For those who don't know how to drive

[33&athird]

Loss of power steering assist? What if you are a 90lbs female and your driving a 4Runner?

Me thinks they should have just let this story pass by.

Good point, I don't think many daily drivers could handle loss of power assist, me, i'm used to driving a '68 mustang, which has no such "feature", turning at low speeds is no fun...

The computer is programmed to give priority to the brake pedal when both brake and accelerator are depressed simultaneously.

Interesting...now that would make burnouts easier right?

OK, if the throttle is stuck wide open, and you shift into neutral, there's a good chance you blow up the engine, isn't there? Just a thought. You don't have to worry about turning off the ignition if that happens.

:scratch2:...knowing the toyota engines we have in the driveway...that would happen pretty quick:yes:, esecially in the camry's, which have pretty anemic radiators

 

[rickr15]

Interesting...now that would make burnouts easier right?



:

Burnouts in a Prius??
Now that would be interesting

 

[Jailtime]

Might be interesting to watch someone in a panic try and hit neutral, miss and go right to park at 65 mph. Which will probably strip the parking brake and keep right on going. I saw someone do this with a C4 made a hell of a racket. And did not stop.

In a FWD car. If the tranny doesn't turn into a million bits of shrapnel, the whole front end cradle is going to be introduced to the rear axle or IRS or whatever may be back there. Don't most modern transmissions have a gate that will keep you from hitting reverse or park when you are at speed? I heard a story of a friend that stopped a 50's Buick from 55 MPH by hitting park in the old Hydra Matic transmission. Wheeee!

EDIT: I stopped a '96 Ford Deathstar from about 10MPH by slamming the tranny into park. Made this horrible ratcheting sound.

Burnouts in a Prius??
Now that would be interesting

Good luck with that! :lmao:

 

[33&athird]

Burnouts in a Prius??
Now that would be interesting

:lmao:, that would be rich... I can just imagine

 

[tshoejohn]

OK, if the throttle is stuck wide open, and you shift into neutral, there's a good chance you blow up the engine, isn't there? Just a thought. You don't have to worry about turning off the ignition if that happens.

Most modern vehicles have a rev limiter but still not very good for the motor....

 

[Goodwill_HiFi]

Might be interesting to watch someone in a panic try and hit neutral, miss and go right to park at 65 mph. Which will probably strip the parking brake and keep right on going. I saw someone do this with a C4 made a hell of a racket. And did not stop.

Parking brake? What does that have to do with the transmission?

Putting a automatic transmission into park while rolling will make a ratcheting sound, and then when you're going slow enough it will catch. It's designed that way........ nothing is being stripped. Granted doing that at 65mph, may be a little rough on it

 

[gearhead]

When you're in any gear other than park, you can't turn the ignition switch back far enough to lock the steering wheel.
You could turn the ignition off while you're in drive, then shift to neutral, if you think the engine's going to blow.
Aren't Toyotas made to turn 12,000 rpm's, anyway?

 

[jhal]

Many drive-by-wire systems won't let the engine go anywhere near redline when the car is in neutral or park. I am not sure if Toyotas have this protection or not. I know the Ford, Dodge, and GM systems do, as do the German makes. You can stomp the gas when the car is in neutral and it will not go over 3000 RPM. This is to prevent damage from "neutral drops" due to immature and destructive drivers.

 

[usedto]

For all of you who are pointing out all of the "failsafe" systems in newer cars:

The damn accelerator pedal won't even operate correctly. What the f^#k makes you think any other system is worth trusting?:scratch2:

 

[steerpike2]

I dunno about American made cars, but no car made here engages the steering lock until you pull the key completely out of the keyhole.

 

[x_25]

Have some comments I would like to post, but they may start something so I wont.

But, I have a huge hill by my house (goes downhill for about a mile and a half). Sometimes I put the car in neutral and shut off the engine for fun. Gives me some practice if anything ever does go wrong. :yes:

 

[merrylander]

From a cartoon I saw the brake fix for the Prius is a couple of parachutes fastened to the rear end with the rip cords connected to the brake pedal.

 

[Goodwill_HiFi]

I dunno about American made cars, but no car made here engages the steering lock until you pull the key completely out of the keyhole.

We have stop, run, and start. The key is removed at the stop position, and the wheel locks if it is turned a bit. I don't think the key has to be removed for the wheel to lock...... actually, I'm pretty sure it doesn't since if there is tension on the wheel from the tires its difficult to get the key in our out. This is all US vehicles, and by US vehicles, I mean any vehicle certified for sale in the US, regardless of where it was assembled or where the company headquarters is located.

 

[steerpike2]

actually, I'm pretty sure it doesn't since if there is tension on the wheel from the tires its difficult to get the key in our out.

That IS quite a dangerously risky design oversight - Especially for someone not accustomed to it or expecting it. I'd be fully confident turning the key right to the 'off' position on any locally made car, knowing the steering will not lock.
Some now are such that you cannot remove the key (and therefore cannot lock the steering wheel) without the gearshift being in "P", and on top of that, you can't move the gearshift to "P" without stepping on the brake.

I can't comment on those that now have 'keyless' ignition/lock systems - I wonder if they even have any kind of mechanical steering lock anymore.

 

[merrylander]

Never checke dthe Chev but I know it has to be in Park before you can remove the key, never thought to see where the wheel locks as it is not a Toyota.

 

[merrylander]

Never checked the Chev but I know it has to be in Park before you can remove the key, never thought to see where the wheel locks as it is not a Toyota.

 

[Goodwill_HiFi]

That IS quite a dangerously risky design oversight - Especially for someone not accustomed to it or expecting it. I'd be fully confident turning the key right to the 'off' position on any locally made car, knowing the steering will not lock.

I've never heard of it being an issue. I'll try it a bit later, just to verify it........ it's something I never have to think about.

Some now are such that you cannot remove the key (and therefore cannot lock the steering wheel) without the gearshift being in "P", and on top of that, you can't move the gearshift to "P" without stepping on the brake.

Some vehicles have a gearshift lock, that prevents removal of the key, but I don't think it prevents the wheel from locking.

 

[devoid]

Hey everyone - this has been a good read. I don't post all that much. But one in a while I see or think of something blatantly discussion worthy. I think far too many people push vehicles beyond intended modes of operation and never get a chance to learn what to do. As dangerous as those adolescent years can be some of the more extreme life lessons come from it. And we as a culture so personally dependent on many technologies would benefit from some "over the line" instruction.

On my point of starting this thread I wonder about a competitive driving class. Thats always been one of my far off things I'd like to do. Has anyone here taken such a class? And what do you think you got from it? Just wondering.

 

[outlawmws]

Hey everyone - this has been a good read. I don't post all that much. But one in a while I see or think of something blatantly discussion worthy. I think far too many people push vehicles beyond intended modes of operation and never get a chance to learn what to do. As dangerous as those adolescent years can be some of the more extreme life lessons come from it. And we as a culture so personally dependent on many technologies would benefit from some "over the line" instruction.

On my point of starting this thread I wonder about a competitive driving class. Thats always been one of my far off things I'd like to do. Has anyone here taken such a class? And what do you think you got from it? Just wondering.

While I have not personally been involved with such a class, I was intimately involved in racing for twenty years. I've also talked to more than a few people that have attended such classes at Sears point, and Altamont speedway (Sears Point has classes for both racers and “aggressive defensive driving”). These classes can be very informative, and can give you some exposure to what to do in an emergency. What they do not provide is enough track time to get completely proficient, but the instruction is valuable for all that.

To be honest, for all the foolish “adolescent years” driving I did, the time I spent driving a wheel packing truck at the local dirt track, where you have to drift the rear wheels to steer it, gave me far more experience at managing a borderline out of control vehicle than anything I did on the street or could accomplish in a limited time class (The class does provide instruction on other aspects of defensive driving track time does not however). On that slick track surface, you learn or you end up crammed into the wall, and that applies at any speed. (Most of the time we were full broadside at 20-30 MPH because it was so very wet and slippery)

That experience has paid dividends on more than one occasion and allowed me to regain control, or at least avoid a disaster/accident, and all of those occurred outside of any over the top driving. (hitting a fresh graveled road in a turn unexpectedly, hitting oil on a newly wet road, going sideways in an emergency stop at freeway speeds, etc, etc…) I cannot remember ever having to respond like that while driving faster than I probably should have. My point is you learn a lot at semi reasonable speeds while wheel packing in slick mud in a way you cannot almost any other place.

 

[Goodwill_HiFi]

That IS quite a dangerously risky design oversight - Especially for someone not accustomed to it or expecting it. I'd be fully confident turning the key right to the 'off' position on any locally made car, knowing the steering will not lock.

Ok, I guess I was partially wrong. We have lock, stop, run, and start. The steering wheel doesn't lock in the stop position, it locks in the lock position. The key being in or out doesn't matter. In order to turn the key to the lock position you have to be in Park. I know I locked the steering wheel while moving when I was younger....... probably in my 81 Chevy LUV (100% Isuzu built).

Some now are such that you cannot remove the key (and therefore cannot lock the steering wheel) without the gearshift being in "P", and on top of that, you can't move the gearshift to "P" without stepping on the brake.

In my truck I can't remove the key unless in park, becasue I can't turn the key to the lock position unless I'm in Park. I don't think I have to apply the brake to shift into Park. Most vehicles with manual transmissions require you to apply the brake before starting the engine, However.

In my truck, lock, stop, run, and start aren't actually labeled, and each stop isn't super well defined....... maybe becasue the truck has 200K miles on it. Using the ignition switch is so automatic, I don't even think about it when using it.

I beleive each stop is labeled on my 69 Buick, Though....... didn't actually look.