Run away cars

[clare]

I didn't say there was no reason to diagnose the failure. I said there is no reason to diagnose the failure to determine if any possible electrical fault could keep the vehicle from being shifted to neutral.

There IS one transmission I am not 100% sure about - and that is the CVT. This is only used on the Hybrids (on toyota it is still a planetary system but has 2 motor-generator sets in it - the planetary is a "power splitter". It may not have a mechanical linkage. However, shutting off both motor-generators puts it in neutral. The electrical circuit for dissabling the electric motor-generators is apparently not controlled by the computer to meet the requirements of the law that the motor can be disconnected from the drivetrain at any time, under any conditions.

Since I don't know THAT system intimately I need to take the vidence of an expert.

Jake Fisher, an automotive engineer for Consumer Reports, said the Toyota hybrid has a pretty funny shifter.

Neutral can be hard to find for those who never use the gear. Nonetheless, Fisher said the tests he has done on cars show that all engines, be they hybrid or conventional, become disengaged from the drive line when they are put into neutral.

"No matter what the situation or what the car was," he said, "if you just put the car into neutral you can safely and easily stop the vehicle."

ALSO SEE

actual demonstration of a prius at speed.

[clare]

OK I WAS WRONG. On Hybrid Synergy Drive there is no mechanical lincage, but the shifter is a switch that controls power to the 2 motor-generator sets. Neutral dissables both , putting the car in neutral, without intervention by the computer. This meets the requirements of the law that the engine can be completely disengaged from the drive at any time.

[Ned Flanders]

Yes, its called drive by wire. My car does not have a throttle cable or shifter cable/linkage both are controlled electronically. The car's computer will not let you down shift into too low of a gear nor will it allow you to grind the starter if the engine is already running.

[clare]

You are correct. Sorta. The original Chevy 6 was 194 cubic inches in 1929. In 1933 they went to 2 different engines - the 181 and the

207 (206.8) This was known as the "cast iron wonder" In '37 they went to 216.5. inches. The "stove bolt" six. ALL of these engines had an oil pump, however - but they were not full pressure systems. The pump oiled the timing gears and rockers, and put oil in a 'oil trough" that sprayed the connecting rods. The actual oil pressure specification for '32 to '34 is 14 PSI at 30mph. 1935 and 36 is 12 psi at 50 mph, and 1937-39 is 13 psi at 50 MPH The venerable 216 lasted until 1952, but the 235 became available in 1950 on automatic transmission (powerglide) cars and remained the standard engine untill 1962, when the new 194 6 came out in the Chevy 2,m along with Chevy's first 4 cyl since 1928, the 153 "Deuce" The early 235 (up to 1953) was still a semi-pressure splash lubed engine. It became a full pressure engine in 1953.Automatic tranny cars got hydraulic lifters , and in 1956 all 235 engines got them. In Canada the enlarged "stove bolt" 261 was used in some trucks and Canadian built Pontiacs.

The 235 was the first Chevy with full pressure oiling. It was built under licence by Toyota from 1955 to 1974 as the "F" engine used in the Land Cruiser. Vauxhaul/Bedford also used a smaller 168 cu inch "stove bolt" design in some vehicles, but also had a smaller 138 cu inch 6.(1950s Velox and Cresta?)

I owned a 1928 and a 1935 Chevy and still have some old manuals around.

[clare]

Just as a matter of interest, what do you drive? And the "protection" was there before drive by wire.

[Ned Flanders]

I was pulling out of a oil lube joint and my car's throttle stuck open. I hit the brakes and turn off the engine. Seems the high school grease monkeys forgot to put the oil cap back on and had it sandwiched between the throttle linkage and the hood. They were lucky I knew what I was doing as I only had a few feet clearance before I would have hit a big wall.

[Ned Flanders]

My 2008 Saturn is drive by wire and the computer does not complain or prevent me from putting it into neutral at any speed.

[Ned Flanders]

2008 Saturn Vue

[The Daring Dufas]

RULES?! WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING RULES!!

TDD

[The Daring Dufas]

I had a 63 Dodge pickup the type built on the van chassis with the slant 6 between the seats. The clutch rod broke and I drove it all over the place to get home. If I had to stop, I would start it in first gear and drive away. That happened during the fun years when I had all the time and ENERGY in the world to tinker with vehicles. Sadly, no more, I would love to tinker but just don't feel like it.

TDD

[The Daring Dufas]

answers.yahoo.com:http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100308222153AAXey3Phttp...>>> ...to name a few.

It's amazing that when anyone makes the news, people start digging up anything that they can find on them. That's probably why a lot of heroes remain unsung, they prefer it that way.

TDD

[Ed Pawlowski]

"The Daring Dufas" wrote

But this guy is no hero. He is stupid at best, a scam artist at worst. I'd not be surprised if he ends up doing jail time along with Balloon Boy.

[clare]

Ah, the old A100 !!!

[The Daring Dufas]

I loved that thing, I would use the crane off the plow hitch of the

49 Ferguson tractor to reach in through the passenger door to pull the engine for tinkering. The worst problem was the little truck was light in the rear but did it ever have character. FUNKY is the word I was thinking of.

TDD

[The Daring Dufas]

Didn't quite mean to imply that the guy is any kind of hero, it was a general comment about anyone winding up in the news.

TDD

[Dean Hoffman]

Motorcycles have a switch on the handlebars that can be tripped to kill the bike in an emergency. It's convenient for a rider to flip it if he has to. This is in addition to the ignition switch. I think the one on my bike has the on position in the middle with an off position on either side. Are there any cars with an equivalent switch?

[salty]

What you said in many words, I said in few. The engine in 1938 was the same 216 in my 1941 and 1946 pickup trucks with what was commonly called "a splash oil system". I also correctly stated that the 235 was a later engine with an oil pump (full pressure oiling system)

I said that after you incorrectly said that the same 235 was in use from 1938 to 1962. It clearly was not.

Google can't save you.

[salty]

You forgot to add = "when it is working correctly"

[trader4]

Interesting, but the question is what would happen if the computer was stuck in some non-normal mode and that was causing the throttle to be open? It might then not respond to a command to shift the tranny either. It's likely a moot point with the Toyotas because from all indications so far, the tranny doesn't have anything electronic or not that could prevent it from being shifted into neutral.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Why would he? The computer is not at all attached to the mechanical linkage of the transmission. It is built that way for a reason. I've never heard of anyone that could not shift into neutral, have you?