Sudden Unintended Acceleration
04-29-2010, 09:01 PM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: 04-14-2010
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 432
Ramen! We're forgetting about the human element to these so-called events. If your car starts accelerating out of control, should you:
a) pray
b) call 9-11
c) jump out
d) disable the powertrain
I'm gonna go with "D", Regis. And that's my final answer. If some omnipotent deity created us, then he/she/it also gave us the ability to think, right? Should we really be bothering them with these kind of calls? You know, the ones that are within our power to change? I think not.
Put it in neutral and/or shut off the engine. The more you rely on the machine to take care of you, the more of yourself you lose. Stop being a passenger and start driving the car. If this happens to someone who owns a manual-equipped car, well, I don't know that I would feel bad for them. Darwinism works.
04-29-2010, 09:16 PM
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: 11-15-2008
Location: Newburgh, NY
Posts: 1,599
Remember when the throttle cable tubes used to rust in the old VW's and you had to push the clutch in, put the Bug into neutral with the engine screaming, get to the side of the road, open the rear deck lid and pull the throttle arm back to idle?
How in the world did we survive? There was never a recall and no bleeding hearts to complain about it.
Times have certainly changed.
How in the world did we survive? There was never a recall and no bleeding hearts to complain about it.
Times have certainly changed.
04-29-2010, 09:32 PM
#34
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-21-2008
Location: SE Michigan
Posts: 1,457
I had that happen on my 71 Super Beetle. No panic, just an "Aw Crap" moment.
04-29-2010, 09:33 PM
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-12-2007
Location: Republic of Texas
Posts: 690
There is already a thread on not being able to shut the engine off with the key. I'm sure that some malfunction of the shifter can prevent shifting into neutral. If a computer is used to control these functions instead of a mechanical linkage or cable, a computer malfunction could prevent anything from working.
04-29-2010, 09:44 PM
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: 06-26-2008
Location: N.W. Burbs Chicago
Posts: 4,152
I'll join the B.S. wagon. Your kid wrecked your car and that is the best story she could come up with at the time, to save her tail. Or, just human error. Any reason why she didn't flip the key to the acc position to shut the car off? That seems like it would be my first reaction. If this scenario did play out to be true, it doesn't excuse your 31 year old, to not use 31 years of human experience to have sense enough to roll her key back 1 tick.
I'm just saying Would you trust any car to be doing , Lets say 100 Mph going into a turn and click the key once to kill the car.
I'm gonna vote now, I think i'd throw it into reverse before i did that. IMO
04-29-2010, 09:53 PM
#37
Out of instinct, if I didn't know much about cars, I'd shift it into park. My mom says she'd do that if her car took off. Who cares if you lose your tranny. Instinct would say shift it.
04-30-2010, 06:14 AM
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: 10-02-2005
Location: VA
Posts: 1,245
Something to try for you auto guys... (I'm not)
In a SAFE place, go WOT and try to just bump the trans into neutral.
I just looked at a tune file from an '06 2.4 auto that I tuned a few years ago and the rev limiter in P or N is only 4,000 RPMs, so it won't hurt the motor.
In a SAFE place, go WOT and try to just bump the trans into neutral.
I just looked at a tune file from an '06 2.4 auto that I tuned a few years ago and the rev limiter in P or N is only 4,000 RPMs, so it won't hurt the motor.
04-30-2010, 01:19 PM
#39
Member
Join Date: 06-25-2008
Location: Anderson/SC
Posts: 43
Yes that is true. My SS will only go to 4k in park or neutral.
04-30-2010, 05:24 PM
#40
Platinum Member
Join Date: 05-09-2006
Location: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 6,805
Joe's comment and one or two others have commented on the "flaws" in the story. But nobody is picking up on them. Those little flaws are why I called BS (again, maybe on the daughter's part).