If Toyota did omit a piece of necessary technology ( and the mechanical override would certainly seem to qualify, to my layman's mind ) then they do deserve every bit of trouble they get into.
If their take on the design somehow makes the override unnecessary, then I'd like to know about that, too.
Toyota doesn't seem to be telling just yet, though.
And keep in mind that other vehicles, like some Chevvies, do not have the override technology either. So it may not be necessary, but I don't know for sure.
( OT - I am not quite comfortable with the modern "fly-by-wire" kind of technology, for just such reasons as this. I'm a programmer, I'm just never going to trust that an electronic solution can be as safe as a good ol' mechanical one
I want a key to put in the ignition, not a button to push. And so on. )
Mahima - yes, the stop-gap solution would work for our car, as far as I could gather. As I recall, it is about the mechanism getting fatigued, and the shim strengthens it. I'm hoping for a permanent solution, though
The stuck mat problem is almost trivial next to a real stuck accelerator. You yank out the mat and you're saved.
If the accelerator is stuck, the first thing you want is to stop the engine from accelerating your car any more, so: put it in neutral. Don't worry about the engine revving its way through the hood if your car is reasonably modern - like these recalled Toyotas - since the engine will cut out before it overrevs itself enough to cause damage. ( Providing that
that system doesn't fail
) Even if it is an older car, a fried engine beats dying.
Once you did that, apply the brakes - steadily. Depending on your speed, this will stop you safely. If you ever tried to pull away while holding in the brake you'd realize the engine can't overcome car brakes at lower speeds, so if your car is in neutral, the brakes should allow you to stop safely, if you have some room in which to do it. If you've been sticking to your following distances, you should
So to summarize, do two things: first put the car in neutral, then apply brakes.
Oh yeah: DON'T turn off the engine - you loose power steering and assisted braking, and if you aren't very strong, this will make your car almost uncontrollable. I've had the engine cut out and die driving an old car at about 15 miles an hour, coasted into a parking lot and managed to neatly park the dead car - one spot over from where I aimed, it was that hard to steer. And I had to rise up out of my seat to press the brake, even at that low speed, enough to stop the car. So:
Keep engine on -> shift to neutral -> apply brakes.
I've never experienced a stuck accelerator - I wish there was a test track I could go to to experience this under controlled, safe conditions, and learn how to handle it. I don't want to try it in my own car on a public road
