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Comments
i don't think a mat would have to be on top of the accelerator to cause the problem, because alternatively, it could bind up (perhaps be rolled up) underneath the end of the pedal.
this issue of hesitation has been a bit of a hot-potato with owners of Highlanders, Camrys, Avalons and even certain model Lexus vehicles.
posts in other toyota model forums (and specifically on forums related to engine hesitation or shifting delay) suggests that for some drivers, placing more of their foot on the accelerator (in otherwords adjusting your foot position, *specially if one tends to be more of a toe-tip driver*) has mitigated the hesitation to a more or lesser extent.
this suggests to me (and i'm not an automotive design expert but i am an electrical control systems engineer) that toyota has been installing accelerator pedal assemblies in various vehicles they manufacture that have too much mechanical compliance (loosely referred to as "slopp") or perhaps even stiction (a hesitation to move freely in part of its range), or some non-linearity (part of the range of the mechanical movement and/or sensing is effectively "dead" ie it's output not gradually increasing/decreasing with corresponding motion).
Are you still with me?...
Compliance, stiction, non-linearity in the pedal assembly, such that when you apply a certain amount of force in a certain direction on / to the accelerator pedal, it may or may not get registered by the electrical sensor and the engine control unit (ECU) as an adequate change in pedal position for the system to respond predictably or repeatibly leading to operability concerns.
Applying additional force then results in a change that results in eventual response by the system (perhaps influenced by software programming)... ultimately there is a "non-linear" response by the system (like a step-change, rather than a gently increasing response).
Yes, people have complained of making a left turn to cross traffic, they apply pedal force, nothing happens for an appreciable delay, and then they take off.
Numerous people have debated this issue in these forums (including myself), and many people have complained to the manufacturer and have logged the issue on the NHTSA web-site.
The debates have devolved sometimes either into technical minutia which have lost people, or accusitory claims of motivation (i.e. do you work for toyota or a competitor, or do you have some desire to ruin some manufacturer's reputation for example), and a few forums have been shut down by the hosts for going too far astray from a position of civility or for failing to stay on topic; both which are predicates for exchange of information, ideas, opinion in edmund's forums by the guidelines of same.
So while some people have only experienced an annoying delay, and some none at all, anecdotally some have reported a rather significant hesitation, perhaps predictable, perhaps unpredictable... for them it has had an effect on their sense of safety while driving their vehicles.
Some of these people have gotten the manufacturer to buy-back their vehicles, some have been offered incentives to get into another model, and some have gone to arbitration and lost, ending up selling their vehicles to get out of them, or have continued to stay in their vehicles waiting for the manufacturer to adequately address their concerns.
Again, some have no issue at all, some only a minor issue, and some claim it to be significant.
What I have described may or may not be at root cause of what you are reporting as an lack of adequate control event.
I suggest additional research on the matter.
I hope this helps you.
I'm pretty sure it doesn't as well.
Was a little surprised that hitting the brake didn't stop the car; I assumed the brake always had the dominant influence compared with the gas. But I suppose with enough gas, especially if it's in first gear...
if your highlander has a throttle by wire (or drive-by-wire) design
My understanding is all '04 and later HLs are drive-by-wire.
When I first bought my HL, I would have issues with slowing down, making a turn, and then followed by a severe hesitation
I think it is extremely important to relate this to the dealer. As user777 attests certain HL's (as reported on these boards and acknowledged by dealers) have a problem with engine hesitation (due to a flawed computer algorithm for coordinating throttle and transmission control if I'm not mistaken). This could indeed be related to the phenomenon that caused your accident.
According to more recent posts on these boards Toyota has a fix for the hesitation problem and you should be able to go to the dealer and have them perform it (involves downloading new firmware; takes an hour or two).
Both were the result of having the carpet mat laying over the accelerator pedal but behind the brake pedal.
I've noticed it at low speeds and low volume. It happened once while parked but I'm not sure if the engine had turned itself off or not.
Anyone know if there are relays or something on the amp that could be causing this ?
1. They can't investigate because I've already had repairs started on my HL. Note: I did immediately bring it to my Toyota service dept to have them check it.
2. Toyota says there's no reports of surging problems with the HL. I mentioned several posts I've seen on the internet about hesitation/surging instances, including complaints to NTHSA. I was told complaints aren't the same as reports, and that NHTSA investigated the complaints, and found no substantial evidence to make a REPORT of the issue. I was also told that anyone can get on the internet and complain.
3. I was told that the "fix" mentioned by NTHSA is a reprogramming of the ECM, which just resets the computer.
4. I mentioned an instance I'm aware of where someone purchased a Honda CRV and had surging problems. They took it to the dealer, and their CRV was replaced, no questions asked. I was told that they're Toyota, not Honda.
I'm to turn iformation in to their claims dept., but it sounds like Toyota is not about to admit they have any problems with their vehicles. I am selling/trading my HL as soon as the repairs are finished, and will never buy from Toyota again!
This will certainly help others make an informed decision.
Today, the "VSC" + "Check" + "TPMS" indicator lit up on my dash.
TPMS - I checked all four tires (cold) - pressure was 30 PSI. This matches the Toyota guideline posted on the driver door jamb.
VSC- This light was on for most of the day. Then mysteriously the indicator shut off. I am happy to see it go away but am uneasy about what could be wrong.
Check- I have no idea about this. Is this a Maint. reminder light?
I called the Seller. He said he has seen the VSC light come on in the past. He never took it to the dealer.
Is this a known problem? My vehicle is under warranty but I would like to know if others have seen this problem.
Thanks!
I notice some strut or suspension type knocking when going over residential speed bumps at approximately 20 mph.
I also notice this knocking sound when I am driving on some uneven roads at normal city speeds or leaving work from an unpaved lot to the sidewalk & then the paved road.
Sometimes when I am turning right & braking, I also notice this knocking sound.
If this is the same problem as what others are experiencing, can any damage to the vehicle be caused by this knocking or is it just an annoying characteristic of the Highlander?
Any help would be appreciated.
Re: post on quality, Toyota has slipped, in my mind, and their servicing dealers are becoming as arrogant as other dealers. It USED to be a pleasure to go and get things fixed properly the first time. No longer.
Then how do we account for today's Associated Press lead article entitled "Toyota's Sales Soar In U.S."??
Some descent!!
Perhaps that didn't work out for some reason so they decided to lower their quality and reliability instead.
I seem to remember that months before Eastern Airlines finally went "under" they were rated up there with the BEST. Not that Eastern had gotten any better but the rest of the industry had declined to their level.
In any case you'd have to be living in a cave not to notice the difference in the Toyota/Lexus product line with regards quality and reliability.
And yes, sales levels are still climbing, "word of mouth" mental inertia is very hard to overcome. People who do not read or read but do not comprehend, do not readily notice situational changes rapidly, as should be obvious given our illustrious leader of the moment.
I strongly disagree. Cave or no cave, there is no difference that I can see, and I'm not a supporter of Toyota one way or the other. As far as I'm concerned, they make a good product, that's all. Others are doing well in that regard too.
I haven't seen any documentation to support such conjecture, so I'll just have to contribute it to a personal dislike of that particular automaker. Truly, there is little or no factual basis to draw such a conclusion.
I will, however, agree that other manufactures are doing a much better job of quality and reliability, and many have closed the gap significantly. I think Toyota is now getting a good run for the money from the competition.
toyota seems to be using a lot of common parts across model lines and admit as much.
as market leader, they are also pushing the envelope on technology and new feature introduction on many models.
if you look at the issues with say the catalytic convertors, steering wheel shafts, dbw implementations that are affecting several models, we see what can happen when models share parts and designs.
you get the sense they are moving forward rather fast, heavily leveraging commonality in designs and constituent parts, outsourcing, bumping up against the challenge of maintaining high QA just like other manufacturers.
Why are cars built in the USA by Americans from Toyota, Honda, etc., still considered to be "foreign" cars? Why are Chrysler products, owned by Daimler, considered to be "domestic" cars? My father once owned an Eagle Premier with a French engine, German transmission, and Japanese starter. The car was built in Ontario, but it was a "domestic car." The world marketplace has blurred these lines.
Is there any fix for this from the dealer or should I Just leave it.
By leaving it, is there are concern??
Thanks.
anyway, in China's efforts to cut costs, demand for energy and environmental issues, watch - they'll probably eventually outsource to Africa.
Steve, Host
Checked other threads but couldn't find anything on transmission lockup, or similar. We were supposed to take the boat out today and now the day is killed.
Ron
BTW, did you notice any reduction in wind/air noise at hiway speeds after this?
anyway..after unhooking the first 2 latches, I appled a little inward pressure on the black plastic cap, while using my "tool": a right-angle 90 degree little hook, with the small part maybe 1/2 inch long, and the long part with a screw driver type handle.... (looks like a capital "L") to unhook the 2 latches on the inboard side...the inward pressure made it much easier for the inboard latches to come unhooked. Voila! My cross bars are removed.
Now for a highway test......
Any idea where the plastic cover is near the shifter? And does this button just release the shifter or "fix" the problem?