 years, there have been 569 recalls of Toyota vehicles. At the same time, there have been 3,498 recalls of General Motors vehicles. Yes, there have also been 2,691 Ford recalls and 2,419 Chrysler recalls, too.
NY Times: Go buy a Toyota the Patriotic thing to do!
NYTimes.com Toyotas Are Safe (Enough) http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/toyotas-are-safe-enough/?ref=opinion Robert Wright, writer for the Opinionator Online Commentary section of The New York Times, writes about how the Toyota recall situation has been completely blown out of proportion by the media and the American people.
Quotes from the story:
My back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that if you drive one of the Toyotas recalled for acceleration problems and dont bother to comply with the recall, your chances of being involved in a fatal accident over the next two years because of the unfixed problem are a bit worse than one in a million 2.8 in a million, to be more exact. Meanwhile, your chances of being killed in a car accident during the next two years just by virtue of being an American are one in 5,244.
So go out today and buy a Toyota. Its the patriotic thing to do.
Quotes from the story:
My back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that if you drive one of the Toyotas recalled for acceleration problems and dont bother to comply with the recall, your chances of being involved in a fatal accident over the next two years because of the unfixed problem are a bit worse than one in a million 2.8 in a million, to be more exact. Meanwhile, your chances of being killed in a car accident during the next two years just by virtue of being an American are one in 5,244.
So go out today and buy a Toyota. Its the patriotic thing to do.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Toyota caught up in unjust hysteria?
An objective take on the issues at hand from the Editor in Cheif of Popular Mechanics, one of Americas most trusted technical publications
Target Toyota: Why the Recall Backlash Is Overblown
By James B. Meigs, Editor-in-Chief, Popular Mechanics
Published on: February 9, 2010
To judge by press accounts and statements from government officials, those innocuous-looking Toyota sedans and SUVs in millions of American driveways are somehow kin to the homicidal '58 Plymouth Fury in the Stephen King novel "Christine"—haunted by technological poltergeists and prone to fits of mechanical mayhem. In the midst of three major recalls, Toyota has been hammered by daily newspaper and TV pieces suggesting it has been slow to address safety problems. U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood announced that anyone who owns one of the recalled vehicles should "stop driving it." (He quickly backpedaled on that pronouncement, but warned, "We're not finished with Toyota.") Displaying a previously undisclosed concern for the safety of American owners of foreign-badged automobiles, the UAW quickly piled on. And now, Toyota's North American president Yoshi Inaba must submit to ritual humiliation at the hands of the U.S. Congress in a hearing on Wednesday.
Does Toyota—or any car company—deserve this? Well, if they are knowingly selling an unsafe car, yes. But is that what's going on here? Not so fast. There's no question that unintended acceleration is a serious problem that needs to be fixed. But a little perspective is in order. As Popular Mechanics automotive editor Larry Webster has pointed out, every major carmaker receives occasional reports of sudden unintended acceleration (SUA). In the last decade, the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency logged some 24,000 SUA complaints. Less than 50 of these red flags were investigated. Why so few? The main reason is the nebulous nature of SUA. Often the problem occurs once, never to happen again. It's tough to fix a defect that can't be replicated. And then there's the driver variable. As awful as this is to think about, it's been shown that sometimes drivers simply mix up which pedal they're pushing. In the late 1980s, the Audi 5000 was the target of a barrage of SUA allegations, lawsuits and press reports (including a notorious "60 Minutes" episode that was later discredited). Then, as now, there were accusations that mysterious electronic gremlins somehow took over the car. In the end, NHTSA concluded that driver error was the only likely explanation for the incidents.
But many safety concerns do have validity, and every carmaker has conducted numerous recalls involving critical safety features of their vehicles—brakes, steering, airbags, seat belts, and more. Still, the fact that some safety problems don't emerge until cars have been on the road for months or years is not a sign that automakers are criminally cavalier about safety. Quite the opposite. The safety issues that lead to recalls generally occur in very small numbers, often barely rising above statistical noise. Toyota's unintended acceleration problem, for instance, involved a handful of cases in literally billions of miles of driving.
As those cases come to light, it is necessary for carmakers to take action, and it is natural for consumers to be concerned. But the intensity of the backlash against Toyota is almost unprecedented. Here's what is being missed in most of the coverage of the issue: All cars are inherently dangerous. They propel their fragile human cargo at high speeds over unpredictable terrain. They combine thousands of parts that need to interact flawlessly—in environments ranging from Death Valley heat to Fairbanks cold—in order to maintain safe operation. Their radiators contain scalding fluids; their batteries are full of toxic acid; and their gas tanks hold explosive power equivalent to more than 100 sticks of TNT. And, by all accounts, Americans drive those cars faster than ever, on increasingly congested roadways.
Nonetheless, driving gets safer every year. Fatalities per mile driven have fallen more than 25 percent since 1994, in part because cars themselves are safer. Compared to those of 20 years ago, the typical vehicle today has better brakes, better steering and more (not to mention smarter) airbags. Electronic stability-control systems have helped prevent countless accidents. Still, even the best cars are far from perfect. And much of the outrage over Toyota's troubles seems based on the unrealistic expectation that cars should be infallible. That's an unattainable goal; even well-designed components can wear out and fail in unexpected ways. Recalls are not a sign that carmakers are indifferent to the safety of their customers. On the contrary, recalls are part of the process by which automakers address safety or reliability issues that are often fairly subtle.
So why did Toyota's safety issues become front-page news when similar recalls by other automakers barely made the business pages? One is the scary nature of unintended acceleration itself, which taps into our almost instinctual fear that our machines will suddenly turn on us (HAL, anyone?). Another was the horrific 911 call from the passenger of a Lexus that crashed in Santee, Calif., in August of last year. And then there was timing. Toyota responded first to the problem of shifting floor mats (the likely culprit in the Santee crash), and only later to the much more subtle issue of accelerator pedals that are slow to return to idle. Those are two unrelated problems that needed to be addressed separately. Perhaps in a different climate, Toyota could have convinced the public that the accelerator pedal recall was an example of extreme diligence in pursuit of safety. Instead, the second recall struck the public as an admission of culpability—just another shoe dropping in a much larger scandal.
By the time conversation got around to disconcerting glitches in the antilock brake system on Toyota's high-tech Prius hybrid, there was no containing the outrage. (The fact is, most hybrids exhibit slightly twitchy braking as they try to manage the switchover from the electrical braking that recharges the batteries to the hydraulic braking needed for more aggressive stops. Conditions that engage the antilock braking system only complicate that challenge.) Without the previous incidents, news that Toyota was making a small change in its Prius braking software would have been a non-story. Instead, it completed the trifecta of bad news that has made this Toyota's annus horribilis.
Crisis managers will no doubt study Toyota's handling of this issue, looking for lessons in avoiding that company's predicament. After all, it took years for Audi's sales to rebound after that company's trip through the SUA gauntlet. Still, some good did come of Audi's experience: Today all cars have interlock systems that make it impossible for drivers to move the shift lever out of park unless their foot is on the brake (thus preventing them from shifting into gear while accidentally flooring the accelerator). One likely outcome of the Toyota episode will be a requirement for a similar interlock that automatically disengages the throttle whenever the driver steps on the brake. And that would help make all cars just one, tiny increment safer than before
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4345385.html
Target Toyota: Why the Recall Backlash Is Overblown
By James B. Meigs, Editor-in-Chief, Popular Mechanics
Published on: February 9, 2010
To judge by press accounts and statements from government officials, those innocuous-looking Toyota sedans and SUVs in millions of American driveways are somehow kin to the homicidal '58 Plymouth Fury in the Stephen King novel "Christine"—haunted by technological poltergeists and prone to fits of mechanical mayhem. In the midst of three major recalls, Toyota has been hammered by daily newspaper and TV pieces suggesting it has been slow to address safety problems. U.S. transportation secretary Ray LaHood announced that anyone who owns one of the recalled vehicles should "stop driving it." (He quickly backpedaled on that pronouncement, but warned, "We're not finished with Toyota.") Displaying a previously undisclosed concern for the safety of American owners of foreign-badged automobiles, the UAW quickly piled on. And now, Toyota's North American president Yoshi Inaba must submit to ritual humiliation at the hands of the U.S. Congress in a hearing on Wednesday.
Does Toyota—or any car company—deserve this? Well, if they are knowingly selling an unsafe car, yes. But is that what's going on here? Not so fast. There's no question that unintended acceleration is a serious problem that needs to be fixed. But a little perspective is in order. As Popular Mechanics automotive editor Larry Webster has pointed out, every major carmaker receives occasional reports of sudden unintended acceleration (SUA). In the last decade, the National Highway Transportation Safety Agency logged some 24,000 SUA complaints. Less than 50 of these red flags were investigated. Why so few? The main reason is the nebulous nature of SUA. Often the problem occurs once, never to happen again. It's tough to fix a defect that can't be replicated. And then there's the driver variable. As awful as this is to think about, it's been shown that sometimes drivers simply mix up which pedal they're pushing. In the late 1980s, the Audi 5000 was the target of a barrage of SUA allegations, lawsuits and press reports (including a notorious "60 Minutes" episode that was later discredited). Then, as now, there were accusations that mysterious electronic gremlins somehow took over the car. In the end, NHTSA concluded that driver error was the only likely explanation for the incidents.
But many safety concerns do have validity, and every carmaker has conducted numerous recalls involving critical safety features of their vehicles—brakes, steering, airbags, seat belts, and more. Still, the fact that some safety problems don't emerge until cars have been on the road for months or years is not a sign that automakers are criminally cavalier about safety. Quite the opposite. The safety issues that lead to recalls generally occur in very small numbers, often barely rising above statistical noise. Toyota's unintended acceleration problem, for instance, involved a handful of cases in literally billions of miles of driving.
As those cases come to light, it is necessary for carmakers to take action, and it is natural for consumers to be concerned. But the intensity of the backlash against Toyota is almost unprecedented. Here's what is being missed in most of the coverage of the issue: All cars are inherently dangerous. They propel their fragile human cargo at high speeds over unpredictable terrain. They combine thousands of parts that need to interact flawlessly—in environments ranging from Death Valley heat to Fairbanks cold—in order to maintain safe operation. Their radiators contain scalding fluids; their batteries are full of toxic acid; and their gas tanks hold explosive power equivalent to more than 100 sticks of TNT. And, by all accounts, Americans drive those cars faster than ever, on increasingly congested roadways.
Nonetheless, driving gets safer every year. Fatalities per mile driven have fallen more than 25 percent since 1994, in part because cars themselves are safer. Compared to those of 20 years ago, the typical vehicle today has better brakes, better steering and more (not to mention smarter) airbags. Electronic stability-control systems have helped prevent countless accidents. Still, even the best cars are far from perfect. And much of the outrage over Toyota's troubles seems based on the unrealistic expectation that cars should be infallible. That's an unattainable goal; even well-designed components can wear out and fail in unexpected ways. Recalls are not a sign that carmakers are indifferent to the safety of their customers. On the contrary, recalls are part of the process by which automakers address safety or reliability issues that are often fairly subtle.
So why did Toyota's safety issues become front-page news when similar recalls by other automakers barely made the business pages? One is the scary nature of unintended acceleration itself, which taps into our almost instinctual fear that our machines will suddenly turn on us (HAL, anyone?). Another was the horrific 911 call from the passenger of a Lexus that crashed in Santee, Calif., in August of last year. And then there was timing. Toyota responded first to the problem of shifting floor mats (the likely culprit in the Santee crash), and only later to the much more subtle issue of accelerator pedals that are slow to return to idle. Those are two unrelated problems that needed to be addressed separately. Perhaps in a different climate, Toyota could have convinced the public that the accelerator pedal recall was an example of extreme diligence in pursuit of safety. Instead, the second recall struck the public as an admission of culpability—just another shoe dropping in a much larger scandal.
By the time conversation got around to disconcerting glitches in the antilock brake system on Toyota's high-tech Prius hybrid, there was no containing the outrage. (The fact is, most hybrids exhibit slightly twitchy braking as they try to manage the switchover from the electrical braking that recharges the batteries to the hydraulic braking needed for more aggressive stops. Conditions that engage the antilock braking system only complicate that challenge.) Without the previous incidents, news that Toyota was making a small change in its Prius braking software would have been a non-story. Instead, it completed the trifecta of bad news that has made this Toyota's annus horribilis.
Crisis managers will no doubt study Toyota's handling of this issue, looking for lessons in avoiding that company's predicament. After all, it took years for Audi's sales to rebound after that company's trip through the SUA gauntlet. Still, some good did come of Audi's experience: Today all cars have interlock systems that make it impossible for drivers to move the shift lever out of park unless their foot is on the brake (thus preventing them from shifting into gear while accidentally flooring the accelerator). One likely outcome of the Toyota episode will be a requirement for a similar interlock that automatically disengages the throttle whenever the driver steps on the brake. And that would help make all cars just one, tiny increment safer than before
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4345385.html
Popular Mechanics
Here is an article from Popular Mechanics giving more information than you ever wanted to know about gas pedals on new cars, but it is a real independent view of some of the bashing that Toyota has been taking and seems to confirm Toyota's assertion that there is not an electronic issue with the acceleration issue.
Anatomy of Toyota's Problem Pedal: Mechanic's Diary
What's the real problem behind Toyota's unintended acceleration? Is it simply a sticky pedal, or is the trouble more fundamental? PM senior automotive editor Mike Allen delves into modern car tech, explaining why widespread theories about electrical throttle problems and electromagnetic interference are misguided.
By Mike Allen
Published on: March 3, 2010
Toyota has recalled millions of cars and trucks—4.2 million to replace floor mats that might impede throttle-pedal travel, and 2.4 million to install a shim behind the electronic pedal assembly. All of the affected pedal assemblies were made by Canadian supplier CTS. Toyota's boffins have documented a problem that can make a few of these pedals slow to return, and maybe even stick down. Problem solved.
But the media, Congress—and personal-injury lawyers—smell the blood in the water. Not to diminish the injuries and a few deaths attributable to these very real mechanical problems, but they're statistically only a very small blip, which may explain why Toyota took so long to identify the issue, especially when it has symptoms similar to the similarly documented floor mat recall. Plus, sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) is notoriously difficult to diagnose because, more often then not, the problem can't be repeated in front of a mechanic. Let's not forget the Audi SUA episode back in the '80s; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration eventually concluded that there was no mechanical problem. The culprit, as hard as this is to admit, was most likely driver error. To put the issue into context, in the last decade, there were about 24,000 customer complaints about SUA involving almost every major automaker. The NHTSA investigated fewer than 50.
The issue now is whether there's a more insidious problem unrelated to the two recalls already extant. Specifically, whether there's some design flaw in the entire concept of electronic throttle control. Some are questioning whether electromagnetic interference from devices like cellphones could be contributing to the acceleration problems.
It used to be that there was a steel cable that ran from the pedal itself through the firewall and attached to the throttle blades that admitted air to the intake manifold. A sticking throttle could be the result of friction anywhere—in the pedal pivot, between the cable itself and its nylon-lined sheath, or in the carburetor or fuel-injection throttle blades. (Does anybody remember carburetors?). Modern cars, which make up the majority on the market today, use a throttle pedal assembly that is connected to the engine only electronically. Signals are carried over wires to the engine management computer, which in turn sends electrical impulses to the stepper motor that actually controls the throttle blades.
Sounds like there are plenty of places for gremlins to seize control of the works, right? And that's where pundits who don't really understand the architecture of throttle-by-wire systems go wrong. It's all in the engineering.
Let's start at bottom of it all—your foot, which moves the pedal fore and aft in relation to the firewall. Inside the pedal assembly is a spring to make it return as you lift off, a device to add a little friction that dampens the movement (Your foot would tire in short order if there wasn't some damping), and a transducer of some sort that turns the movement of the pedal into an electrical signal. That transducer is a simple device, invented in 1879 by Edwin Hall (not 1979; 1879). It consists of only a single slab of semiconductor with a few wires attached to its edge, one on each end and one in the middle. With a voltage applied to the end wires, it acts as a voltage divider. Placing a magnet near the sensor changes the magnetic lines of flux, which literally push the electrons away from the electrodes and changes the voltage at the center wire. The magnet, in the Toyota case, is on the pedal arm. As the pedal moves, it alters the voltage at the semiconductor and that's how the engine computer knows the position of the pedal. The benefit of Hall-effect sensors is that there's no mechanical connection to corrode, no internal resistance, and other electronics, such as amplifiers, aren't needed. You could make one on your kitchen table with a refrigerator magnet and some doorbell wire.
There are two discrete Hall-effect sensors in the Toyota/CTS pedal, which is common industry practice. Just to make sure the sensors aren't confused, they run on totally separate circuits back to the ECM, three wires each. They don't even share an electrical ground. Like many onboard automobile sensors, they are also completely isolated from the vehicle ground. To reduce the potential for interference or mistakes, they operate at different voltages. The first sensor, known as ACCEL POS #1, has a nominal voltage range from 0.5 volts to 1.1 volts at idle and 2.5 volts to 4.5 volts at wide-open-throttle (WOT). The second sensor, ACCEL POS #2, delivers from 1.2 volts to 2.0 volts at idle and 3.4 volts to 5.0 volts at WOT. Why such a wide range of permissible voltages? The engine computer (ECM) recalibrates the sensor regularly, every time you start the car and the ECM goes through its power-on self-test.
Both accelerator-pedal-position Hall-effect sensors have to agree fairly closely, or the ECM will go into its limp-home mode, which turns on the Check Engine light and sets a trouble code.
There's more. If Toyota's engine-management scheme is anything like that of most other car companies, firmware inside the ECM also monitors the airflow into the engine, the throttle blade position and engine rpm, and calculates backwards to what the throttle pedal position should be. Any discrepancy, and a trouble code is set, the Check Engine light on the dash goes on, and you're dialing the service manager to make an appointment.
Bottom line: The system is not only redundant, it's double-redundant. The signal lines from the pedal to the ECM are isolated. The voltages used in the system are DC voltages—any RF voltages introduced into the system, by, say, that microwave oven you have in the passenger seat, would be AC voltages, which the ECM's conditioned inputs would simply ignore. Neither your cellphone nor Johnny's PlayStation have the power to induce much confusion into the system.
These throttle-by-wire systems are very difficult to confuse—they're designed to be robust, and any conceivable failure is engineered to command not an open throttle but an error message. So what to make of the unintended acceleration cases popping up by the dozens? Not the ones explainable by problem sticky pedals, but the ones documented by people who claim their vehicle ran away on its own, with no input, and resisted all attempts to stop it? Some can probably be explained as an attempt to get rid of a car consumers no longer desire. Some are probably the result of Audi 5000 Syndrome, where drivers simply lost track of their feet and depressed the gas instead of the brake. It's happened to me: Luckily I recognized the phenomenon and corrected before it went bang. Others may not have the presence of mind.
But the possibility that a vehicle could go from idling at a traffic light to terrific, uncalled-for and uncontrollable acceleration because the guy next to you at a traffic light answered his cellphone? Or some ghost in the machine or a hacker caused a software glitch that made your car run away and the brakes suddenly simultaneously fail? Not in the least bit likely. Toyota deserves a better deal than the media and Congress are giving it.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4347704.html
Anatomy of Toyota's Problem Pedal: Mechanic's Diary
What's the real problem behind Toyota's unintended acceleration? Is it simply a sticky pedal, or is the trouble more fundamental? PM senior automotive editor Mike Allen delves into modern car tech, explaining why widespread theories about electrical throttle problems and electromagnetic interference are misguided.
By Mike Allen
Published on: March 3, 2010
Toyota has recalled millions of cars and trucks—4.2 million to replace floor mats that might impede throttle-pedal travel, and 2.4 million to install a shim behind the electronic pedal assembly. All of the affected pedal assemblies were made by Canadian supplier CTS. Toyota's boffins have documented a problem that can make a few of these pedals slow to return, and maybe even stick down. Problem solved.
But the media, Congress—and personal-injury lawyers—smell the blood in the water. Not to diminish the injuries and a few deaths attributable to these very real mechanical problems, but they're statistically only a very small blip, which may explain why Toyota took so long to identify the issue, especially when it has symptoms similar to the similarly documented floor mat recall. Plus, sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) is notoriously difficult to diagnose because, more often then not, the problem can't be repeated in front of a mechanic. Let's not forget the Audi SUA episode back in the '80s; the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration eventually concluded that there was no mechanical problem. The culprit, as hard as this is to admit, was most likely driver error. To put the issue into context, in the last decade, there were about 24,000 customer complaints about SUA involving almost every major automaker. The NHTSA investigated fewer than 50.
The issue now is whether there's a more insidious problem unrelated to the two recalls already extant. Specifically, whether there's some design flaw in the entire concept of electronic throttle control. Some are questioning whether electromagnetic interference from devices like cellphones could be contributing to the acceleration problems.
It used to be that there was a steel cable that ran from the pedal itself through the firewall and attached to the throttle blades that admitted air to the intake manifold. A sticking throttle could be the result of friction anywhere—in the pedal pivot, between the cable itself and its nylon-lined sheath, or in the carburetor or fuel-injection throttle blades. (Does anybody remember carburetors?). Modern cars, which make up the majority on the market today, use a throttle pedal assembly that is connected to the engine only electronically. Signals are carried over wires to the engine management computer, which in turn sends electrical impulses to the stepper motor that actually controls the throttle blades.
Sounds like there are plenty of places for gremlins to seize control of the works, right? And that's where pundits who don't really understand the architecture of throttle-by-wire systems go wrong. It's all in the engineering.
Let's start at bottom of it all—your foot, which moves the pedal fore and aft in relation to the firewall. Inside the pedal assembly is a spring to make it return as you lift off, a device to add a little friction that dampens the movement (Your foot would tire in short order if there wasn't some damping), and a transducer of some sort that turns the movement of the pedal into an electrical signal. That transducer is a simple device, invented in 1879 by Edwin Hall (not 1979; 1879). It consists of only a single slab of semiconductor with a few wires attached to its edge, one on each end and one in the middle. With a voltage applied to the end wires, it acts as a voltage divider. Placing a magnet near the sensor changes the magnetic lines of flux, which literally push the electrons away from the electrodes and changes the voltage at the center wire. The magnet, in the Toyota case, is on the pedal arm. As the pedal moves, it alters the voltage at the semiconductor and that's how the engine computer knows the position of the pedal. The benefit of Hall-effect sensors is that there's no mechanical connection to corrode, no internal resistance, and other electronics, such as amplifiers, aren't needed. You could make one on your kitchen table with a refrigerator magnet and some doorbell wire.
There are two discrete Hall-effect sensors in the Toyota/CTS pedal, which is common industry practice. Just to make sure the sensors aren't confused, they run on totally separate circuits back to the ECM, three wires each. They don't even share an electrical ground. Like many onboard automobile sensors, they are also completely isolated from the vehicle ground. To reduce the potential for interference or mistakes, they operate at different voltages. The first sensor, known as ACCEL POS #1, has a nominal voltage range from 0.5 volts to 1.1 volts at idle and 2.5 volts to 4.5 volts at wide-open-throttle (WOT). The second sensor, ACCEL POS #2, delivers from 1.2 volts to 2.0 volts at idle and 3.4 volts to 5.0 volts at WOT. Why such a wide range of permissible voltages? The engine computer (ECM) recalibrates the sensor regularly, every time you start the car and the ECM goes through its power-on self-test.
Both accelerator-pedal-position Hall-effect sensors have to agree fairly closely, or the ECM will go into its limp-home mode, which turns on the Check Engine light and sets a trouble code.
There's more. If Toyota's engine-management scheme is anything like that of most other car companies, firmware inside the ECM also monitors the airflow into the engine, the throttle blade position and engine rpm, and calculates backwards to what the throttle pedal position should be. Any discrepancy, and a trouble code is set, the Check Engine light on the dash goes on, and you're dialing the service manager to make an appointment.
Bottom line: The system is not only redundant, it's double-redundant. The signal lines from the pedal to the ECM are isolated. The voltages used in the system are DC voltages—any RF voltages introduced into the system, by, say, that microwave oven you have in the passenger seat, would be AC voltages, which the ECM's conditioned inputs would simply ignore. Neither your cellphone nor Johnny's PlayStation have the power to induce much confusion into the system.
These throttle-by-wire systems are very difficult to confuse—they're designed to be robust, and any conceivable failure is engineered to command not an open throttle but an error message. So what to make of the unintended acceleration cases popping up by the dozens? Not the ones explainable by problem sticky pedals, but the ones documented by people who claim their vehicle ran away on its own, with no input, and resisted all attempts to stop it? Some can probably be explained as an attempt to get rid of a car consumers no longer desire. Some are probably the result of Audi 5000 Syndrome, where drivers simply lost track of their feet and depressed the gas instead of the brake. It's happened to me: Luckily I recognized the phenomenon and corrected before it went bang. Others may not have the presence of mind.
But the possibility that a vehicle could go from idling at a traffic light to terrific, uncalled-for and uncontrollable acceleration because the guy next to you at a traffic light answered his cellphone? Or some ghost in the machine or a hacker caused a software glitch that made your car run away and the brakes suddenly simultaneously fail? Not in the least bit likely. Toyota deserves a better deal than the media and Congress are giving it.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4347704.html
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