Toyota Problem Investigation/Solution Article

[Superhet66]

The next step is a blanket OFF switch fitted to each vehicle.

I am all for this.  A big Red STOP button. C

The BIG RED button has been tried...with tragic results.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FT4YbO_1mvA&feature=related

[ka3zlr]

I do like how they got everybody jumping, amazing Mechanical Failure and operator Error

73

Jack.

[WQ9E]

Incorrect is one thing, but made up and staged are quite another.

Steve,  

I definitely agree with you that the made up/staged (like the exploding gas tank) incident was definitely out of bounds.  But I am not ready to give them a pass on incorrect if it comes from truly incompetent/careless/sloppy reporting.  For example, three different scenarios where you are a juror:

a.  A driver purposely ran over a pedestrian (i.e. staged by driver)
b.  A severely drunk driver ran over a pedestrian in the cross walk. (incompetent and careless driver)
c.  A driver ran over a pedestrian who stepped into the street from between two parked cars (not in crosswalk).

If I am on the jury, in scenario c I would vote and lobby for the driver to get a "pass".  For a and b the driver is deep trouble because at some point extremely callous behavior is as bad as intent from my harsh point of view.  Back to the news, ignorance and laziness is not a good excuse for some of the garbage that passes for news today.

Enough of the pretty talking heads; I want a smart, involved, and ugly newsperson

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

I agree. The result of sloppy/lazy/stupid is just as bad. However, I don't want the reporter involved. They need to be a dispassionate (not about their craft but the story) and disinterested party. Otherwise they become part of the story instead of reporting.

Incorrect is one thing, but made up and staged are quite another.

Steve,  

I definitely agree with you that the made up/staged (like the exploding gas tank) incident was definitely out of bounds.  But I am not ready to give them a pass on incorrect if it comes from truly incompetent/careless/sloppy reporting.  For example, three different scenarios where you are a juror:

a.  A driver purposely ran over a pedestrian (i.e. staged by driver)
b.  A severely drunk driver ran over a pedestrian in the cross walk. (incompetent and careless driver)
c.  A driver ran over a pedestrian who stepped into the street from between two parked cars (not in crosswalk).

If I am on the jury, in scenario c I would vote and lobby for the driver to get a "pass".  For a and b the driver is deep trouble because at some point extremely callous behavior is as bad as intent from my harsh point of view.  Back to the news, ignorance and laziness is not a good excuse for some of the garbage that passes for news today.

Enough of the pretty talking heads; I want a smart, involved, and ugly newsperson

[John K5PRO]

Actually the cosmic rays suggestion isn't far fetched at all. With nanometer geometries in most of the new microscontroller CPUs, they are not as immune as the old 8088s and Pentiums of decades ago. Take a google at Single Event Upset, for a sample of the work being done in this area.

[WA3VJB]

ADD THIS TO THE FIX-IT LIST

TORRANCE, Calif., April 28, 2010 – Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced it will conduct a voluntary safety recall on approximately 50,000 early-2003 Model-Year Toyota Sequoia sport utility vehicles to upgrade program logic in its Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system.
 
The VSC system can help control a loss of traction in turns as a result of front or rear tire slippage during cornering.  In vehicles without the upgrade, the VSC system could, in limited situations, activate at low speed (approximately 9 mph) for a few seconds after acceleration from a stopped position and, as a result, the vehicle may not accelerate as quickly as the driver expects.  There have been no reported injuries or accidents as a result of this condition.
 
Toyota instituted a running production change during the 2003 model year and published a Technical Service Bulletin to address this issue when it was first identified in fall 2003.  Since that time, Toyota has been responding to individual owner concerns by replacing the Skid Control Engine Control Unit (ECU) in Sequoias impacted by this condition.  Of the approximately 50,000 vehicles included in this recall, approximately half have already been serviced under warranty.
Source:
http://pressroom.toyota.com/pr/tms/toyota/toyota-announces-voluntary-recall-157593.aspx?link_page_rss=157593&siteid=DMG_rss_201004_RLA_explan_toynew_Toyota+Vehicles%3A+Toyota+Announces+Voluntary+Recall+on+2003+Model-Year+Sequoia+to+Upgrade+Program+Logic+in+Vehicle+Stability+Control+System

[WA1GFZ]

maybe you would be happy moving to japan.
One of the guys I work with owns one of those overpriced crap boxes
His neighbors wanted to run him out of town because his alarm was going off all hours of the night.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

maybe you would be happy moving to japan.
One of the guys I work with owns one of those overpriced crap boxes
His neighbors wanted to run him out of town because his alarm was going off all hours of the night.

I had one GM vehicle. That was enough. That thing spent lots of hours in and out of service. I remember once shifting from reverse to drive and, the shift arm, which was mounted on the steering column, wound up loose in my hand. Had to bang on the windows to get the motors for the windows to work. The last Chrysler Corp car I owned was a 80 Plymouth. A real dog. Would never consider a Ford product. My neighbor's Chevy alarm system periodically goes off between 3 and 4 AM. Service department claims each time he brings it in that its been finally fixed. My Toyota Sienna is a pleasure to drive. My Toyota Celica gave great driving pleasure for over 200K miles. My wife's 89 Corolla, which we sold to a neighbor in 2004, is still running great. My wife loves her Nissan Altima. Don't need to move to Japan to get a great car. All of our current cars were made here in the U. S.

[K6JEK]

maybe you would be happy moving to japan.
One of the guys I work with owns one of those overpriced crap boxes
His neighbors wanted to run him out of town because his alarm was going off all hours of the night.

I think they should outlaw all car alarms today and start giving everyone tickets when they go off. It's not just a problem with Japanese cars. No one even pays attention when they go off today it's so common-place.

Is it one of those alarms that speaks in Japanese when it goes off

I had the motion sensor on my made-in-Sweden Volvo disconnected and the alarm still went off.  I then had the whole alarm disconnected.  My neighbor's BMW's  alarm goes off on hot days.  At least that's not in the dead of night.  Car alarms are worse than useless.

[John K5PRO]

W5HRO hit the nail on the head. Its pretty blatant whats happening, and I don't need to elaborate.

Remember Ralph Nader and the Corvair? He really tore that model up. My brother had one in the mid 1960s and
I remember riding in it with him, the shifter on the dashboard, the pancake motor with the V belt going all over the place
at right angles. It was like riding a go-cart close to the road. Funny, now people pay big bux to get that same ride....

The latest free issue of Power Electronics Technology has an article on preemptive testing to mitigate cosmic radiation effects in ICs.
Doesn't sound so far fetched now.

http://powerelectronics.com/issue_20100401/



 

[ka3zlr]

I refuse to put my reliance onto any vehicle effected by Cosmic Debris

Therefor the Ranger stays.

73

Jack.

[ke7trp]

GM is building junk and has for years now.  My mom purchased a new Cadilac SRX. Top of the line with northstar and AWD.  She loved the thing.  It went to the Caddy dealer every month like clock work to be repaired. Then the warranty ran out. Its current repair bills are over $8000.  The rear main seal leaked, The trans gaskets failed, The rear end got noisey and had to be replaced. 

The worst of it all is that one light bulb went out up front. A $6 lamp.  She could not figure out how to replace it so she took it to the dealer. They called and said the light will be $890 to replace.  Furious, I called the dealer and spoke to the manager. He said he was very sorry but it will take a technician the better part of a day to replace it. He also suggested that we replace all the lights as if another goes out, It will be the same cost.  I asked why it was so expensive, He explained the ENTIRE front of the car must be removed including the Front bumper, Grille, radiator and the fenders need to be removed also. This platform was a car that caddy turned into a Truck and as a result, They did not engineer a way to replace the bulb.

The SRX was $63,000.  She regrets it and will never buy GM again. I am going to find her a used LS430 like mine. Its one of the nicest cars ever built and its rock solid reliable.

To top all this off, The SRX is just used to go to the store and to visit my aunt who is has cancer in LA. Any car should be able to at least do that.

Clark

[w3jn]

Hasn't been my experience, Clark.  My wife has an SRX and it's been 100% reliable.  55,000 miles - nothing broken, oil changes are $35 at the dealer.  What's not to like?  Keeps her safe in the snow on her 50 mile each way commute with the StabiliTrak, and 22 MPG for a SUV ain't too awfully bad.

You don't need to remove the whole front of the vehicle to replace the headlight or turn signal light, just the bumper cover and the fender liner.  About an hour job; they attach with snap fittings.  They were ripping her off, no reason whatsover to remove the radiator (!).  Agree that it is harder than it needs to be; they probably could have designed it such you didn't have to do that.

Face it, every manufacturer has made turds.  I have a buddy with a Nissan Marano who's sunk almost $10K in repairs in the last couple years...

[ke7trp]

Yeah. Its my moms fault. She beats the crap out of it and enters it into Rally races and desert races. 

There are alot of junk cars.  Ever do an oil change on Nissan Truck?  What a nightmare. 31 bolts and 2 hours, Requires special tools to get the canister apart.

C

[ka3zlr]

Wow a Caddy a Nissan moms that drove...wow ..my mom came from the period of time
when women didn't drive it was expected the old man did the driving as such We, my brothers
an I did alot of hiking biking and Thumbing to get where we needed to be at times....borrowing
a ride came later,,lol

But I'm darn glad I have my Ranger today's caddys don't ride or perform any better or worst
than the rest, Humvees are canceled I guess now, imagine in 5 years the depreciation on the
last of the Lot...lol

A Cage is a liability an nothen else like my old man taught me buy whatcha need not whatcha
Think you can afford, now Guitars, Tools, Bikes, things ya want wait, what the kids need come first...
I'm sorry that's the way we were raised there ain't no Cage worth putting my house up for..lol


63,000 dollars man when we bought the house it was only 53,000 sheez....that's Scary..lol

Get-R-Done 

73

Jack.

[ke7trp]

I know..I feel bad for her.  Now she has come down ill.  I am going to sell the SRX off. If I am lucky, I can get $14,000 for it.  She through $60,000 out the window.

C

[WQ9E]

No matter what car you buy the dealership is going to be a key determinant in how well you are treated.  My 08 Cadillac CTS has had one issue and that was from a mouse who thought the wiring was tasty and took out part of the harness controlling the high pressure fuel pump.  Even then it ran it limp mode.  I have two colleagues who were loyal Toyota owners before they moved to this area and found how important a good dealer is when dealing with factory issues.

So far the CTS has been the favorite vehicle I have owned.  It uses a direct injection 3.6 liter V6 that produces 304 horsepower running regular octane unleaded and gets a bit over 24 mpg in my mixed city/highway driving.  I bought the RWD version since I have a 4WD diesel pickup for heavy snow use but I used the CTS a couple of times in light snow events (4-6 inches) and the traction and stability control systems kept it chugging along.  On highway trips the average MPG goes over 28 and that is running above the 70 MPH speed limit.  The 6 speed auto is very smooth and the handling is a lot of fun on the mountain roads in CO and TN.

I change the oil myself since I can generally time it where my pickup, tractor, or wife's car is also due for a change and once you get dirty what is one more vehicle.   It is also a simple change with the drop in cartridge filter changed from the top and the drain plug easily accessible from below.  I don't let it go the amount the oil life monitoring system thinks it should but that is just because I am too used to the more frequent changes for non-synthetic oil.