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NOT...!!
"Fixing" always entails "finding". Finding a software bug almost always involves being able to reliably replicate the failure mode and as we see that sometimes takes an extended period of time. and WORK.
Sometimes it is simply more expedient to provide a "work-a-round", BTO in this case.
Does the 1996 Camry have DBW?
Are you of the opinion that all problems with devices are either human-error or mechanical? Why does Microsoft and most other software makers issues patches? Why do manufacturers stock spare parts like the electronic board that went in my washer last week, if they don't fail regularly?
Why have thousands and thousands of people had to send their XBox 360 back for repair after months of initially fine use? Why does Sony have a lower but still significant breakdown rate of about on their Sony Playstation3 computer?
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6216691.html
anyone answering "yes" to that question doesn't have a brain.
"Why does Microsoft and most other software makers issues patches? Why do manufacturers stock spare parts like the electronic board that went in my washer last week, if they don't fail regularly?
Why have thousands and thousands of people had to send their XBox 360 back for repair after months of initially fine use? Why does Sony have a lower but still significant breakdown rate of about 2% on their Sony Playstation3 computer? "
there are a lot of reasons electronics fail. software issues as you correctly pointed out. thermal stress issues (where lack of heat dissipation heats up the die beyond its absolute maximum - 150c mostly), user issues, or incorrectly engineered circuits, to name a few.
but you would have to be completely blind if you don't realize the superior reliability and dependability record electronics have over mechanical ones, assuming both are comparably engineered.
wwest....I believe this is exactly the situation here. The glitchy coding in Toyota's ECUs would probably take a huge and maybe lengthy effort to find and correct. The brake override is more than likely a workaround, albeit one that accomplishes the same thing as correcting the original code (that is, stopping cars suffering UA). Hit the brakes, engine RPMs fall.
If there's an electronic problem with the computer or the code and the thing goes crazy into acceleration mode... will it respond to a sensor input saying, "Oh, the brake is on so reduce engine to idle."
I think it won't fix some of the problems at all unless it's a separate failsafe design to throttle the engine (excuse the pun).
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
how do YOU know that the code is "glitchy"?
just how do YOU know that?
it is OK to speculate, as long as you lay it out and let people know that it is nothing but pure speculation on your part. Presenting it fact-of-matteredly is simply wrong.
Seems as though Toyota is dammed when they do and dammed when they don't. Logically, if the code was at fault here then we would see a commensurate amount of UA incidents coming out of Japan and other countries. That just isn't the case.
I recall seeing my wife hold down the accelerator pedal of a 1996 Camry, thinking it was the brakes, while in a Mall. Had I not been in the car at the time, I'm convinced she would have blamed the car. Luckily, no damage was done.
The above is probably the only UA scenario in which BO would be useless. Calling it a workaround when it addresses so many possible causes of UA is just ludicrous.
Can I prove it? Nope. I doubt Toyota will let anyone into their computer labs outside the company to find out, either. All fingers seem to be pointing in that direction, though.
Understand that these type of lawsuits mostly are levied on a contingency basis. Either they win the case, or they don't get any money......not even reimbursement for their expenses.
there could be plenty of reasons for manufacturers to reflash the computers: to build in new redundancy, to build more redundancy, to add features, refine behaviors, etc.
the fact that we are changing our ways of doing things (reprogramming a computer for example) doesn't necessarily mean the old ways of doing things are wrong.
"Can I prove it? Nope."
well, maybe we should present our assertions / proclamation accordingly.
that doesn't mean the cost to the businesses is not born by their customers.
It's okay to try to beat down a negative about the product if you have proof the code is perfectly correct. Do you? Otherwise that is speculation that there is NO problem..
Otherwise, we can look at the unexplained acceleration events from the past 8 years and ascribe a few of them to floor mats and a few to pedals that are sticky which might apply more in low speed maneuvering such as parking, otherwise there are a whole bunch of incidents that are happening because of "something." That something appears to be the powertrain control unit or the code or something. It certainly isn't a flat tire causing the problems; it's something to do with the control systems.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
If it is unique to Toyota (and we all know it isn't) then it would be unique to Toyota USA. Even if so, why does it have to be coding....It could be the position feedback sensor used in the Throttle servo system....Several things can cause a runaway servo system. People have latched on to ECU coding because that's just about all they understand when computers are at the heart of complex operations.
Or, more likely in this scenario, they had some problems, and they found a work around for a solution, as has been suggested not only by myself, but many others who are even smarter than me. The fact that the Toyota dealer in the video mentioned that Toyota sent them a software "fix", for vehicles in their shop for something like "faulty floormats", even reinforces my belief.
I stand by my belief....their software is glitchy. Toyota found a workaround. Toyota is sending the workaround to the dealerships to install "while they're fixing their floormat issue". That the dealership service dept is offering to install the software fix to ANYONE who asks for it reinforces my contention even more.
Why offer a software fix if there isn't a software problem to begin with?
Let's see some proof of that. I can make a machine that uses the weight variation of an item using gravity to turn an item the way I want (say a tin can). You make a machine that has sensors, relays, motors and software to turn the can, and we'll see which is more reliable and dependable. :P
And why do you think that Sears guarantees it's handtools for life, while anything with a switch, wire or motor gets a 1 year warranty? What do you think that says about the expected lifespan before failure?
Wake up! One good cyber-attack and most of your devices will be corrupted, or the electrical grid will be down. Electronics and automation are great for efficiency and comfort; fragile and lousy as far as dependability, and ease of finding the problem and fixing it. Perfect example - the length of these UA problems. Second example - flaws in the Prius's braking system.
Words of wisdom there....So other makers (GM, Chrysler, BMW, VW, Audi, Nissan) who have implemented BO, did so because of code glitches?
I don't know. Ask Toyota. They're the ones who made it a point to include the brake override code in their new '11 Avalon. They're the ones who've sent the code to dealerships, telling them to (quietly) also redownload code in addition to doing floormat replacement.
Did Toyota state it was unique to the U.S.? Hell, they won't even admit that they're doing it publicly....let alone which geographic region they're doing it for (could be all of them), or which models are included. Given that the dealership said they'd do it for anyone who asks, tells me it will work for everyone who may have either had an issue, or is concerned they could have an issue, regardless of model or model year.
Geez-Louise....you'd think some of you would be happy that Toyota found a workaround to at least one of the issues (UA), and it may extend to another (braking).
I haven't heard of any widespread UA or braking issues with those manufacturers. Could be their code was solid. Or, it could be because they implemented brake override code because they felt it was important. Send them a letter and find out.
Why is a software fix necessarily a fix for a software problem? The brake override system will presumably prevent accidents and injury no matter what the cause of UA, be it floor mats, driver error, faulty gas pedal assembly, or even a software gremlin.
You assume something that may be true . . . . or may not.
Yes, it saves lives if ever something goes wrong. Several things seem to be going wrong in Toyota's case....Be it ECU code, floormats, sticking pedals or whatever.
BTW, Audi implemented BO after a similar debacle. AFAIK, no one has ever figured out what the real culprit was in their case. We'll probably see the same scenario with Toyota.
where is the logic here?
"if you have proof the code is perfectly correct. Do you? Otherwise that is speculation that there is NO problem.. "
well, I never asserted anything, either that toyota has problems or that toyota does not have problems.
so how I can prove an assertion that I didn't make?
or this is some kind of tricky questions?
try to make a mechanical watch accurate to 1/10th of a second and we will sit down and compare notes,
"And why do you think that Sears guarantees it's handtools for life, while anything with a switch, wire or motor gets a 1 year warranty? What do you think that says about the expected lifespan before failure?"
it says that 1) mechanical things have wide quality gaps that some of them are very unreliable, to the point their merchant is only willing to provide a 1-yr warranty; 2) it is always a bad idea to compare apples vs. organges; and 3) it is an even worse idea to smack oneself in the face with one's own examples.
"Wake up! One good cyber-attack and most of your devices will be corrupted, or the electrical grid will be down. "
ok. try to cyber-attack my electrionic watch, my mp3 player, my amplifier, my tv, my mcu-clocks, my digital cameras, ........
I will give you all the time you want and if you break anyone of them through a cyber-attack, you can have them.
"Second example - flaws in the Prius's braking system. "
hm, try to cyber-attack that sucker,
Single source reporting, so I would be, am, suspect of the possibility that Toyota/etc is already installing "new" BTO code. Especially seeing as how no one else has said such was available, not even Toyota.
Was the "reflash" the dealer did actually related to the BTO, Brake Throttle Over-ride...??
I'd bet not.
After so many complaints regarding the 1-2 second downshift delay/hesitation Toyota revised the firmware in yet another attempt to overcome the design flaw in the U140E/F transaxle and its successors.
No widespread..??
Wouldn't that INCLUDE Toyota/etc...??
How many of you feel warm and fuzzy about trusting your technological-toys after reading the following. And remember many of these manufacturers are trying to get these products 1) the cheapest, and 2) the fastest to market!
http://www.edn.com/article/CA47096.html
great example of this, in my township there was a dangerous intersection at a US highway junction where several accidents occurred; several of my neighbors and myself went to several township meetings for years begging for a delayed traffic light to be put in because we all new someone would die eventually at the intersection; the township kept saying we don't need it, its not necessary and all are safety issues went through one ear and out the other; finally, a fatal car accident that killed 5 people happened at that intersection a few years ago
3 months after that accident a delayed traffic light was installed at the intersection!!
see my point?
Stay tuned.
I don't want it. I want to be able to work the brake and gas together. Even with the rear camera a Highlander is a handful to parallel park on ice or in the rain at night, etc. I live downtown on a one-way street in a century-old neighborhood. After 30 years I've almost forgotten how to park on the right side of the street.
My '10 Highlander is almost 9" shorter than my old '06 Avalon. I love parking it.
John
link title
After Toyota President Akio Toyoda said he had changed his plans and would not be coming to the United States later this month, Congressman Darrell Issa, R.-Calif., said he was willing to issue a subpoena to compel Toyoda to appear before his committee.
The US government can just shut all Toyota operations in the USA down. Then how long would it take his highness to get his butt over here? The arrogance of Toyota upper management is amazing. Didn't he watch what they did to Wagoner? Does Toyoda think he is bigger than Obama? Toyota being allowed to sell in the USA is a privilege not a right.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/toyota-recall-issa-subpoena-akio-toyoda/story?id=9- - 807150
Issa has a bone to pick with Toyota. They are shutting down the NUMMI plant in CA. I don't think Toyota wants to get Congress riled up against them. It is easy to write legislation that would put them out of business in a NY second. It would not be a first time. And probably not the last.
Haruka Nishimatsu CEO
it definitely would be easy to draft such a legislation. But it would be very difficult to pass it.
not to mention the stupidity in attempting to do so.
Former Toyota attorney says automaker hid safety problems
In a recent interview, former Toyota attorney Dimitrios Biller claimed that the automaker regularly covered up evidence of safety problems. Biller handled product liability suits for Toyota before leaving the company in 2007.
According to an exclusive interview with ABC News, Biller, a former top attorney for the automaker, the company regularly concealed proof of safety problems, and failed to disclose information that it was legally obligated to produce during litigation.
“You have to understand that Toyota in Japan does not have any respect for our legal system,” said Biller. “They were hiding evidence, concealing evidence, destroying evidence, obstructing justice.”
Biller went on to explain this belief with an anecdote, explaining that as he would prepare information that outlined possible safety issues of Toyota vehicles for plaintiffs his boss would remind him of what he referred to as the “golden rule.” Biller said that when he asked what that rule was, his boss clarified, “Don’t screw with the client [Toyota].”
not sure?
what if the primary system is problematic 0.000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000- - - 000000000000000000000000005% of the time, and everything else is the same. will you add that back-up system?
Look you can tell me how wonderful your personal experience with your camera is, and that your MP3 will still sing you a song if there's a major cyber-attack. But you still have not addressed why your statements like the above - on computer and system reliability - do not match reality.
Your statements certainly did not match reality, when I posted a link to the failure rates of XBox360 and Sony Playstation3 computer systems. You have the major software company, and 1 of the top electronic companies in the world who would love to have failure rates near 1%. I believe you said something like "well things break", which confirmed my main point.
Let's take a look again at failure-rates: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/02/xbox-360-failure-rates-worse-than-mos- t-consumer-electornics.ars
They certainly don't look reliable enough that I would risk my life on 1 working any given day!
Please explain why so many Xbox and Sony computers break/fail, and how this does not negate your statements of consumer software and hardware is reliable.
If you want please feel free to go to Consumer Reports and tell us why they list so many models of so many items as poor or moderate reliability.
Unfortunately for my Toyota Love Affair, I have to agree with you on this one, and add that the Camry Hybrid has the same problem.
Because it happened to me in December 2009 when I got caught in a snowstorm/blizzard.
I came up to a highway intersection stop sign on a snowy road. I was only going about 20 mph, so I started stopping about 40 feet from the sign. ABS kicked in and started stopping me, but I still slid a little bit, and came to a complete stop at the sign.
It was clear, so I pressed the accelerator to go. No forward movement. No tire spin, the car just acted like the emergency brake was on.
Because I had heard about this problem in the Prius, I knew what to do.
I put the car in reverse and stopped after a few feet, then quickly shifted to drive and started forward. This time, the tires gripped, probably because I was no longer on "fresh snow" but on the "crushed snow" I had already driven on once.
Seems like their system needs refining.
Like a lot of systems on a lot of cars. 'Yota is not unique in producing cars which are less than perfect.
He would not do a deal with shims and stuck to his demand.
No one was comparing the result or effect of a failure, so you are mistaken. The point is whether a computer and all its subsystems are in an Xbox, a laptop, or a TV, those systems are riddled with software and hardware problems.
If an Xbox fails, no one gets killed or injured. If brakes on a car fail, even intermittently and/or even rarely, someone can get killed or injured.
I totally agree. You are making my point that these sorts of electronic systems are not reliable enough, to allow them to control the car without the operator being able to easily shut them down.
Unless someone can bring data here that says auto systems are much more reliable than our other consumer systems, I stand by my comments. It is not acceptable for even 1 person out of millions to be killed by a faulty electronic system, since it would be reasonable to provide an OFF button. Lawyers will have a field day with this issue, if an auto manufacturer gets up on the stand and admits that they didn't put an OFF button there because they have a relatively low failure rate, and they thought if only a few vehicles ran away - well that's okay.