Dollars vs cents (or sense)

My fear is that if it is a software or sensor issue that there will be a huge over reaction that ends with some stupid law outlawing the modification or alteration of FBW pedals or ECMs across the board.

That would be a nightmare in more than one way. Namely, the DBW system is center stage in Active Handling that will be required on ALL new cars sold in the US soon.

They may outlaw magnetic field sensors - if that is what they find to be the problem. That would leave GM, Ford...etc, in the clear since they don't use that technology.

dollars and sense does not answer the question at hand. What is the purpose of doing the recall and installing a shim that "helps reduce friction?" Is it to buy time and fix the EMI problem and then replace all the affected assemblies again?

Darren

I love it Greg!!! That is good stuff.:thumbsup: :cheers:
I, personally would have had some "nice choice words" for the nice fella that mouthed off to you about his Prius.

I'm hoping this is the big break the american builders have been wainting for, Lets hope they take it and run with it. Ford, Chevy or Dodge. I just want the american companies to come back strong.

When making my gas pedal for my car I wanted to make the pressure easier and tried adding a return type spring for the pedal. It was a nightmare. But I learned one thing. When you put the pedal down and it sticks, it stays only where it was depressed the most. So how does a pedal all of a sudden increase the throttle more than where it was at the highest throttle position previously all on its own? the springs no matter which side it is on returns the throttle or pedal to a lesser position or leaves it there.

The bushing they are adding only lets the pedal go more freely and the springs would return it easier without sticking and that is all they could do.

I am with you guys that it is in the ecm programming or potentiometer problems.Logic just does not bring it to a spring or sticking problem. The people involved in the accidents I don't believe were ever accelerating at the amount of pedal travel to go as fast as the cars were accelerating to and were, from the way it sounds driving along and the car just takes off.

Now the magnets sound interesting enough to be part of the problem as they could have some kind of effect on the potentiometer that when the springs would be free from tension and it could move the pot on its own merit POSSIBLY?so to speak.

It is going to take more than a bushing to pull them out of this one but it is a good cover for fixing other problems that would cause bigger doubts about the reliablility and saftey of other components and get the car in for that fix.

We will see.

Ding, ding, ding, my bet would be emi at the TB. Geez on the GM ETB the wiring going to it is separate and shielded to ground, and that is a simple wiper switch assy if I'm not mistaken. I work on aircraft, specifically all the electrical / electronic systems and shielded wiring is used extensively. Why do you think airlines ask you to turn off electronic devices..... a little overkill but better safe than dead.

Jim --

These new cars are drive by wire with servo motors etc -- not levers and springs.... you're stuck back with the dinosaurs my friend... :rofl: :rofl:

I think you missed the pic of the pedal torn apart with the springs in it and it seems you missed the point somehow?If the pedal is not a lever and doesn't need a return spring let me know how it comes back to idle?

I was using simple mechanical logic of a basic old school pedal to get your minds to really think about how could it be a sticky pedal? maybe my experience and ability to see the pics of the 2 pedals that have been posted everywhere are just too much info for my eyes these days.

I'll try to more clear next time I try to get you to use your imagination.:thumbsup:

This thought is more of a possibility than anything I have heard so far. The signal is getting info from somewhere to make the servo move.
The one other theory that has possibilties is how the computer is reading the algarythms for predicting the way the computer reponds to the style of driving it programs itself to. Someone with an unpredictable foot motion could in theory set the computer to do something to stay ahead of things. Highly unlikely but it is a theory I read from an engineer at another place.

EMI can make gauges read wrong and definately make them not function at all. We had computer problems at the copper wire mill I worked in that I had to spend a whole week buidling sheilds and moving the control center until the field from the annealer which was very high amperage would quit messing with it.

You're right of course!!
:rofl:

Lets beat the horse a little more, she may not be dead.

Ok I can see a sticky pedal, but if this is the case then it would just stick where it was.

Several people have mentioned emi, yes I'm included, but has anyone read that there are cases where the throttle runs away? If so I want a link, or is this all hear-say and or speculation.

Every time I drive my Nomad or my 37 Ford the pedal seems to go to the floor intermittently... Sometimes there is someone in another car beside me that seems to be having the same issue. Can you help me with this problem?

Yes, I will need your keys and it involves a blind fold..........

I too have wondered about the runaway part of the stories. You can't seem to get any real good info translated from the media.
When owners tell their stories it reminds me of people at work explaining how the machine got broke, they don't know how to explain it right to begin with most of the time. Then when you look at the situation you can tell they broke it and lied.

I keep wondering about how close the alternator is the throttle body?

In all the cases of the emi messing with the computerized controls from the annealer which was 1500 to 3000 amps everything was increased in values or did not record correctly. There was a distance of 15' to start and it took 5' more and a metal cabinet wall to finally get it to stop.

EMI is a serious thing to consider as it only takes an unsheilded wire end that was not properly installed in a connector.

I run a "radio" in my truck.... and use a 500W Class A linear amplifier... (ham operator)... and have a BANKS big hoss bundle in the truck... which uses a Palm E2 Titanium PDA for the software controller....

Kick the radio on and key up - and it kicks that little PDA right between the eyes... the RFI causes all manor of error codes!!

This thread also had me wondering.... why would any of us care about a TOYOTA - or a PRIUS... :rofl: :rofl:

So you wouldn't support plans for a synergy drive swap in my Impala? :D :rolleyes:

Pokey --

Yes! I'd support your swapping some ENERGY into your Impala... :rofl: :rofl:

Found this today on the Internet.... and it basically states what many here have said.... that perhaps they really don't have a clue.

A US Congressional committee has cast doubts on Toyota's plans to fix its two acceleration problems.
In a memo to lawmakers it said there was growing evidence neither Toyota nor federal safety officials had identified all the faults.

Not all the facts are in yet...give it time...this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Not sure what's worse,not disclosing the truth,the spin on the coverup,or all the lies on having the proper fix.

John --

The "worst" to me - if I was driving one of these - is "not knowing" if they really fully understood what the cause is.... That would drive me (pun intended) crazy!

I agree on all accounts, John.

If you are driving one of those cars now you could speed and when you go to get pulled over you can keep right on going and tap the brakes with your foot on the gas and make it look like you are trying to stop and then put it in nuetral ,shut it off and tell the officer that it was a really close call!!!

The wife thought that one up without me even mentioning anything other than how the operators at work lie about stuff.:unibrow:

:lol: :lol: :lol: :clap: :clap: :clap: