GM's Latest Marketing Tactic

[robertisaar]

And as for the sticking DBW deal, why can't people think about popping the transmission into neutral?

because the average driver only knows how to go, stop, rolling stop, occasional use of turn signals(just to make sure the bulbs are good), gas, crash and honk the horn. anything else is a crapshoot.

[pocket-rocket]

Yeah, I agree, sadly... This subject has been brought up on TRS many times. One guy said (after I mentioned neutral):

While I agree that every driver should know that you should simply shift into neutral in a situation like that, keep in mind that it was a loaner car that the driver was probably not familiar with, and the gear shifter looked like this:



Good luck figuring that thing out while your hurtling down the road at 120 mph.

To which I replied:

It goes back towards park the opposite way you put it in drive. My friends dads new G6 GT convertible has a shifter like that and it really isn't any harder to work than a standard automatic selector, especially since 95% of the people who drive them probably never put it in "Manu-matic" mode and leave it in D.

I mean, I can understand people are panicking and all, but I just can't believe no one thinks to throw it in neutral. Also brakes should be powerful enough to overcome an engine. If they can't, the brake system needs upgraded IMHO. What good does a fancy shifter and painted brake calipers do you when you are dead? I guess it's part of the "dumbing down" and getting lazier in America movement...

[geldartb]

And as for the sticking DBW deal, why can't people think about popping the transmission into neutral?

thats what i said when someone on gagt.com posted the video about the entire family dying cause the throttle got stuck open and the car was doing something like 130 when it crashed.

why couldnt they just stick with the straight line shifters instead they have to go to this stuff like the picture above.

[payback]

the sticking accelerator pedal isnt the only thing toyota has to worry about either, numerous electrical problem and some models catching on fire. i was driving to college one day and seen one of em, which happenend to be a brand spankin new toyota tundra's cab completly engulfed.

go fad lovers! buy those 'quality" imports YEA!

[RedBird]

like has been alredy said though. you know, at least toyota is a good enough company to address the problem, in a BIG way, and quickly. you think GM would recall 4million+ vehicles, just because they *think* they might be succeptible to a problem? no, i think they'd only do the known problem vehicles. at least toyota is Responsible enough to take care of it quickly and correctly. Same as with the rusty frame thing that was brought up. GM would probably just send out a patch kit or something like that.

[bszopi]

Also brakes should be powerful enough to overcome an engine. If they can't, the brake system needs upgraded IMHO. What good does a fancy shifter and painted brake calipers do you when you are dead? I guess it's part of the "dumbing down" and getting lazier in America movement...

No, the brakes don't help. I had the throttle stick open on the Beretta many years ago and the car kept accelerating with both feet pushing down HARD on the brake pedal. I honestly think I turned the engine off instead of neutral.

[geoffinbc]

You would burn up the brakes before the engine ever gave up. JUST SHUT THE DAMN CAR OFF MORONS. You will still have brake assist to pull the car over to the side of he road. Or put it in neutral and the rev limiter will limit most cars to 3500 in neutral.


And the GM LIM failures were all covered under warranty. Maybe if the moron at Mr.Lube told you that your oil was milk people would not be in this mess. Or maybe people should learn to check their oil every month or so they would also avoid problems. My dads work repaired hundreds of LIM's under good will from GM an never charged for repairs even when the vehicle was out of warranty.

[Driver_10]

The whole thing is kinda sad to me actually. GM and Toyota were always such good bedfellows before the automotive crash.

Im all honesty, Im surprised that Ford managed to keep thier heads in all of this considering the "shit" that they had crapped out thier factories between 1992 and 2005.

(I like thier new products now. Cant go wrong with that new 5.0 or the ecoboost)

[pocket-rocket]

like has been alredy said though. you know, at least toyota is a good enough company to address the problem, in a BIG way, and quickly. you think GM would recall 4million+ vehicles, just because they *think* they might be succeptible to a problem? no, i think they'd only do the known problem vehicles. at least toyota is Responsible enough to take care of it quickly and correctly. Same as with the rusty frame thing that was brought up. GM would probably just send out a patch kit or something like that.

Sadly, I completely agree with all of your post.

You would burn up the brakes before the engine ever gave up. JUST SHUT THE DAMN CAR OFF MORONS. You will still have brake assist to pull the car over to the side of he road. Or put it in neutral and the rev limiter will limit most cars to 3500 in neutral.

From what I read the cars that were in the crash had push button start. From what I was told in those models you hold down the push button start button for a certain amount of time to get it to shut off, but from what someone had told me was the police officer that was in one of the cars that got away was pushing it and holding it trying to get it to shut off when his brother in-law was on the phone with 911 before it slammed into the back of that Explorer at ~120mph. Toyota needs to rethink the logic that button operates on. I don't see the whole point behind DBW anyways. It seems like just one more thing to go wrong to me.

[ssdurango]

All modern diesel engines have an electronic throttle pedal. This started around 1997 or even earlier. Diesels havn't had this problem as far as I know. It makes sense to get rid of the throttle cable in the case of a diesel engine. But what's the advantage in a gas engine? Seems like they got burned by a pointless technological "upgrade".

[wanako]

this is dirty, underhanded and cut-throat thing to do, and it's exactly what GM needs to get ahead. As far as Toyota, I love Toyota. To me they will forever make the best cars (in a reliability sense, fun-factor not included) in the world, hands-down. Why are more people dying in the U.S. than Europe and Japan and everywhere else they sell these cars? Because they can drive and the average American cannot. simple.

I've had a problem when an idiot mechanic worked on my car and put my air intake on wrong on my Beretta. When I went on the highway and opened up almost WOT, the pedal got stuck. I simply got up to speed, turned off the engine, popped into Neutral and coasted to the nearest exit. simple. Some people make this to be some massively difficult thing to do when in reality it isn't.

[Superdave]

i had the throttle stick on my Z24 with the built engine one night.. there was a little nipple at the end of the throttle cable on the TB side that fell off and jammed in the groove. I was scared for a whole .0001 seconds.. then i just pushed in the clutch

[robertisaar]

All modern diesel engines have an electronic throttle pedal. This started around 1997 or even earlier. Diesels havn't had this problem as far as I know. It makes sense to get rid of the throttle cable in the case of a diesel engine. But what's the advantage in a gas engine? Seems like they got burned by a pointless technological "upgrade".

IIRC, the 94-95 diesels used 3 throttle sensors.

[wasas9]

Man lot's of Toyota hate on the board.

Just remember who hasn't needed a government bailout, has had not nearly as many recalls as GM/Ford, and is currently #1 in world and domestic sales, with these "import cars" built in the US, on US designs based off US research. Get a grip on reality and quit living in 1979.

Oh and guess what, GM and Ford both take their manufacturing queues from Toyota and their TPS production system.

Yeah, a handful of throttles will stick. They are fixing it, maybe lose profit this year. But guess what, they still have the best cars on the road.

You can hate all you want, but if you look at the cold hard facts, Toyota is superior to the big 3 in every way, shape, and form.

[mickaz]

Man lot's of Toyota hate on the board.

Just remember who hasn't needed a government bailout, has had not nearly as many recalls as GM/Ford, and is currently #1 in world and domestic sales, with these "import cars" built in the US, on US designs based off US research. Get a grip on reality and quit living in 1979.

Oh and guess what, GM and Ford both take their manufacturing queues from Toyota and their TPS production system.

Yeah, a handful of throttles will stick. They are fixing it, maybe lose profit this year. But guess what, they still have the best cars on the road.

You can hate all you want, but if you look at the cold hard facts, Toyota is superior to the big 3 in every way, shape, and form.

Better marketting Yes

Superior? Hell NO

they both had their flaws but no big car compagny is superior to another, They simply market car for Different people.

Ford make great trucks
GM make Cheap and Powerfull car
Toyota make cheap and reliable cars.