XPost: alt.autos.toyota.camry, alt.autos.toyota, alt.autos.lexus   
   XPost: rec.autos.tech   
   From: invalid@invalid.inv   
      
   "hls"  wrote in   
   news:DMGdnUC4lMmn6IDWnZ2dnUVZ_jidnZ2d@giganews.com:   
      
   >   
   > "m6onz5a"  wrote in message   
   > news:abb95d2a-529e-4ee4-9eac-90fed63d1117@z35g2000prh.googlegroups.com.   
   > .. On Dec 7, 11:46 am, "Jeff Strickland"  wrote:   
   >> The problem is that Toyota (and others) are using what is termed, fly   
   >> by wire.   
   >>   
   >> In fly by wire, the gas pedal is not mechanically connected to the   
   >> throttle   
   >> body. The gas pedal has a servo that tells the computer what the   
   >> angle is, and the computer then sets the throttle body with a stepper   
   >> motor to match the angle of the gas pedal.   
   >   
   > The throttle position sensor has been used for years in different   
   > embodiments,   
   > some essentially drive by wire.  I know there are differences, but the   
   > technology   
   > is not totally new nor very experimental.   
   >   
   > I remember when total drive by wire came up in rec.autos.tech, a lot   
   > of us really didnt like where that was leading.  I still dont.   
   >   
   >   
      
      
      
   You can thank emissions and CAFE regulations for throttle-by-wire.   
      
   With all the easy gains long accomplished, it takes some serious trickery   
   to get the last little bit of blood out of that particular stone.   
      
   And, I learned today, it appears there is a liability-regulation issue   
   behind the "start button".   
      
   My understanding is that the "start button" originally had a half-second   
   delay before it would shut off the engine. The problem was that people were   
   hitting it accidentally and causing unexpected shutdowns in traffic,   
   leading to a potential liability situation. Therefore, the button was given   
   a THREE SECOND delay. Apparently the drivers of at least some of these   
   "runaways" HAD pushed the "start button", but panicked when the button did   
   not shut the engine down immediately (three seconds must seem like an   
   eternity in such a situation).   
      
   Source for above: Letter to the Editor in the Wall Street Journal, Sat/Sun   
   Dec5/6, page A20. Title of the letter: "Lawyers Shouldn't Be Designing   
   Cars".   
   The letter also mentions a previous article in the WSJ of Dec2 ("Bring Back   
   the 'Off' Switch"), which I missed reading.   
      
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