Steve Wozniak: Toyota has a software problem

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sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
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swap out computers or add tension to gas pedal...

tough call :p
 
StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
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This is a pretty simple fix. Every pedal should have an oh-sh*t rope attached to the pedal. If the sh*t hits the fan you can yank this rope and it will pull the pedal up. At the same time a small EMP charge will fire to shut all the electrical systems down just in case the drive by wire still wants to run. Also the brakes will automatically lock bringing you to a gentle and controlled crash into whatever was in front of you.
 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
100,289
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Skoorb said:
This is a pretty simple fix. Every pedal should have an oh-sh*t rope attached to the pedal. If the sh*t hits the fan you can yank this rope and it will pull the pedal up. At the same time a small EMP charge will fire to shut all the electrical systems down just in case the drive by wire still wants to run. Also the brakes will automatically lock bringing you to a gentle and controlled crash into whatever was in front of you.
Click to expand...

lol EMP a la Matrix. How appropriate.
 
DietDrThunder

DietDrThunder

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2001
2,262
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Skoorb said:
Three times and still a fatal accident? Horrific. However, that seizure thing does raise some doubt.
Click to expand...

It does raise doubt, but the coroner report could find no evidence of any medical condition of the driver.
 
3chordcharlie

3chordcharlie

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2004
9,859
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sdifox said:
swap out computers or add tension to gas pedal...

tough call :p
Click to expand...

Inflate computer to sidewall and call it a day.

The newspaper here even had a diagram of the pedal fix; which Toyota is being pretty public about.

I really didn't buy this as a mechanical problem when it was first reported, but what do I know?

Interesting that people who know a lot more came to the same conclusion.
 
DietDrThunder

DietDrThunder

Platinum Member
Apr 6, 2001
2,262
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How would you like to try fly-by-wire?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faB5bIdksi8

I worked on the YF-22 program back when this occurred. The official cause was "Pilot Error". I know several software engineers that worked a lot of overtime to prevent this "Pilot Error" from occurring again.
 
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J

JeffreyLebowski

Lifer
Aug 23, 2000
15,509
1
81
3chordcharlie said:
Inflate computer to sidewall and call it a day.

The newspaper here even had a diagram of the pedal fix; which Toyota is being pretty public about.

I really didn't buy this as a mechanical problem when it was first reported, but what do I know?

Interesting that people who know a lot more came to the same conclusion.
Click to expand...

It's like common sense isn't very common amongst some people. When all the clues and evidence point to it not being a stuck pedal, like he guy who brought his Avalon into a dealership at WOT and he never touched the gas pedal.
 
A

aleckz

Golden Member
Jan 3, 2004
1,032
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News break!

Toyota just announced the renaming of its ecofriendly car, the Prius, to the T-100. Please off yourself now or the T-100 will assist you.

Sincerely,

Toyota
 
kalrith

kalrith

Diamond Member
Aug 22, 2005
6,628
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Skoorb said:
This is a pretty simple fix. Every pedal should have an oh-sh*t rope attached to the pedal. If the sh*t hits the fan you can yank this rope and it will pull the pedal up. At the same time a small EMP charge will fire to shut all the electrical systems down just in case the drive by wire still wants to run. Also the brakes will automatically lock bringing you to a gentle and controlled crash into whatever was in front of you.
Click to expand...

A driver in the Toyota article from another thread said that he put his foot under the gas pedal and lifted it up, but it still didn't stop the acceleration. Since it's not drive by wire, an oh-sh*t rope would necessarily cut the acceleration.
 
Gunbuster

Gunbuster

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,852
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How hard is it to have the ECU detect WOT and braking application at the same time and then set the throttle to idle?

Killer design fail for Toyota. It's like they did no competitive analysis at all. I would hate to be a drive by wire software engineer with them right now.
 
K

kornphlake

Golden Member
Dec 30, 2003
1,567
9
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aleckz said:
News break!

Toyota just announced the renaming of its ecofriendly car, the Prius, to the T-100. Please off yourself now or the T-100 will assist you.

Sincerely,

Toyota
Click to expand...

That would have been hilarious except for the fact that Toyota made a T100 as a predecessor of the Tundra sold during the early and mid '90s. As far as I know that model was not very successful, I never saw many of them on the road. The T100 didn't receive a lot of press at the time, it must have been fairly safe, unlike the Ford Explorer with Firestone tires that would spontaneously combust or the diminutive Suzuki Samurai that would roll over like a Labrador named Rover.
 
Mr.IncrediblyBored

Mr.IncrediblyBored

Lifer
Jun 18, 2000
11,208
774
126
kornphlake said:
That would have been hilarious except for the fact that Toyota made a T100 as a predecessor of the Tundra sold during the early and mid '90s. As far as I know that model was not very successful, I never saw many of them on the road. The T100 didn't receive a lot of press at the time, it must have been fairly safe, unlike the Ford Explorer with Firestone tires that would spontaneously combust or the diminutive Suzuki Samurai that would roll over like a Labrador named Rover.
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Of course not. They rusted themselves to dust within a few years on the road.
 
StageLeft

StageLeft

No Lifer
Sep 29, 2000
70,150
5
0
kalrith said:
A driver in the Toyota article from another thread said that he put his foot under the gas pedal and lifted it up, but it still didn't stop the acceleration. Since it's not drive by wire, an oh-sh*t rope would necessarily cut the acceleration.
Click to expand...
That's why we need an EMP pulse, too!
 
L

lurk3r

Senior member
Oct 26, 2007
981
0
0
kornphlake said:
That would have been hilarious except for the fact that Toyota made a T100 as a predecessor of the Tundra sold during the early and mid '90s. As far as I know that model was not very successful, I never saw many of them on the road. The T100 didn't receive a lot of press at the time, it must have been fairly safe, unlike the Ford Explorer with Firestone tires that would spontaneously combust or the diminutive Suzuki Samurai that would roll over like a Labrador named Rover.
Click to expand...

I had a samurai and actively tried to roll it, that car went up and down goat paths a normal person could not walk down. I can safely say that anyone that anyone that rolled one deserved it.
 
LTC8K6

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,576
126
Gunbuster said:
How hard is it to have the ECU detect WOT and braking application at the same time and then set the throttle to idle?
Click to expand...

Even piece of shit Chryslers do it... but they got it from Mercedes... :biggrin:
 
A

aleckz

Golden Member
Jan 3, 2004
1,032
0
76
kornphlake said:
That would have been hilarious except for the fact that Toyota made a T100 as a predecessor of the Tundra sold during the early and mid '90s. As far as I know that model was not very successful, I never saw many of them on the road. The T100 didn't receive a lot of press at the time, it must have been fairly safe, unlike the Ford Explorer with Firestone tires that would spontaneously combust or the diminutive Suzuki Samurai that would roll over like a Labrador named Rover.
Click to expand...

The Explorer in fact was the T-10

The Suzuki was the prototype for them all.

Soon Christian Bale will be our leader, or Kurt Russell. Either or.
 
T

thegimp03

Diamond Member
Jul 5, 2004
7,420
2
81
Skoorb said:
This is a pretty simple fix. Every pedal should have an oh-sh*t rope attached to the pedal. If the sh*t hits the fan you can yank this rope and it will pull the pedal up. At the same time a small EMP charge will fire to shut all the electrical systems down just in case the drive by wire still wants to run. Also the brakes will automatically lock bringing you to a gentle and controlled crash into whatever was in front of you.
Click to expand...

Hahahah, I laughed at the thought of an "oh-sh*t rope". Thing is, half the people buying the cars are so dumb that they wouldn't know or would forget what the rope is for and would still end up flying off the road.
 
PhoKingGuy

PhoKingGuy

Diamond Member
Nov 15, 2007
4,685
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I remember reading somewhere that its German/European law that mandates when the accelerator and brake are pressed at the same time that the ecu immediately cut power to the engine.

Perhaps Toyota should have taken a page out of their book for once
 
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