Prius malfunction?
#1
03-06-2007, 04:56 PM
Prius malfunction?
I just saw this on the news:
http://www.kirotv.com/news/11185573/detail.html
Car Crashes Into Gas Station, Catches Fire
POSTED: 1:37 pm PST March 6, 2007
UPDATED: 4:35 pm PST March 6, 2007
TACOMA, Wash. -- A driver who said his accelerator malfunctioned crashed into a Tacoma gas station and escaped before the vehicle and the building caught fire on Tuesday, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.“I’m shaking now, but it was so fast I didn’t know what was happening,” Robinson said.The driver Arthur Robinson told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Kevin McCarty that he was driving his Toyota Prius on Interstate 5 when he realized the gas pedal wasn't working. He said he tried the emergency brake, but he couldn't stop the car.“The car suddenly started to accelerate, even though my foot was completely off the gas, I put the emergency brake to the floor, I put the regular brake to the floor, the car kept moving,” Robinson said.He said he got off the freeway, passed through an intersection and was forced to crash into the side of a Shell gas station and mini-mart at South 84th Street and South Hosmer Street to stop the vehicle.The car erupted into flames, and part of the gas station caught fire, leaving a charred black hole in the side of the building.Gas station workers hit an emergency switch, cutting power to the gas pumps.No one was hurt. Customers inside the building had just left or there would have been several people injured, clerks told McCarty.
Scary..
http://www.kirotv.com/news/11185573/detail.html
Car Crashes Into Gas Station, Catches Fire
POSTED: 1:37 pm PST March 6, 2007
UPDATED: 4:35 pm PST March 6, 2007
TACOMA, Wash. -- A driver who said his accelerator malfunctioned crashed into a Tacoma gas station and escaped before the vehicle and the building caught fire on Tuesday, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.“I’m shaking now, but it was so fast I didn’t know what was happening,” Robinson said.The driver Arthur Robinson told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Kevin McCarty that he was driving his Toyota Prius on Interstate 5 when he realized the gas pedal wasn't working. He said he tried the emergency brake, but he couldn't stop the car.“The car suddenly started to accelerate, even though my foot was completely off the gas, I put the emergency brake to the floor, I put the regular brake to the floor, the car kept moving,” Robinson said.He said he got off the freeway, passed through an intersection and was forced to crash into the side of a Shell gas station and mini-mart at South 84th Street and South Hosmer Street to stop the vehicle.The car erupted into flames, and part of the gas station caught fire, leaving a charred black hole in the side of the building.Gas station workers hit an emergency switch, cutting power to the gas pumps.No one was hurt. Customers inside the building had just left or there would have been several people injured, clerks told McCarty.
Scary..
#2
03-06-2007, 08:01 PM
Re: Prius malfunction?
I just saw this on the news:
http://www.kirotv.com/news/11185573/detail.html
Car Crashes Into Gas Station, Catches Fire
POSTED: 1:37 pm PST March 6, 2007
UPDATED: 4:35 pm PST March 6, 2007
TACOMA, Wash. -- A driver who said his accelerator malfunctioned crashed into a Tacoma gas station and escaped before the vehicle and the building caught fire on Tuesday, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.“I’m shaking now, but it was so fast I didn’t know what was happening,” Robinson said.The driver Arthur Robinson told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Kevin McCarty that he was driving his Toyota Prius on Interstate 5 when he realized the gas pedal wasn't working. He said he tried the emergency brake, but he couldn't stop the car.“The car suddenly started to accelerate, even though my foot was completely off the gas, I put the emergency brake to the floor, I put the regular brake to the floor, the car kept moving,” Robinson said.He said he got off the freeway, passed through an intersection and was forced to crash into the side of a Shell gas station and mini-mart at South 84th Street and South Hosmer Street to stop the vehicle.The car erupted into flames, and part of the gas station caught fire, leaving a charred black hole in the side of the building.Gas station workers hit an emergency switch, cutting power to the gas pumps.No one was hurt. Customers inside the building had just left or there would have been several people injured, clerks told McCarty.
Scary..
http://www.kirotv.com/news/11185573/detail.html
Car Crashes Into Gas Station, Catches Fire
POSTED: 1:37 pm PST March 6, 2007
UPDATED: 4:35 pm PST March 6, 2007
TACOMA, Wash. -- A driver who said his accelerator malfunctioned crashed into a Tacoma gas station and escaped before the vehicle and the building caught fire on Tuesday, KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reported.“I’m shaking now, but it was so fast I didn’t know what was happening,” Robinson said.The driver Arthur Robinson told KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Kevin McCarty that he was driving his Toyota Prius on Interstate 5 when he realized the gas pedal wasn't working. He said he tried the emergency brake, but he couldn't stop the car.“The car suddenly started to accelerate, even though my foot was completely off the gas, I put the emergency brake to the floor, I put the regular brake to the floor, the car kept moving,” Robinson said.He said he got off the freeway, passed through an intersection and was forced to crash into the side of a Shell gas station and mini-mart at South 84th Street and South Hosmer Street to stop the vehicle.The car erupted into flames, and part of the gas station caught fire, leaving a charred black hole in the side of the building.Gas station workers hit an emergency switch, cutting power to the gas pumps.No one was hurt. Customers inside the building had just left or there would have been several people injured, clerks told McCarty.
Scary..
Or simply just someone needing an excuse in a hurry for the insurance company.........
#5
03-06-2007, 10:41 PM
Re: Prius malfunction?
Playing devil's advocate, the hybrid vehicle controller would have had to have failed in acceleration mode. It sounds as if he didn't try to put the car in "N", something that is perfectly safe at any speed.
If at anytime you feel your Prius is 'running away,' the best answer is put it in "N". Now responding to the gear position is handled by the hybrid vehicle controller so there is no assurance of success.
The other fail-safe is to turn off the car. However, I understand the NHW20 smart-key technology may not provide a key operated switch like I have on my NHW11.
Bob Wilson
If at anytime you feel your Prius is 'running away,' the best answer is put it in "N". Now responding to the gear position is handled by the hybrid vehicle controller so there is no assurance of success.
The other fail-safe is to turn off the car. However, I understand the NHW20 smart-key technology may not provide a key operated switch like I have on my NHW11.
Bob Wilson
#6
03-07-2007, 07:55 AM
Re: Prius malfunction?
Gahhh!!! This driver was not familiar with his Prius. One should learn and pratice basic safety measures with any car. Power off the car and learn how it steers and brakes with the "engine" off. If you don't know how to switch off your car, read the blinkin manual and learn how before you have problems.
Sounds like he had the cruise control engaged and hit the gas instead of the brake.
If you have runaway acceleration in a Toyota Hybrid try the following until the acceleration stops:
1) hit the brakes to be sure the cruise control is off!
2) put the tranny in neutral!!
3) press and hold the power button until the hybrid system powers off (press over 3 seconds)!!! (see the owners manual under Tips for Using Smart Key System)
Sounds like he had the cruise control engaged and hit the gas instead of the brake.
If you have runaway acceleration in a Toyota Hybrid try the following until the acceleration stops:
1) hit the brakes to be sure the cruise control is off!
2) put the tranny in neutral!!
3) press and hold the power button until the hybrid system powers off (press over 3 seconds)!!! (see the owners manual under Tips for Using Smart Key System)
Last edited by nash; 03-07-2007 at 08:12 AM.
#7
03-07-2007, 08:47 AM
Re: Prius malfunction?
Missing hook could allow the driver rug to get bunched up around the accel pedal. Has happened before. Readers will please check their rug hooks.
If both brake and accel pedals are squished, the gas engine gives up and depowers. Your friendly accel pedal rebuilder tests them in this way...Try it yourself (in a big empty parking lot).
DAS
If both brake and accel pedals are squished, the gas engine gives up and depowers. Your friendly accel pedal rebuilder tests them in this way...Try it yourself (in a big empty parking lot).
DAS
#8
03-12-2007, 03:42 PM
Pretty Darn Active Enthusiast
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: North Hollywood, CA
Posts: 374
Re: Prius malfunction?
There are certainly a lot of details missing from this story, and now that the car has been on fire it seems unlikely the computer inside would have survived to verify or dispute his claims. However, everything he's saying is consistent with a computer failure in a drive-by-wire car.
It does raise an interesting question about the Prius. In more expensive fly-by-wire vehicles (say, the Space Shuttle) critical systems are indirect but redundant, so if the middle-man electronics fail the secondary system keeps going and notifies the user of the failure.
Is there redundancy in the drive-by-wire system in the Prius? Or if one chip goes, are you screwed?
I wonder what the signal for the 3-seconds power off scenario looks like - whether it goes to that same computer or goes a different route to circumvent potential failure.
It does raise an interesting question about the Prius. In more expensive fly-by-wire vehicles (say, the Space Shuttle) critical systems are indirect but redundant, so if the middle-man electronics fail the secondary system keeps going and notifies the user of the failure.
Is there redundancy in the drive-by-wire system in the Prius? Or if one chip goes, are you screwed?
I wonder what the signal for the 3-seconds power off scenario looks like - whether it goes to that same computer or goes a different route to circumvent potential failure.
#9
03-12-2007, 06:01 PM
Re: Prius malfunction?
There are certainly a lot of details missing from this story, and now that the car has been on fire it seems unlikely the computer inside would have survived to verify or dispute his claims. However, everything he's saying is consistent with a computer failure in a drive-by-wire car. . . .
They look to be well protected.
Bob Wilson
#10
03-12-2007, 06:31 PM
Pretty Darn Active Enthusiast
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: North Hollywood, CA
Posts: 374
Re: Prius malfunction?
Is that his computer or a computer?
You put a fire around that metal box and the electronics inside will fry nice and fast - especially any memory it might have had. Electronics typically fry at 150C and magnetic media like a hard drive or flash media fry at 55C. The same highly heat-conductive metal that normally keeps it cool would turn into an efficient heat delivery system.
You put a fire around that metal box and the electronics inside will fry nice and fast - especially any memory it might have had. Electronics typically fry at 150C and magnetic media like a hard drive or flash media fry at 55C. The same highly heat-conductive metal that normally keeps it cool would turn into an efficient heat delivery system.
