[MR2] MR2 news from Top Gear

[Ted Volkman]

>>The floor mats get stuck holding the accelerator down and when this happens
>>people seem to stop thinking and just don't figure out how to either turn
>>the engine off or put the car in neutral

>>Imagine a massive recall for -- floor mats.

The floor mat recall already happened.  It was massive.  4 million cars.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,576807,00.html

The sticking accelerator is actually being covered in another
similarly huge recall (2+ million cars).
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,583582,00.html

--
ted
02 is300 L-tuned, 5 speed
94t supra 6 speed, 67mm, aem
93t mr2 gen3, t3/t4, 264s, aem
88sc mr2
98 honda vfr800


On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 1:29 AM, William Brandt <wbrandt1 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Sounds like a low tech problem and possibly high tech feature (no key
> system) for the disaster ;-)
>
> Imagine a massive recall for -- floor mats.
>
> Years ago I had a 67 Camaro with a peculiar problem - the accelerator would,
> seemingly on its own, suddenly and without warning go full throttle. Made it
> interesting when on a few occasions going from red to green at the light the
> engine would suddenly go crazy, the car would fishtail with me trying to
> control it....
>
> Turns out the motor mounts were bad - the engine would rise up, the firewall
> would catch the throttle as it was rising further pulling the throttle back.
>
> GMs solution? Recalled 9 million cars and not better motor mounts but a
> cable tying the engine to the subframe.
>
> I think Bob under stress it is easy to have "tunnel vision" and ignore the
> obvious - but you do wonder why he didn't put it in neutral - heck the car
> even has a rev limiter so the engine wouldn't blow...
>
> (High tech helping in this case)
>
> Bill
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Schultz" <bob-schultz at comcast.net>
> To: "'William Brandt'" <wbrandt1 at sbcglobal.net>
> Cc: <mr2 at mr2.com>
> Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 10:14 PM
> Subject: RE: [MR2] MR2 news from Top Gear
>
>
>>
>> BTW anyone know what is behind the stuck accelerator problem with Toyota?
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>> The floor mats get stuck holding the accelerator down and when this
>> happens
>> people seem to stop thinking and just don't figure out how to either turn
>> the engine off or put the car in neutral
>>
>> There is a 911 call out there from a South California Trooper who drove
>> himself and his family off the road killing all in the car and maybe
>> others.
>>
>> The car was doing 100 mph or more when he crashed.  He was driving a new
>> Lexus ES330 loaner.  This car may not have had an ignition key but why he
>> didn't think to just try putting the car in neutral is beyond me. The call
>> is chilling and went on for long enough that he should have figured out
>> what
>> was going on.
>>
>
>
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