UNBELEIVABLE!! This is a LIFE and DEATH situation we're talking about here.
Who gives a rat's ass about blowing up the engine or tearing out the transmission when the alternative is DYING or KILLING someone???!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?
People who place more importance on the condition of their car over their lives and the lives of others, deserve what they get.
If they didn't stop their car because they were afraid of damaging it, kill someone, and live to tell about it, they deserve to go to jail like any other murderer.
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I didn't believe him then, and I don't believe him now.
I think maybe you give a lot of these people credit for having more brains than they do. Like how about he wasn't thinking that putting it into reverse would blow out the drivetrain. He could think that the car would go instantly to 94mph in reverse and he'd be killed by the sudden g force. LOL
I agree a lot about this story stinks. One of the most interesting being the car was apparently on the recall list, but when he took it to the dealer they said it wasn't and turned him away. Then suddenly this happens. Could be the guy knew it was on the recall list and figured this was a good way to try to make a case or at least be a media star.
Hmmm...now you have me wondering. Gonna check it the next time I am in either vehicle.
Things you know all your life and then find they are wrong...won't be the first time.
In any case the point is moot as it is never necessary (AFAIK) to go all the way to the lock position to turn the engine off. I wonder if it can be done while moving. Gonna try that as well.
But when you are travelling at 90 mph and the operator tell you to shift into neutral, do it. Takes few brain cells for that. That aside, if you have a Toyota you'd be following with interest the problems and have seen the news media, Consumers Reports and others showing how to stop the car.
No, I don't know everything, but in 19 minutes I'd figure out how to stop a car. He is 61 years old and probably has many years behinds the wheel. WTF has he been doing? I've said it here before, good drivers practice in their mind what to do in an emergency and they are equipped to react. Sure, some panic sets in, but the dispatcher told him what to do. It was on the news last night when they played the recording of the call.
I posted here because of the great number of posters, some of whom might have an opinion. I was right !!
Why people take the time to reply to a post to say that "they personally do not care to reply" is beyond me.
My cars are 2000 and 2003 GM products and the keys are on the steering wheel and when you turn the key off it locks the steering. Maybe if the key is in the dash it does not lock the steering just by turning it off.
The guy in CA said he was afraid to take his hands off the steering wheel (I think).
Sorry to have bothered the group, I will not be back.
I have a 2001 LeSabre. You can turn the key to the "off " position and the wheel will NOT lock. When you turn it to the "lock" position it will lock even with the key in the lock. Sorry, but it can be turned off safely.
The guy in CA was an idiot. He was afraid to shift to neutral and said so.
My Mercury Mystique (1996) and Chrysler PT Cruiser (2005) do not lock the steering with the key in the ignition. Nor did my 1995 Pontiac or 1988 Chrysler
Not true of Toyota or any car I've ever driven -or worked on. The ONLY car in history that I am aware of that could NOT be shifted into neutral at speed was Packhard with Ultramatic transmission in the early-mid fifties.
Yeah, from everything I've heard so far, no one is saying that any of the Toyotas are built so that they can't be shifted into neutral while moving. I still think you need a full investigation that includes knowing how the particular transmissions are designed, what interlocks they have, looking at the actual remains of the cars, etc. But clearly in this latest incident, the guy is NOT claiming that he tried to put it in neutral, but couldn't.
On another note, there was an AP story today that says Toyota, like other manufacturers, has a black box type system built into the air bag system. In the event of air bag deployment it captures key data from a few seconds before the crash until a couple seconds after the crash. While the other manufacturers have been open about their system and make it known how to access it, Toyota has continually stone-walled anyone getting access to it. Even in court cases over the years, Toyota has responded to requests with sheets of data with most fields blank, etc. They have also given different accounts of what info the system actually captures. For example at one time they said it didn't capture braking info, then later did, etc. It appears the system does capture a lot of info though which could be useful in figuring out what is going on, like throttle position, brake, speed, acceleration, etc. The story also said that as of now, there is only one notebook PC in the US capable of accessing the information from the cars.
I would expect to destroy the tranny first. Mythbusters tried that and found out that in at least the cars they tested, it could not be forced into reverse.
While one is understandably hesitant to actually try it, multiple mechanics have told me that modern cars will simply not engage reverse while the car is moving forward past a minimal speed.
I did it accidentally once on an american product. The car jerked and then freewheeled after that. There was no damage to the engine or tranmission. I suspect they have started to build protection into them.
"According to some replies I have seen, the car WILL NOT shift into neutral, even though you put the shift lever there. The computer is programmed to leave the car in gear to prevent damage to the engine!!!"
This is what I was hopping someone could tell me. YOU CAN NOT PUT IT IN NEUTRAL!!!
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