Re: Electronic Throttle

Rodan" wrote:

_______________________________________________________________________

"PeterD" wrote:

Ditto, I've had the same thing (broken return spring) on a cable activated carb. Not had problems with drive-by-wire (but know a few that have had).

Regardless, the easy thing to do (usually thought of after it happens) is to turn off the key. ___________________________________________________________________________

Bingo.

You were the first to recognize that the necessary safety shut-off device is already in all cars - the ignition key.

No one else thought of it. Maybe that's why runaway cars don't get stopped until they hit something - it's a normal impulse to apply the brakes, and when that doesn't work, the driver's brain freezes in disbelief and he can't think of just turning off the key.

Rodan.

Actually that is the second choice. What I said (putting it in neutral) is the first choice for any vehicle made in the last 10 or so years.

Here's why: (1) Turning the engine off removes steering assist (also brake boost will be seriously limited if the brakes are pumped at all). (2) There is little harm in taking it out of gear even with the throttle open because the engine computers limit the engine rpm's to harmless levels when the tranny is in neutral.

So - while shutting the ignition will work, as long as it is understood that your steering can be *very* stiff, depending on the vehicle, and brake performance will be limited also. I think most experts agree that the preferred method is to put the transmission in neutral (*then* turn the ignition off once the vehicle is safely stopped).

One thing is that with some cars, the key is durned hard to reach however... Certainly not a quick access device. I'm beginning to think that cars need a "Big Red Kill Switch" on the dash, that kills the engine completely if pressed. It should be stout enough to not allow accidential pushes, but big enough and easy enough to be seen and used in an emergency. It would take a few years for drivers to get 'used' to the fact it is there, but evetually drivers would realize it as a safety feature.

It would create problems due to the steering being very hard to turn with the engine off (and some loss of braking capability). If that were the only option, then - yeah - that might be the preferred method. But, again, there is a better way:

Best to simply throw the shifter in neutral. It's *already* there (no need to add more clutter, complecity, and expense), the engine is rev. limited in neutral so it won't self destruct. Then get the car safely stopped, *then* shut the engine off.

The public could be educated to automatically think about it for when the unthinkable happens, and/or educational decals could be mandated for every car for benefit of the unteachable and to satisfy the lawyers and the nanny state. We don't need more switches and wires.

Agreed. If it isn't there it can't fail.