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From: stratus46 on 24 Mar 2010 00:16
On Mar 13, 3:11 am, Jasen Betts <ja...(a)xnet.co.nz> wrote:
> On 2010-03-11, Bret Cahill <BretCah...(a)peoplepc.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> >> To me it has the ear marks of a in fuel-accelerator computer system problem.
> >> It's as though the processor goes into la-la land for no apparent reason
> >> into a full, max on failure mode. When the techs look at it, they can't
> >> replicate the problem. The processor never does it again, at least while
> >> anyone is looking. We've never seen software do that have we? No!
>
> >> But the real problem is Toyota's secrecy, not allowing any third party to
> >> examine their documentation even to the point of defying court orders. They
> >> have blown smoke up each other's butts with attempted fixes, floor mats and
> >> accelerator mechanical fixes but likely to no avail. Failures keep coming
> >> and Toyota believes their own propaganda. It's time for an independent,
> >> third party look into the problems including Toyota's engineering and
> >> documentation without a connection to Toyota but with full openness on their
> >> part. Otherwise, maybe we should forbid them from selling in the US until
> >> they are more open.
>
> >> The San Diego Prius should be impounded by the TSA and examined by them just
> >> as an airplane would be.  
>
> > It's hard to believe that a brake system designed to take the car from
> > 60 - 0 in 3 seconds cannot prevail against a drive train that can only
> > put out a fourth that much power.
>
> with the throttle wide open the manifold vacuum is not there
> so there's no power assist on the brakes.
>
> if the driver is somewhat feeble it's conceivable that they will not be
> able to stop the car using the brakes.
>
> --- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: n...(a)netfront.net ---

Really need to read up on how the Prius works. The power brakes have
an electric vacuum pump. The power steering is electric. The heater
has electric assist. The transmission has no neutral or reverse gears,
just one planetary gear set with the engine/starter/generator on the
sun gear, the wheels driven from the planet carrier and a 16 kW
electric motor/generator on the ring gear. You have no mechanical
connection to the throttle or the 'transmission'. If the Prius gas
engine is running while at a light (only while warming up), the ring
gear motor is turning backwards so that the wheels don't turn. To go
'reverse', the ring motor turns backwards and then even faster
backwards if the gas engine starts. You are totally at the mercy of
the computer that ties it all together. The 'ABS' does not 'pump' the
brakes at any rate.They simply turn the brakes off for a half second
and flash a light on the das that SHOULD say 'good luck'. If a wheel
slips while accelerating (very easy to do in the rain especially if
turning), the power is turned off for a half second. Both of these
things are VERY disconcerting the first time it happens.

My little kids know what to do when a computer screws up. You turn it
off and restart it. IF there is a bug in the Prius computer, how does
testing it later tell you anything? It recorded what happened? But if
the computer is misbehaving, is it recording what's happening?

Bottom line, most of what you know about how a car works does not
apply to the Toyota hybrid system.

G²
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