Accelerator manufacturer CTS has issued a statement disclaiming their product involvement in this recent spate of sudden acceleration problems. They are claiming Toyota and Lexus have had this problem dating back to 1999 and CTS has only been supplying pedal assemblies to them since 2005.

In a forum posting unrelated to this announcement, it was suggested that voltage fluctuations in decaying 12 volt batteries can occasionally causes glitches in the engine computers that result in this problem. Set aside for a moment, the fact that this is hearsay and remember, the TCH's were excluded.... I wonder if the 244 volts of available power has something to do with it.

Another fact, far more distantly related... I work in the public transportation industry teaching classes on preventative maintenance and repair. A good portion of my standard curriculum revolves around the inherent weaknesses and hazards of the 12vdc, chassis ground mobile electrical system. It is 100 year old technology that is causing big problems, even with the relatively simple logic controls attached to our equipment.

One has to wonder at this point. CTS statement to follow:

"
CTS Corp. of Elkhart, Ind., said in a statement that it had "deep concern that there is widespread confusion and incorrect information" about its products linked to the sudden-acceleration issue.
"The problem of sudden unintended acceleration has been reported to have existed in some Lexus vehicles and Toyota vehicles going back to 1999, when CTS did not even make this product for any customer," the company said.
Toyota began using CTS-made pedals in the 2005 model year.
Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons said the company had no comment on CTS' statement.
Toyota has honored CTS three times since 2005 for the quality and efficiency of its work, citing the fact that the supplier "exceeded quality expectations" and achieved "100 percent on-time delivery and for shipping accelerator pedal modules with zero defects.",

 

CTS manufactures the pedal per the toyota design. The problem was condensation getting into the CTS assembly. The Denso brand doesn't seem to be affected.

Yes they were some stuck throttles by other Auto brands. I would think the heavy floor-mats could be the problem in those early Toyota cases. No doubt the current problem has been traced to be electrical due to condensation in the current CTS pedals.

Toyota's remedy is ready.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/bu.../31toyota.html

 

No, Toyota is saying the CTS pedal is sticking mechanically and slow to return to idle.

 

Yes, but Toyota said it was started from condensation.

Sat, Jan. 30, 2010 10:15 PM

By TOM KRISHER and KEN THOMAS The Associated PressTwo dealers said they were told the news by Toyota executives, and a Department of Transportation official confirmed that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had no objections to Toyota’s plans.
Toyota plans to announce details early Monday, according to the dealers, who asked not to be identified because the fix had not been made public. The DOT official also requested anonymity because the announcement had not been made.
Telephone messages left with two Toyota spokesmen Saturday were not immediately returned.
Toyota has recalled 4.2 million vehicles worldwide because the gas pedal systems can get stuck. The company said the problem is rare and is caused by condensation that builds up in the gas pedal assembly

Here is the best details I have seen on the subject.

http://tristatehomepage.com/content/...xt/?cid=127462

 

Yes, I know, I don't see how condensation could quickly contribute to the sticking/binding but for the moment I'll give Toyota the benfit of the doubt.

 

The freedom of the accelerator movement reminds me a lot of the tensionar in a VCR. A problem part in any VCR is the tensionar that keeps tension on the tape itself. If the tensionar binds, it will be slow to return when the tape is removed from the machine. The tensionar will stick and cause the viewer to see streaks (slippage) in the picture and some tapes won't play at all.

Cleaning the tensionar and using a drop of sewing machine oil makes it good or better than than new.

Don't get me wrong, CTS is not doing this, they are making a new part that will be trouble free.

 

I wonder what the difference will be between the old part and the new part.

I would not be surprised if the difference consists of:
1. a drop of sewing machine oil on the mechanism; and
2. a small packet of desiccant in the box.

 

I'm not sure I understand this. My understanding is the accelerator units use hall-effect sensors with magnetic triggers. This should be a completely sealed, no-contact arrangement. This from the company that stood firmly behind the floor mat theory for so long??!

I read a post by a Japanese Engineer yesterday who stated anonymously: "All the problems are with the US built cars. We don't have those problems in Japan."

Braggadocio and racist jingoism?? Perhaps. Except that he seems to be right. Only the CTS sourced pedals (Elkhart, IN) have the problem. The DENSO labeled units don't. AND the recall does not apply to the Japanese market.

I'm glad NHTSA is buying it. I'm not. Yet.

 

"..We don't have those problems in Japan.."

Even if they did the dealers would NOT be allowed to speak of it.

 

Well, that didn't take long!