"Driving by wire" is a catch phrase for an emerging technology that basically substitutes electronic activation of acceleration, braking, and steering for the traditional hard hookup of these automotive functions. It results in less weight, but not less complexity. In some new cars, the accelerator pedal is no longer connected to a spring that opens/closes the gas line; it is connected to a sensor that activates a computer controlled relay that electronically does this job. Same with braking - the pedal doesn't activate a pump that controls the master cylinder, it is connected to an electronic control unit that effects braking.
Steer by wire also eliminates the steering column hard hookup directly to the wheels. Manufacturers attempt to emulate the original ergonomic feel of the analog systems to facilitate comfort and familiarity, but the chain of operation is drastically changed.
With any emerging technology, there are rough spots that arise, and addressing these eventually makes for a well-operating system. But this isn't about Windows or cell phone receptivity; it is about vehicles, traveling on highways with people in them, sometimes fast.
QUOTE
Toyota's largest recall, set in motion due a problem with stuck accelerator pedals, may have been caused by other reasons than previously thought. According to the Los Angeles Times, cited by just-auto.com, US authorities are looking into a possible problem with the electronically controlled throttles on the affected cars.
The news comes after several Toyota owners told their story, apparently backed by interviews with auto safety experts and thousands of federal traffic safety incident reports, all of which point to a problem other than the initial floor mat or the later accelerator pedal design.
The problem became apparent in the Tacoma, a truck which after it received a drive-by-wire system in 2005 began experiencing accelerator problems. Since then, the source says, the number of complaints regarding the Tacoma increased by a factor of 20.
Brian Lyons, Toyota spokesman, said the manufacturer cannot explain the complaints, but it has always denied electronic control systems, to be at fault.
The news comes after several Toyota owners told their story, apparently backed by interviews with auto safety experts and thousands of federal traffic safety incident reports, all of which point to a problem other than the initial floor mat or the later accelerator pedal design.
The problem became apparent in the Tacoma, a truck which after it received a drive-by-wire system in 2005 began experiencing accelerator problems. Since then, the source says, the number of complaints regarding the Tacoma increased by a factor of 20.
Brian Lyons, Toyota spokesman, said the manufacturer cannot explain the complaints, but it has always denied electronic control systems, to be at fault.
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/toyota-a...tles-13923.html
QUOTE (->
| QUOTE |
| Toyota's largest recall, set in motion due a problem with stuck accelerator pedals, may have been caused by other reasons than previously thought. According to the Los Angeles Times, cited by just-auto.com, US authorities are looking into a possible problem with the electronically controlled throttles on the affected cars. The news comes after several Toyota owners told their story, apparently backed by interviews with auto safety experts and thousands of federal traffic safety incident reports, all of which point to a problem other than the initial floor mat or the later accelerator pedal design. The problem became apparent in the Tacoma, a truck which after it received a drive-by-wire system in 2005 began experiencing accelerator problems. Since then, the source says, the number of complaints regarding the Tacoma increased by a factor of 20. Brian Lyons, Toyota spokesman, said the manufacturer cannot explain the complaints, but it has always denied electronic control systems, to be at fault. |
http://www.autoevolution.com/news/toyota-a...tles-13923.html
Toyota announced Tuesday it would suspend sales and production of the eight models for a week while it moves to fix accelerator pedals that are suspected of sticking.
"They had to take a bold move in order to restore confidence," Edmonston said in an interview Wednesday with CBC News. "This is exceptional. It's very rarely been done, and for Toyota it is a serious problem for their image."
This is the automaker's third action concerning the issue of sudden and unintended acceleration in certain models.
In August, Toyota recalled 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles, saying the floormats could jam the gas pedal. That move came after a family of four in California died when their car suddenly accelerated to more than 200 km/h and crashed.
Last week, Toyota issued a recall of 2.3 million vehicles to correct sticking accelerator pedals on certain models. This action was separate from the ongoing recall involving floor mats, but about 1.7 million vehicles were subject to both recalls.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2010/01/2...ota-recall.html
Apparently , the original recall was over the floor mat getting in the way of the pedal. Yesterday, the new problem was said to be a sensor. However:
QUOTE
November 29, 2009: A new Los Angeles Times story claims a number of Toyota drivers say their vehicles had still accelerated out of control with the floor mats removed. The Times also reports complaints of unintended acceleration increased after Toyota began using its drive-by-wire system in 2002, starting with the ES 300. According to the Times, unintended acceleration complaints on Lexus ES 300s jumped from an average of 26 per year in 2001 to 132 per year in 2002, and there had been 19 deaths since 2002 related to unintended acceleration in Toyotas, compared with 11 deaths connected to all other automakers combined. The story also notes Toyota has been investigated for unintended acceleration more times than any other automaker, and that 74 of 132 complaints lodged against the 2007 Lexus ES 350 were for cases of unintended acceleration. Toyota has no explanation, but says its drive-by-wire system is not to blame, again citing the November 2 NHTSA report.
http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_ne...mes_report.html
QUOTE (->
| QUOTE |
| November 29, 2009: A new Los Angeles Times story claims a number of Toyota drivers say their vehicles had still accelerated out of control with the floor mats removed. The Times also reports complaints of unintended acceleration increased after Toyota began using its drive-by-wire system in 2002, starting with the ES 300. According to the Times, unintended acceleration complaints on Lexus ES 300s jumped from an average of 26 per year in 2001 to 132 per year in 2002, and there had been 19 deaths since 2002 related to unintended acceleration in Toyotas, compared with 11 deaths connected to all other automakers combined. The story also notes Toyota has been investigated for unintended acceleration more times than any other automaker, and that 74 of 132 complaints lodged against the 2007 Lexus ES 350 were for cases of unintended acceleration. Toyota has no explanation, but says its drive-by-wire system is not to blame, again citing the November 2 NHTSA report. |
http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_ne...mes_report.html
In a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Toyota said the latest problem was in the pedal sensors of affected vehicles. When the heater is turned on in a car that is cold, internal water condensation on the cold parts can cause a sliding component inside the gas pedal assembly to stick instead of move smoothly. The defect may cause the throttle to stick in an open position or to move stiffly during opening and closing, requiring more pedal pressure.
The pedal sensor is part of a so-called drive-by-wire throttle system, in which the gas pedal has no direct connection to the engine through a cable or mechanical linkage. A sticking pedal in an older car with a cable or mechanical link would typically be solved with a squirt of oil or dab of grease, a straightforward task for a handy car owner.
But in today’s cars, the connection between the pedal and the engine is made by electrical signals traveling through wires. The pedal sensor gauges how far the driver is pressing the gas pedal and signals the engine’s control computer, which determines how much to open the throttle based on input from a variety of sensors, choosing a setting that will achieve the lowest exhaust emissions, the best fuel efficiency and good engine response.
The accelerator pedal recall last year was caused by mechanical interference, according to Toyota — a matter of the gas pedal getting trapped by an out-of-place floor mat. The solution to that problem will include modification of the gas pedal and replacement of floor mats. For some models, the fix will include a reshaping of the car’s floor and the installation of an override system to cut engine power if the accelerator and brake pedals are pressed at the same time.
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/28...by-wire-system/
Wiki says:
QUOTE
Failures in the control system could theoretically cause a runaway vehicle (although this is no different from the throttle return spring snapping on a traditional mechanical throttle vehicle). The vehicle could still be stopped by turning the ignition off if this occurred.
But if the ignition is turned off, is there a back-up system for braking and steering to function? My non-drive-by-wire Honda won't even do that...
This post is in no way a slur against Toyota - I like Toyotas well enough - but it would be good due diligence to be aware and be knowledgeable of this coming vehicle technology, since acceleration, braking, and steering by wire will continue to become more common on vehicles that we will eventually buy and cart our loved ones around in. I'm all for technology, but with some things, we need to be much much more pragmatic than with others.
2001: A Toyota Odyssey.
Shift the car into neutral HAL.
Turn off the ignition HAL.
Do you really think the floormat did it?
Shift the car into neutral HAL.
Turn off the ignition HAL.
Do you really think the floormat did it?
What did that mean? 
But, on to the topic: Personally, except for vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes, I'm all for manual systems. Transmission, rack-and-pinion steering, and especially windows!
I'd rather replace a U-joint or a master cylinder than a wiring harness any day.
But, on to the topic: Personally, except for vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes, I'm all for manual systems. Transmission, rack-and-pinion steering, and especially windows!
I'd rather replace a U-joint or a master cylinder than a wiring harness any day.
Maybe they have gone to shift-by-wire. You move the shifter to suggest the computer go to neutral, but the computer overrides your choice at highway speed.
With the push button start, maybe the computer wants you to be stopped and in park before killing the engine.
Don't know what is in the new cars. I'm with you on the manual systems.
Throttle position sensors can mess up in older cars. If a connection goes bad the movable can read full potential.
With the push button start, maybe the computer wants you to be stopped and in park before killing the engine.
Don't know what is in the new cars. I'm with you on the manual systems.
Throttle position sensors can mess up in older cars. If a connection goes bad the movable can read full potential.
QUOTE
But, on to the topic: Personally, except for vacuum-assisted hydraulic brakes, I'm all for manual systems. Transmission, rack-and-pinion steering, and especially windows!
I'd rather replace a U-joint or a master cylinder than a wiring harness any day.
Thats going away fast sapo. Already the days of taking the Beetle engine out via 4 bolts and the wrench - those days are for grandfathers sitting around a fire. I had a '64 Beetle with the built in sunroof - at the right speed with it open you could get tremendous amplitudes of 25 hz...you could steer that thing with the wing windows....those days are gone. Part of the sacrifice, but we have memories.I'd rather replace a U-joint or a master cylinder than a wiring harness any day.
But I agree, I don't like things that do everything for themselves, and I'd rather see the option of self adjusting or manual. I intensely dislike automatic trans for instance (don't mind'em in trucks tho
)and I wonder how long before manuals are unavailable. Lots of different things will likely fade out.
I don't even like ABS. I know better than to slam on the brakes on a wet pavement or snow and ice. Those sensors can get dirty and mess up.
HAL was a computer that stoppped obeying commands.
HAL was a computer that stoppped obeying commands.
OK. "I can't do that, Dave." 
Got to have a manual transmission!
Got to have a manual transmission!
QUOTE (Granouille+Jan 29 2010, 03:11 PM)
more non-mechanical systems = more corporate/dealer control over repairs & money.
A friend of mine had an electronic lock on his trunk, which failed, and he had to pay over $100 to get it fixed so he could get into it.
Someone should have just been able to lock-smith it and make a new key for a fraction of that.
A friend of mine had an electronic lock on his trunk, which failed, and he had to pay over $100 to get it fixed so he could get into it.
Someone should have just been able to lock-smith it and make a new key for a fraction of that.
Sensory overload......P U
That came clear across the ethernet!
That came clear across the ethernet!
Used to have a 85 T-Bird. When it was -10 to -15F below the sensors didn't work. When I would start the car in the morning it would go to Wide-Open-throttle.
Had to get under the hood and move things around until they loosened up so I could get back in and restart.
Had to get under the hood and move things around until they loosened up so I could get back in and restart.
QUOTE (Lasand+Jan 29 2010, 09:36 PM)
Used to have a 85 T-Bird. When it was -10 to -15F below the sensors didn't work. When I would start the car in the morning it would go to Wide-Open-throttle.
It probably did so on purpose. Wide open throttle warms the engine up faster, which in turn helps it run smoother. Many vehicles with computer systems do a great deal more 'thinking' than people give them credit for, and a 1985 t-bird has a computer system, to the best of my knowledge.
As far as drive-by-wire being just another tactic by which auto makers can make money, think again. They do tend to make more money on new features because patent laws prevent third party manufacturers from making cheaper replacements, however this is temporary (in the long term), and exploiting this too much is bad for business (a single company can only make so many of a particular part, and if they do not keep up with demand, people will stop buying the car which requires this part).
Even today, many locksmiths will work with electronic locks and ignitions: A company just a few blocks from my house specializes in upgrading vehicles with those specific components, the majority of which are third-party already.
Drive-by-wire is a feature which entices consumers, and presents itself as an appealing safety feature, and that is as far as it goes. While some people worry that a networked vehicles using a full drive-by-wire system is in danger of being hacked, bear in mind that a brute force attack against a non-symmetrical 128-bit encryption key is so far beyond any computer's capabilities as to essentially make 128 bit encryption perfectly unbreakable.
Of course, quantum computers may change this (assuming someone with a super-quantum computer has an interest in crashing your car), but then we can always switch to 2048-bit encryption and be safe for the rest of time.
As far as drive-by-wire being just another tactic by which auto makers can make money, think again. They do tend to make more money on new features because patent laws prevent third party manufacturers from making cheaper replacements, however this is temporary (in the long term), and exploiting this too much is bad for business (a single company can only make so many of a particular part, and if they do not keep up with demand, people will stop buying the car which requires this part).
Even today, many locksmiths will work with electronic locks and ignitions: A company just a few blocks from my house specializes in upgrading vehicles with those specific components, the majority of which are third-party already.
Drive-by-wire is a feature which entices consumers, and presents itself as an appealing safety feature, and that is as far as it goes. While some people worry that a networked vehicles using a full drive-by-wire system is in danger of being hacked, bear in mind that a brute force attack against a non-symmetrical 128-bit encryption key is so far beyond any computer's capabilities as to essentially make 128 bit encryption perfectly unbreakable.
Of course, quantum computers may change this (assuming someone with a super-quantum computer has an interest in crashing your car), but then we can always switch to 2048-bit encryption and be safe for the rest of time.
It wasn't the idle speed control solenoid. The throttle position sensor must have lost contact and the engine would wind up to 6-7000 RPM. Not good at -15F.
I did have to work the idle speed control plunger a few times because it would not return with the engine off. The throttle plate return spring had a hard time with the thicker oil and grease too. I worked the linkage a few times until things were loose and making contact again.
I did have to work the idle speed control plunger a few times because it would not return with the engine off. The throttle plate return spring had a hard time with the thicker oil and grease too. I worked the linkage a few times until things were loose and making contact again.
QUOTE (MjolnirPants+Jan 30 2010, 03:17 AM)
Drive-by-wire is a feature which entices consumers, and presents itself as an appealing safety feature, and that is as far as it goes. While some people worry that a networked vehicles using a full drive-by-wire system is in danger of being hacked, bear in mind that a brute force attack against a non-symmetrical 128-bit encryption key is so far beyond any computer's capabilities as to essentially make 128 bit encryption perfectly unbreakable.
Of course, quantum computers may change this (assuming someone with a super-quantum computer has an interest in crashing your car), but then we can always switch to 2048-bit encryption and be safe for the rest of time.
What if it gets overloaded? Or melts? Or the transmitter/receiver fails?
Plus there are still mechanical parts to fail. Probably more.
Of course, quantum computers may change this (assuming someone with a super-quantum computer has an interest in crashing your car), but then we can always switch to 2048-bit encryption and be safe for the rest of time.
What if it gets overloaded? Or melts? Or the transmitter/receiver fails?
Plus there are still mechanical parts to fail. Probably more.
I most probably will not be updating my 2003 model vehicle for a long time, if ever, due to these technologies ie/ steer by wire, throttle by wire, dynamic stability control etc etc. Its taking the real driving out of driving
As for safety? Well over here, Wheels magazine road tested a toyota Kluger fitted with stability control, and on a flat road managed to cause it to roll. In the history of the magazine only two vehicles have been rolled in road testing, one was a Fiat 500 'Niki' and the other a Toyota Kluger SUV
As for safety? Well over here, Wheels magazine road tested a toyota Kluger fitted with stability control, and on a flat road managed to cause it to roll. In the history of the magazine only two vehicles have been rolled in road testing, one was a Fiat 500 'Niki' and the other a Toyota Kluger SUV
If somebody gave me a brand new Lexus, I would certainly use it. I would find a way to rig up a kill switch. Maybe a switch to break power to the fuel pump so I could keep control if something happened at highway speed. The engine would just simply run out of gas allowing me time to safely pull over.
Idiot! A Kill Switch is ALSO drive-by-wire. How is that an improvement on Lexus engineering?
QUOTE (rpenner+Jan 30 2010, 04:16 PM)
Idiot! A Kill Switch is ALSO drive-by-wire. How is that an improvement on Lexus engineering?
An impartial moderator would give you a warning for calling a poster an idiot simply for stating an opinion which apparently differs from yours.
I know that you are smarter than everyone else on this forum, so far be it for me to suggest they you might be wrong, but one could argue that since the problem seems to frequently be related to unintended acceleration, resulting in a number of deaths, that a simple INDEPENDENT circuit, that grounded the distributor output, thus stopping the spark plugs from firing, would be very reliable backup method to kill the motor without turning off the entire electrical system via the key.
Then again, maybe I'm an idiot too.
Arthur
An impartial moderator would give you a warning for calling a poster an idiot simply for stating an opinion which apparently differs from yours.
I know that you are smarter than everyone else on this forum, so far be it for me to suggest they you might be wrong, but one could argue that since the problem seems to frequently be related to unintended acceleration, resulting in a number of deaths, that a simple INDEPENDENT circuit, that grounded the distributor output, thus stopping the spark plugs from firing, would be very reliable backup method to kill the motor without turning off the entire electrical system via the key.
Then again, maybe I'm an idiot too.
Arthur
Well, at least quixotic.
And I guess that makes you a windmill.
I prefer the joust, even if it's against an unbeatable foe.
Arthur
I prefer the joust, even if it's against an unbeatable foe.
Arthur
If the analogy holds, I am a giant from your perspective. 
Yeah, but they didn't write the book about the windmill, now did they?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp78R1a0rzk
Arthur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp78R1a0rzk
Arthur
NASCAR has a kill switch as a SAFETY FEATURE. Are those people idiots too?
Lawnmowers have a kill switch.
A pilot of a muti-engine airliner can shut off the fuel to a problem engine. Should the pilot just let the engine destroy itself, taking off the wing?
Lawnmowers have a kill switch.
A pilot of a muti-engine airliner can shut off the fuel to a problem engine. Should the pilot just let the engine destroy itself, taking off the wing?
Hey! 
That's obvious, and just plain common sense!
How did you slip through the cracks?
That's obvious, and just plain common sense!
How did you slip through the cracks?
Anyone in the US care to comment on the massive Toyota recall of the faulty throttle pedal?
Toyota is reporting that the pedal in cars with Drive by Wire are wearing and this causes the engine to return to idle slower than normal. Evidently it also causes acceleration as well.
The pedal is produced in Canada by a company based in the US.
Toyota is reporting that the pedal in cars with Drive by Wire are wearing and this causes the engine to return to idle slower than normal. Evidently it also causes acceleration as well.
The pedal is produced in Canada by a company based in the US.
QUOTE (Matador+Feb 5 2010, 03:45 PM)
Anyone in the US care to comment on the massive Toyota recall of the faulty throttle pedal?
Toyota is reporting that the pedal in cars with Drive by Wire are wearing and this causes the engine to return to idle slower than normal. Evidently it also causes acceleration as well.
The pedal is produced in Canada by a company based in the US.
That's what happens when you outsource Japanese jobs to countries like the USA and Canada.
Toyota is reporting that the pedal in cars with Drive by Wire are wearing and this causes the engine to return to idle slower than normal. Evidently it also causes acceleration as well.
The pedal is produced in Canada by a company based in the US.
That's what happens when you outsource Japanese jobs to countries like the USA and Canada.
I have only just realized the full extent of the problem and just how widespread it is and the large amount of vehicles it concerns.
The recall has topped 8 million. Staggering.
And now the "brake by wire' in 2010 Prius is getting complaints of faulty performance. I believe ~100 complaints for 38,000 vehicles. High ratio. I'd say 'brake by wire' issues are even greater imperative to fix. I don't know why Toyota is dragging it's feet. What a brink they are on. I suppose Honda isn't complaining, but I bet they're doing some checking of their own...
And now the "brake by wire' in 2010 Prius is getting complaints of faulty performance. I believe ~100 complaints for 38,000 vehicles. High ratio. I'd say 'brake by wire' issues are even greater imperative to fix. I don't know why Toyota is dragging it's feet. What a brink they are on. I suppose Honda isn't complaining, but I bet they're doing some checking of their own...
QUOTE (light in the tunnel+Jan 29 2010, 11:09 PM)
What if it gets overloaded? Or melts? Or the transmitter/receiver fails?
Plus there are still mechanical parts to fail. Probably more.
A light comes on, a pleasant female voice informs you that automatic control is no longer available, and you proceed to prove to the world (or at least the traffic on the road you're on) that you earned your driver's licence.
Plus there are still mechanical parts to fail. Probably more.
A light comes on, a pleasant female voice informs you that automatic control is no longer available, and you proceed to prove to the world (or at least the traffic on the road you're on) that you earned your driver's licence.
Maybe this will resolve one of the issues:
http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1041527...n-entire-lineup
http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1041527...n-entire-lineup
QUOTE (Lasand+Mar 6 2010, 10:59 AM)
Maybe this will resolve one of the issues:
http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1041527...n-entire-lineup
Well thats one. Lexus kinda is Toyota though.
http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1041527...n-entire-lineup
Well thats one. Lexus kinda is Toyota though.
I wonder about our modern cars with all of their
electronics when a cop car drives by while using their
radio transmitter. . . . and hams who are allowed up
to a killowatt on a range of frequencies.
electronics when a cop car drives by while using their
radio transmitter. . . . and hams who are allowed up
to a killowatt on a range of frequencies.
QUOTE (w6nrw+Mar 6 2010, 03:39 PM)
I wonder about our modern cars with all of their
electronics when a cop car drives by while using their
radio transmitter. . . . and hams who are allowed up
to a killowatt on a range of frequencies.
If there was a complete thought in that "sentence" I certainly didn't see one.
electronics when a cop car drives by while using their
radio transmitter. . . . and hams who are allowed up
to a killowatt on a range of frequencies.
If there was a complete thought in that "sentence" I certainly didn't see one.
I guess we can also mention the half a million car recall by Nissan as well, as it fits the current light.
QUOTE
Nissan recalls nearly 540,000 vehicles worldwide March 3, 2010
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world...00303-piob.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world...00303-piob.html
128 bit security key won't be of any help to vulnerable law abiding folks who can be tricked by some determined hackers. just see how billjoe whatever his name got me. and to think am supposed to be the most technological savvy in my village. ach.
"Fly-by-wire" fighter jets have ejection seats for the pilots when the fly-by-wire systems fail. I think the two concepts go together pretty well, but not for cars.
Your implying ejection seats for cars if dbw fails?
Somehow I have visions of everyone driving in their cars when the inevitable huge cme hits and all across America people are flying out of their cars like spores from pods...
Somehow I have visions of everyone driving in their cars when the inevitable huge cme hits and all across America people are flying out of their cars like spores from pods...
http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/nasa...00331-rck1.html
QUOTE
NASA probe could throttle Toyota
MATT CAMPBELL
March 31, 2010
The US Government has called on NASA to investigate Toyota’s sticking throttle problems.
NASA will investigate whether electronic interference is to blame for the spate of sticking accelerator pedals on Toyota vehicles.
US transport secretary Ray LaHood told US car industry journal Automotive News that experts from the space exploration agency would bring expertise in electronics, electromagnetic interference, software integrity and complex problem solving to the Toyota review, which has been initiated following the recall of more than 8.5 million Toyota built vehicles around the world.
The move is a blow to Toyota, which has steadfastly maintained the sticking accelerator pedals have nothing to do with the car’s electronic throttle.
"We are determined to get to the bottom of unintended acceleration," LaHood said, referring to the lack of findings tabled to date regarding the acceleration problems.
The US transport watchdog, NHTSA, was previously responsible for a review into the case, but LaHood has said that congressional hearings surrounding the Toyota case has meant that external parties need to be considered.
"We've used [NASA] before. We've heard that they may have some influence," LaHood said, referring to past studies on electronic stability control and airbags that NASA played a part in.
Toyota has also asked an external party to look into the company’s throttle issues, despite its denials of electronic failure.
Exponent, a US engineering company, has reportedly found no problems in its preliminary studies.
Toyota has maintained that its unintended acceleration problems relate to either a faulty component in the pedal or floor mats that can catch on the pedal and force the throttle to stay open.
Source: smh.com.au
MATT CAMPBELL
March 31, 2010
The US Government has called on NASA to investigate Toyota’s sticking throttle problems.
NASA will investigate whether electronic interference is to blame for the spate of sticking accelerator pedals on Toyota vehicles.
US transport secretary Ray LaHood told US car industry journal Automotive News that experts from the space exploration agency would bring expertise in electronics, electromagnetic interference, software integrity and complex problem solving to the Toyota review, which has been initiated following the recall of more than 8.5 million Toyota built vehicles around the world.
The move is a blow to Toyota, which has steadfastly maintained the sticking accelerator pedals have nothing to do with the car’s electronic throttle.
"We are determined to get to the bottom of unintended acceleration," LaHood said, referring to the lack of findings tabled to date regarding the acceleration problems.
The US transport watchdog, NHTSA, was previously responsible for a review into the case, but LaHood has said that congressional hearings surrounding the Toyota case has meant that external parties need to be considered.
"We've used [NASA] before. We've heard that they may have some influence," LaHood said, referring to past studies on electronic stability control and airbags that NASA played a part in.
Toyota has also asked an external party to look into the company’s throttle issues, despite its denials of electronic failure.
Exponent, a US engineering company, has reportedly found no problems in its preliminary studies.
Toyota has maintained that its unintended acceleration problems relate to either a faulty component in the pedal or floor mats that can catch on the pedal and force the throttle to stay open.
Source: smh.com.au
And
http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf...A25770000275753
Getting real meaty
http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf...A25770000275753
QUOTE
Pain rolls on for recall-hit Toyota, accused of “knowingly hiding dangerous defect”
9 April 2010
By RON HAMMERTON
A MAXIMUM $16.4 million ($A17.6m) fine being sought by the US government against Toyota over tardy safety recalls for sticky accelerator pedals in its cars may not mark the end of the pain, as investigators are still trawling though 70,000 pages of documents supplied by the car-maker.
If further breaches for “knowingly hiding a dangerous defect” are uncovered, each can draw a separate fine under US rules that require defects to be reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within five days.
According to the Toyota documents, the company received its first report that floor mats could entrap throttle pedals in February 2006 – more than three years before it issued a safety recall notice for the problem, Bloomberg reports in the US.
Just five months after the mat problem surfaced in a Prius, Toyota also discovered that the accelerator pedals could stick.
A timeline supplied to US authorities indicates Toyota did not act on the first sticky pedal report because the problem was not reproduced and no other similar reports were received.
“Toyota decided to monitor the situation in the field,” the company said.
Proposing the maximum $16.4 million fine allowable under American law, US transportation secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement: “We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations.
“Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from US officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families.
“For those reasons, we are seeking the maximum penalty possible under current laws.”
A conviction by US authorities would also further expose Toyota to potentially expensive litigation, with numerous lawsuits for so-called “unintended acceleration” being filed.
The documents supplied by Toyota reveal a battle within Toyota about whether to tell the public of fundamental flaws in the working of the throttle – problems that had not at the time been fully understood by Toyota’s engineers and for which there was no clear “fix”.
The company’s then American vice-president for public affairs Irv Miller, who has since retired, sent an e-mail in response to comments by a Japanese colleague, Katsuhiko Koganei, in Japan.
Mr Koganei had argued that Toyota “should not mention about the mechanical failures of the pedal”, because the fault’s cause had not yet been identified and a statement by the company would unsettle motorists. “We are not protecting our customers by keeping this quiet,” Mr Miller replied. “I hate to break this to you but WE HAVE a tendency for MECHANICAL failure in accelerator pedals of a certain manufacturer on certain models.”
While Toyota declined to comment on the Miller email, it reiterated that it had done “a poor job of communicating” recall issues.
“We have subsequently taken a number of important steps to improve our communications with regulators and customers on safety-related matters to ensure that this does not happen again,” it said in a statement.
“These include the appointment of a new chief quality officer for North America and a greater role for the region in making safety-related decisions.
“As part of our heightened commitment to quality assurance, we are fully committed to being more transparent.”
Toyota has recalled more than eight million cars globally after news of accelerator and brake problems surfaced last year.
In Australia, 2378 third-generation Prius models have been recalled to apply a software fix to a brakes issue, described as “inconsistent feel”.
In an unrelated setback in China, inspectors in Zhejiang province reportedly searched two Toyota spare-part storage facilities run by the company’s Chinese joint venture and found what they said were more than 1700 components that had not received the official certification for sale.
Such violations can be subject to fines or temporary restrictions.
9 April 2010
By RON HAMMERTON
A MAXIMUM $16.4 million ($A17.6m) fine being sought by the US government against Toyota over tardy safety recalls for sticky accelerator pedals in its cars may not mark the end of the pain, as investigators are still trawling though 70,000 pages of documents supplied by the car-maker.
If further breaches for “knowingly hiding a dangerous defect” are uncovered, each can draw a separate fine under US rules that require defects to be reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration within five days.
According to the Toyota documents, the company received its first report that floor mats could entrap throttle pedals in February 2006 – more than three years before it issued a safety recall notice for the problem, Bloomberg reports in the US.
Just five months after the mat problem surfaced in a Prius, Toyota also discovered that the accelerator pedals could stick.
A timeline supplied to US authorities indicates Toyota did not act on the first sticky pedal report because the problem was not reproduced and no other similar reports were received.
“Toyota decided to monitor the situation in the field,” the company said.
Proposing the maximum $16.4 million fine allowable under American law, US transportation secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement: “We now have proof that Toyota failed to live up to its legal obligations.
“Worse yet, they knowingly hid a dangerous defect for months from US officials and did not take action to protect millions of drivers and their families.
“For those reasons, we are seeking the maximum penalty possible under current laws.”
A conviction by US authorities would also further expose Toyota to potentially expensive litigation, with numerous lawsuits for so-called “unintended acceleration” being filed.
The documents supplied by Toyota reveal a battle within Toyota about whether to tell the public of fundamental flaws in the working of the throttle – problems that had not at the time been fully understood by Toyota’s engineers and for which there was no clear “fix”.
The company’s then American vice-president for public affairs Irv Miller, who has since retired, sent an e-mail in response to comments by a Japanese colleague, Katsuhiko Koganei, in Japan.
Mr Koganei had argued that Toyota “should not mention about the mechanical failures of the pedal”, because the fault’s cause had not yet been identified and a statement by the company would unsettle motorists. “We are not protecting our customers by keeping this quiet,” Mr Miller replied. “I hate to break this to you but WE HAVE a tendency for MECHANICAL failure in accelerator pedals of a certain manufacturer on certain models.”
While Toyota declined to comment on the Miller email, it reiterated that it had done “a poor job of communicating” recall issues.
“We have subsequently taken a number of important steps to improve our communications with regulators and customers on safety-related matters to ensure that this does not happen again,” it said in a statement.
“These include the appointment of a new chief quality officer for North America and a greater role for the region in making safety-related decisions.
“As part of our heightened commitment to quality assurance, we are fully committed to being more transparent.”
Toyota has recalled more than eight million cars globally after news of accelerator and brake problems surfaced last year.
In Australia, 2378 third-generation Prius models have been recalled to apply a software fix to a brakes issue, described as “inconsistent feel”.
In an unrelated setback in China, inspectors in Zhejiang province reportedly searched two Toyota spare-part storage facilities run by the company’s Chinese joint venture and found what they said were more than 1700 components that had not received the official certification for sale.
Such violations can be subject to fines or temporary restrictions.
Getting real meaty
QUOTE (boit+Mar 7 2010, 01:15 PM)
128 bit security key won't be of any help to vulnerable law abiding folks who can be tricked by some determined hackers. just see how billjoe whatever his name got me. and to think am supposed to be the most technological savvy in my village. ach.
∞-bit encryption wouldn't help in that case.
Simple solution: Don't tell anyone your password.
∞-bit encryption wouldn't help in that case.
Simple solution: Don't tell anyone your password.
QUOTE (MjolnirPants+Apr 13 2010, 08:01 PM)
Simple solution: Don't tell anyone your password.
I don't think he did.
Most users who get hacked don't.
There are just too many security holes and/or bugs in the software we use, that going to almost any internet site carries a risk.
Down loading anything from the internet carries a risk.
Even on files where you would not think there was any risk.
Like PDFs, or Videos.
But alas, tis not the case.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/917...t_pm_2010-04-13
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/917...t_pm_2010-04-15
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/917...t_pm_2010-04-14
Arthur
I don't think he did.
Most users who get hacked don't.
There are just too many security holes and/or bugs in the software we use, that going to almost any internet site carries a risk.
Down loading anything from the internet carries a risk.
Even on files where you would not think there was any risk.
Like PDFs, or Videos.
But alas, tis not the case.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/917...t_pm_2010-04-13
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/917...t_pm_2010-04-15
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/917...t_pm_2010-04-14
Arthur
QUOTE (adoucette+Apr 18 2010, 10:52 AM)
I don't think he did.
He said he'd been tricked. If he's been hacked, that's a different problem with no real solution. But being tricked is easy to avoid if you're savvy enough.
I don't know the details he's referring to. I'm not insisting it was some form of phishing, I'm just saying that phishing is easy to counter.
He said he'd been tricked. If he's been hacked, that's a different problem with no real solution. But being tricked is easy to avoid if you're savvy enough.
I don't know the details he's referring to. I'm not insisting it was some form of phishing, I'm just saying that phishing is easy to counter.
Am not savvy enough. I was just being obedient but not so smart enough to check the credentials of the person posing as Physforum police. After the incidence am now wiser. Did you ever receive a personal message from one Billjonez? Follow Rusmiks thread to see how stupid I was to fall for his tad message.
QUOTE (soundhertz+Jan 29 2010, 06:40 PM)
The Toyota recall may be a harbinger for the future, at least until this technology emerges from it's nascent stage.
"Driving by wire" is a catch phrase for an emerging technology that basically substitutes electronic activation of acceleration, braking, and steering for the traditional hard hookup of these automotive functions. It results in less weight, but not less complexity. In some new cars, the accelerator pedal is no longer connected to a spring that opens/closes the gas line; it is connected to a sensor that activates a computer controlled relay that electronically does this job. Same with braking - the pedal doesn't activate a pump that controls the master cylinder, it is connected to an electronic control unit that effects braking.
Steer by wire also eliminates the steering column hard hookup directly to the wheels. Manufacturers attempt to emulate the original ergonomic feel of the analog systems to facilitate comfort and familiarity, but the chain of operation is drastically changed.
I had gone through the post. One of the best solutions for the safety measures are The Electronic Lock s, which are better than a EMP. is a locking device which operates by means of electric current. These locks are sometimes stand-alone with an electronic control assembly mounted directly to the lock. More often electric locks are connected to an access control system. The advantages of this is it is connected to an access control system includes key control, where keys can be added and removed with out re-keying the lock cylinder, fine access control, where time and place are factors and transaction logging where activity is recorded.
"Driving by wire" is a catch phrase for an emerging technology that basically substitutes electronic activation of acceleration, braking, and steering for the traditional hard hookup of these automotive functions. It results in less weight, but not less complexity. In some new cars, the accelerator pedal is no longer connected to a spring that opens/closes the gas line; it is connected to a sensor that activates a computer controlled relay that electronically does this job. Same with braking - the pedal doesn't activate a pump that controls the master cylinder, it is connected to an electronic control unit that effects braking.
Steer by wire also eliminates the steering column hard hookup directly to the wheels. Manufacturers attempt to emulate the original ergonomic feel of the analog systems to facilitate comfort and familiarity, but the chain of operation is drastically changed.
I had gone through the post. One of the best solutions for the safety measures are The Electronic Lock s, which are better than a EMP. is a locking device which operates by means of electric current. These locks are sometimes stand-alone with an electronic control assembly mounted directly to the lock. More often electric locks are connected to an access control system. The advantages of this is it is connected to an access control system includes key control, where keys can be added and removed with out re-keying the lock cylinder, fine access control, where time and place are factors and transaction logging where activity is recorded.
Buran
The unmanned flight was the first time that a spacecraft of this size and complexity had been launched, completed maneuvers in orbit, re-entered the atmosphere, and landed under automatic guidance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_%28spac...ight_into_space
The unmanned flight was the first time that a spacecraft of this size and complexity had been launched, completed maneuvers in orbit, re-entered the atmosphere, and landed under automatic guidance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_%28spac...ight_into_space
Grind by wire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teledildonics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teledildonics
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