Toyota recalls and black box recording device

[Crosley.In.AZ]

With another recall under Toyota's belt  and that black box recording device in the cars...  

I have decided to remove Toyota from my short list of new vehicles to purchase when my Jetta is worn out.

Honda is on the list,  I may concider another diesel powered VW Jetta.

Minimum problems with the Jetta in 112k miles  so far.  Maintenance is not too costly if you DIY

[wayne petty]

from what i understand..  a significant number of models other than toyota have black box recorders...


remember the san diego guy with the runaway.. got out wearing a corvette jacket...   a news reporter covering the story talked to the engineers who tried to downplay the story.. by giving the reporter the TRUTH..   he reported live on the afternoon news that during the runaway event..  the car owner had  depressed the throttle many times... so it must be his fault..    

i actually sent an email to that reporter and to the NHTSA office of defect investigation that i being a mechanic would really like to look at the vehicle speed changes and if there is a throttle body feedback signal .. if those matched the drivers foot inputs...    if the car continued at its high speed without slowing down while the drivers foot was NOT on the gas pedal..  why was it maintaining speed? a tail wind???



there was a car in the dealership where my friend worked..  when started .. it would go from idle to the rev limiter and back to idle again and again all by its self..    with the factory techs on the phone saying its not possible...   at that point the 25 dealer techs where were standing there watching this happen all yelled out  "OH YES IT IS.."    a flat bed arrived soon after and took that car away to the manufacturers site...   what happened..i never found out..  drive by wire.. yep...  it was not a TOY..  but a maz..   i don't remember which model.. but i can find out..

the idea of any driver buying a drive by wire car.. they need to learn to push the gear shift into Neutral..    without going to park..  and how to turn the key off ... most cars will not lock the steering wheel unless the transmission is in park..

sorry to steal the thread..

the manufacturers use the crash data you have so willingly provided to build a better car.. at a cheeper price..  i wonder if the black boxes are hammer proof?

[Crosley.In.AZ]

thanks Wayne.

from what I read over the past year, the Toyota event recorder seems to retain a higher volume of information than other cars.  GM uses these devices, not sure if GM uses the same device design in all cars.

I am still in the mode of dumping my drive by wire vehicles.  My wife refuses to drop back to an older vehicle as I am  thinking of doing.

IF I do go with older vehicle, it will be a 1966 or earlier since AZ emission tests 1967 or newer vehicles.  After I retire and leave the metro PHX area, my new secret location does not have emission tests (at this time)

[tomslik]

thanks Wayne.

from what I read over the past year, the Toyota event recorder seems to retain a higher volume of information than other cars.  GM uses these devices, not sure if GM uses the same device design in all cars.

I am still in the mode of dumping my drive by wire vehicles.  My wife refuses to drop back to an older vehicle as I am  thinking of doing.

IF I do go with older vehicle, it will be a 1966 or earlier since AZ emission tests 1967 or newer vehicles.  After I retire and leave the metro PHX area, my new secret location does not have emission tests (at this time)

you moving to mexico?

[phat46]

thanks Wayne.

from what I read over the past year, the Toyota event recorder seems to retain a higher volume of information than other cars.  GM uses these devices, not sure if GM uses the same device design in all cars.

I am still in the mode of dumping my drive by wire vehicles.  My wife refuses to drop back to an older vehicle as I am  thinking of doing.

IF I do go with older vehicle, it will be a 1966 or earlier since AZ emission tests 1967 or newer vehicles.  After I retire and leave the metro PHX area, my new secret location does not have emission tests (at this time)

you moving to mexico?

Must be coming to Michigan!!! who'd a thought that!!!??  

[Crosley.In.AZ]

thanks Wayne.

from what I read over the past year, the Toyota event recorder seems to retain a higher volume of information than other cars.  GM uses these devices, not sure if GM uses the same device design in all cars.

I am still in the mode of dumping my drive by wire vehicles.  My wife refuses to drop back to an older vehicle as I am  thinking of doing.

IF I do go with older vehicle, it will be a 1966 or earlier since AZ emission tests 1967 or newer vehicles.  After I retire and leave the metro PHX area, my new secret location does not have emission tests (at this time)

you moving to mexico?

Must be coming to Michigan!!! who'd a thought that!!!??  

not all of Aridzona has emission tests.

there are other states with out emission tests.

I've got  7 or 8 yrs of decent health still ( I hope) and I figure I can get around the emission thing and  drive, brake , sit, fart, talk  by wire crap till then

[UGLY OLDS]

I handled a situation Friday AM where a 2010 Hyundai Elantra's accl pedal went to the floor by itself while being driven..
Driver was at approx 20MPH in traffic when it happened ..He applied brake with left foot ...Tapped on accl pedal twice trying to release it ..Put shifter in neutral & turned key off... Accl pedal popped back to the "off" position...Car is now out of service & secured at dealer ..

The strange part ..This fellow has approx 25 years of automotive background...
He didn't panic ....Said the first thing he looked at was the floor mat ...2" + away from the accl pedal..
He advised he can remember the Audi "incidents" ...He felt the Toyota  issues were all  "driver error" ..... He is now a believer ....


Bob.....

[unklian]

..  i wonder if the black boxes are hammer proof?

Yes, what would happen if the Black Box was "accidentally" damaged ?        


I've heard of a dealer mechanic running 110 volts AC into a faulty computer.
The factory wouldn't pay for a replacement, if the car still ran.

So he found a simple solution.

Customer was happy, car ran fine with a new computer.

[Arnold]

Cdn. law..As of a few years ago ALL new vehicles must be equipped wih them.
 There have been convictions/law suits/settlments/serious insurance problems  etc based on their evidence.

 I have come (and still am in) from the very dark ages).

  The cel comes on in my car a few years ago. SOooo..I just go out and buy a scanner. Tells me to go back to the gas station and retreive my gas cap.

[Crosley.In.AZ]

we visit a new car show next week on turkey day.

All new cars on view, sit in them , measure, look, nudge them ....  and NO sales personnel  around

we shall take a few notes.  a new car purchase may happen in mid 2011

Although  I plan on running this diesel Jetta till it will not limp along any longer.

Only 111,500 miles on it so far

[wayne petty]

does this mean you are coming to LA to the LA car show thats going on over the next few weeks?/

http://www.laautoshow.com/


i wonder if they have sumo size interior cars...  for me..

[Crosley.In.AZ]

does this mean you are coming to LA to the LA car show thats going on over the next few weeks?/

http://www.laautoshow.com/


i wonder if they have sumo size interior cars...  for me..

the show we are attending is in down town phoenix , AZ

[Carnut]

An intensive 10 month investigation into possible causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota cars found no fault with the automaker's electronic throttle control systems.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/08/autos/nhtsa_nasa_toyota_final_report/index.htm

[Mikej]

So could it be the computer? I'm glad that they have put so much time into the study. I hope they had a grant to pay for it.

[unklian]

An intensive 10 month investigation into possible causes of unintended acceleration in Toyota cars found no fault with the automaker's electronic throttle control systems.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/02/08/autos/nhtsa_nasa_toyota_final_report/index.htm

They still continued to sell cars, knowing their was a problem.
And lied to the public about it, denying there was a problem.

Credibility is a fragile commodity.