Unintended acceleration 100% users fault

- Consumer Reports Cars Blog: NHTSA can

So the NHTSA says its can't explain the event as Mr Sikes reported it, and that his Prius was, in fact, functioning correctly. Did you expect them to say "liar liar pants on fire" in the press release?

 

Time already told. This one is in the books.

Tom

 

Public reports filed on the NHTSA site -- which do not equal verified cases -- quickly exceeded 100 deaths once the hysteria was in full swing.

Please tell that to ABC News' Brian Ross, who included the Denver Prius-in-a-creek in his Nightline report on Toyota SUAs.

 

NHTSA: "So far, we have not been able to find anything to explain the incident that Mr. Sikes reported."

"..So Far...", Not exactly a conclusive statement, that.

NHTSA: "Further, the Prius is equipped with a system that detects simultaneous brake and accelerator pedal applications."

Exactly, so the point of failure must have precluded this "detection" aspect.

 

This is the nature of science. So far, no one has proved the theory of gravity. Disproving is easy, requiring only one failed example. Proving requires eliminating all other possibilities. In the case of Sikes, all other possibilities that anyone can think of have been eliminated. However, there could be other possibilities. For example, an alien space ship could have caught him in a tractor beam and dragged his car, but it's not likely.

With these sort of things, at some point a logical and reasonable person has to admit that the preponderance of evidence makes any other explanation unlikely. The Sikes case passed that point some time ago.

As for brake override, as stated before, Sikes alternately accelerated and braked as shown by the log files in the ECU. Brake override doesn't do anything to prevent this type of abuse.

Tom

 

"... a logical and reasonable person.."

I have never considered myself to be anything but...

Toyota's initial report said both the brake and gas pedal had each been "cycled" ~250 times. The later version was that only the gas pedal have been cycled ~250 times. The even still later version simply said the throttle had remained wide open for the entire period of the Sikes incident, no mention whatsoever of # of times for either pedal.

A logical and reasonable person experienced in real time process control computer coding might conclude that the HSD control ECU "entered" the instruction execution sequence for cruise control "accel" mode ~256 times. Thus the "count".

All three SUA incidents, Saylor, Sikes, and Smith, could be explained with the cruise control getting locked in accel mode.

 

When the Prius brakes are applied, initially applied, the Traction control ECU sends a message telling the HSD computer what level of braking is required and "asking" the HSD computer what level it can/will supply.

What if the HSD computer is locked in the cruise control accel mode and simply doesn't reply...?? The current recall campaign certainly implies that the traction control computer has no short term default wherein it starts applying the frictional brakes.

As we can see from the 2010 Prius "non-braking" period recall you might be left with "non-braking" for an indefinite period.

 

What if Sikes' Prius had the cruise control "lever" stuck in the "accel" position, mechanically, electrically, or even as I have proposed, within the firmware??? The brakes would work but as soon as you got off the brake pedal the Prius would begin accelerating again.

Maybe applying the brakes should disarm, totally disarm, the cruise control.

 

So does this mean Toyota's resale value will go back up?

Any case pedals are still being cut as part of the 160 inspection like mine.

 

"Mainstream media" or "MSM" is code used by by the right wing and conservatives for that portion of the American media which they believe has a liberal bias. joe1347 was using the phrase ironically. In fact, as you point out, the WSJ is among the real mainstream media, in the sense of size and influence. Fox News is the biggest news organization in the world and among the most conservative, along with the owners of the WSJ. The cliche "MSM" is a "big lie" tactic by the right wing to paint themselves as brave underdogs and victims.

 

The WSJ was purchased by the same guy who owns the Fox conglomerate, as well as a raft of tabloid type 'news' outlets worldwide. He is Rupert Murdoch, an Australian and real piece of work. Makes William Randolph Hearst look like a boyscout and Goebbels would have loved him.

 

Thanks Tom.

So, how come Toyota doesn't file a lawsuit against this person? Fraud at this level is a definite felony.......is it the same concept as "can't squeeze blood out of a turnip?"

 

With the 2010 Prius, holding the cruise control stalk in "ACC" mode and then hitting the brake clears the setting. The stalk has to return to center and "SET" before "ACC" mode will work again. Just holding it in "ACC" does not work after braking.

Bob Wilson

 

Not necessarily in order...

1. What you said.
2. Suing the fraud would serve to keep the story alive longer.
3. It's not wise to sue your customers, many of your other customers and potential customers identify more with another customer than they do with your business.

 

And if the brake light switch doesn't work..??

 

Hummm, another case of the Toyota 'old person detected' faulty brake:
Woman gets scare when Toyota lunges - Chambersburg Public Opinion

Too bad she didn't get out of the car, leaving it "running" and use a cell phone or have others come and make a video record.

Bob Wilson