By now we're all pretty clear on this unintended acceleration business and it being, well, mostly driver error. But Toyota hasn't forgotten the debacle and it certainly hasn't stopped receiving and responding to consumer complaints. And there's only so many times you can answer the same questions before you give up, make a FAQ page and just direct people there.
So now Toyota has a FAQ on engine speed!
"Modern technology in today's automobiles can cause engine rpm to increase slightly without warning, but don't panic. There's a reason for this and once you understand why, you won't be surprised when it happens."
::facepalm::
Just follow the jump for more of this...
This is pulled directly from Toyota's site. No sprucing up needed...(I was going to italicize obscene points, but there were more words in italics than not, so forget it.)
"Here are a few examples of these common occurrences from the experts at Toyota:
Cold start idle-up: An increase in engine idle speed normally occurs just after a cold start on the first drive of the day. This high idle speed is a normal condition of a cold engine. The engine idle speed will reduce as the engine warms up.
Transmission shift: When accelerating while driving at a slow to moderate speed, the driver may experience a slight pause, as the transmission downshifts to a lower gear, followed by a notable increase in engine rpm as the vehicle accelerates.
Catalytic converter protection: On some manual transmission models, the engine control computer may keep the engine rpm above idle as the driver shifts between fifth and sixth gears at highway speeds. This momentary rpm increase is designed to enhance the life of the catalytic converter.
Air conditioning idle-up: On vehicles with an engine-driven A/C compressor, the engine idle rpm will increase slightly as the compressor cycles on. This is done to reduce the chance of an engine stall condition due to the increased load being place on it by the operation of the A/C compressor.
Power steering idle-up: On vehicles with engine-driven hydraulic power steering, the driver will note a slight increase in engine idle rpm when the steering wheel is turned while stopped or at low speeds. This is a normal operating condition and is done to reduce the chance of an engine stall due the increased load placed on it by the operation of the power steering pump."
Sigh.
So then, the question is: Should this type of information be required by the manufacturer, or is this the type of thing that one should know before getting a driving license?
greenpony says:
10:48 AM, 08/16/10
Oh my gawd what a disaster this Toyota thing has been! This is EXACTLY the type of thing the federal government needs to be involved in, to force automakers to let drivers know how their cars are going to behave under certain, absurdly common conditions... conditions that could lead someone who hasn't driven a vehicle for more than three minutes to conclude that something is wrong or it is accelerating out of control. The new legislation will require automakers to (a) placard the backside of the driver's sun visor with the points listed on the Toyota site, and (b) have an "everything is OK" idiot light when the vehicle is operating as the engineers intended. It will only add $5 to the cost of every new vehicle, so it's a no brainer (pun intended). And of course that extra $5 over 10,000,000 vehicles sold will amount to approximately $2.5M in additional taxe revenue for local governments.
hybris says:
11:35 AM, 08/16/10
Dear god in heaven we need to update drivers ed and make it mandatory for ALL drivers.
I think it would help as well if car makers bite the bullet and stop putting idiot gauges and lights in cars so people would eventually get used to what is normal.
felonious says:
11:47 AM, 08/16/10
I think your "facepalm" comment sums it all up nicely.
santiagofdz says:
12:21 PM, 08/16/10
Dear Lord!
carlisimo says:
12:25 PM, 08/16/10
Other than "transmission shift," I don't think any of these things are intuitive or necessary to know, and I applaud Toyota for trying to teach people something about their cars.
chasbec says:
01:32 PM, 08/16/10
This story struck a chord with me. I used to have an 03 Taurus. Sometimes when I was pulling into my garage and had the A.C. on, the compressor would kick on at just the wrong moment, making the engine speed up and the car lurch forward. I had to be quick to react to keep the car from thumping into the back wall of the garage. It was a bit startling a few times, but no harm done. I can see where this could have turned into a major issue if a person or pet was in the wrong place at the exact wrong moment.
kgustavman says:
01:50 PM, 08/16/10
I'm waiting to hear this is a joke. Is this for real? I don't know if someone should be driving if someone has to tell them these things.
What next? "To steer the vehicle to the right (passenger side) grasp the big round thingy and rotate it to the right."
aznraptor says:
02:04 PM, 08/16/10
@kgustavman
shh, don't say things like that, they might actually do it considering some of the people out there
mrryte says:
02:59 PM, 08/16/10
Sad to say; not everyone is familiar with even the most basic operations of an engine. A lot of folks don't know or care about what their vehicle is doing so long as the vehicle runs properly. So Toyota is covering two bases at once by "educating the less informed" covering their assets.
Oh sure; a lot of us here are instinctly familiar with what goes on under the hood-but then again; we're all self-appointed, self-anoited "car enthusiasts". ;-)
the_big_al says:
04:40 PM, 08/16/10
Next thing you'll find is a warning (just like the warnings about air bags plastered on the sunvisors) with all this info. Except it will be plastered to the dash where you have to look at it all the time. And when you start the car up, you'll get a nice computerized voice dictating all this to you. You won't be able to go anywhere until you listen to the whole thing. (similar to the rigmarole you have to go through before you take off in a plane)
windsor5 says:
08:49 PM, 08/16/10
Do we really need more " this coffee is hot you may burn yourself" stickers on everything. I have been saying for a long time the written part of the driving test needs to be a little bit tougher.
But while toyota blackboxes showed that 38 of the 52 tested showed no signs of brake application 14 did. which is roughly what i would expect with people jumping on the band wagon to conceal their own mistakes. Unfortunetly ruining it for those who really do have problems.
benson2175 says:
10:17 AM, 08/17/10
I consider this owners manual type stuff, so I guess it's fine on their website. Not everyone has a cool dad or bros or super cool mom or sis that can teach them all the ins and outs of their cars. I don't think this should be legislated though; it's your effin responsibility to know all the ins and outs of the 3000pound death machine you're piloting.
milt721 says:
10:53 AM, 08/17/10
Which vehicle's gauge cluster is pictured here? It's the most perfect non-analog cluster I have ever seen. Why do most modern cars do away with the oil pressure and voltage? You can detect a problem long before it becomes serious with these two gauges. And now they are eliminating temp. gauges? What is the point of that other than being cheap?
fuhteng says:
12:13 PM, 08/17/10
milt - it is the Lexus LFA.