[Shop-talk] Toyota Pedal Brouhaha

[Michael Porter]

Doug Braun wrote:
> It would presumably work if you stopped QUIICKLY and COMPLETELY.  But if
> slowed down to, say 30 MPH, and maintained that speed, you would have the
> engine in a low gear (assuming an automatic transmission) running at almost
> full power, with all of that power going into heating up the brakes.  They
> would burn up real quickly.
>
> The fact that many cars are way over-powered
> doesn't make it any easier.
>
>   

Well, there's a lot of apples and oranges comparisons being made.  
Arguments for this being entirely driver error are depending on personal 
experiences, or tests with other makes, or straight-line tests under 
controlled conditions.


Who hasn't worried a bit about brake fade at speed on a long downhill, 
even with the throttle backed off?  Roads aren't always straight and 
level, and, for that matter, braking systems aren't identical.  Slight 
variations in how ABS might work may even be a factor in this.  Lots of 
variables, but, still there's one constant--accidents _have_ happened 
because of a mechanical or drive-by-wire failure that caused power input 
when it shouldn't have happened....


Cheers.

-- 


Michael Porter
Roswell, NM


Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....