Us Runaway Prius Phone Call Released

[cootuk]

http://priuschat.com/news/runaway-prius-911-call-released-listen-here

Within 5 minutes the 911 operator had told him many times to check the floor mats, put it into neutral, and to hold the power button for 5 secs. Seems like the operators are on the ball.

Then 5-15mins they're just trying to get him to talk to them, still telling him to put it into neutral.

15mins in and they're telling him to force shift to neutral.

17mins and he manages to say he's doing 90

19:30mins in hear siren of Border Patrol

Suddenly he can pick the phone up and really starts talking to the operator

He says his brakes are almost burned out

Operator still telling him to hold down ignition button.

20:45 can hear police loudspeaker telling him to hold power button down for 5 seconds

Now he can press the power button.

23mins and he's stopped

Wierd how the power button only worked when the police were on scene.

For most of the call the guy makes little attempt to talk to the operator.

What's the point of calling 911 and not doing what they say?

Or of throwing the phone on the seat so you can't hear them?

[wooski]

What's the point of calling 911 and not doing what they say?

Or of throwing the phone on the seat so you can't hear them?

Because it's a hoax perhaps? Really the American vendetta against Toyota is wearing thin.

[timberwolf]

What's the point of calling 911 and not doing what they say?

Or of throwing the phone on the seat so you can't hear them?

Because it's a hoax perhaps? Really the American vendetta against Toyota is wearing thin.

Or maybe attention seeking? Anyone remember that lorry driver on the M1 that phoned the police and claimed that the brakes had failed.

[Fujisan]

:censor:

[cootuk]

I believe he had owned the Prius for a significant period.

He thought that if he powered down then the steering lock might freeze the steering.

The first time I drove my 2006 Prius home I parked up and realised that there wasn't a steering lock.

I really turned the wheel trying to get the steering lock engaged.

How come he never realised that in the whole time he owned it?

[TGL]

http://priuschat.com/news/runaway-prius-911-call-released-listen-here

Within 5 minutes the 911 operator had told him many times to check the floor mats, put it into neutral, and to hold the power button for 5 secs. Seems like the operators are on the ball.

Then 5-15mins they're just trying to get him to talk to them, still telling him to put it into neutral.

15mins in and they're telling him to force shift to neutral.

17mins and he manages to say he's doing 90

19:30mins in hear siren of Border Patrol

Suddenly he can pick the phone up and really starts talking to the operator

He says his brakes are almost burned out

Operator still telling him to hold down ignition button.

20:45 can hear police loudspeaker telling him to hold power button down for 5 seconds

Now he can press the power button.

23mins and he's stopped

Wierd how the power button only worked when the police were on scene.

For most of the call the guy makes little attempt to talk to the operator.

What's the point of calling 911 and not doing what they say?

Or of throwing the phone on the seat so you can't hear them?

I hope Toyota will ask to see the prius in question, and see the throttle stuck open or at least in a state where it is sticking.

With that said, I own a gen 3 prius and I was told in writing that if I have the same problem to stick my car into Neutral, and press/hold the power button for a few seconds. I decided to test the first part of this theory, and whilst I can - and regularly do - stick the car into neutral to force glide mode, to save fuel, I have found that whilst I am applying pressure on the accelerator the car will rarely go into neutral. Sometimes I have to push the stick across into neutral for about 3 seconds before neutral engages.

Now take my experience and apply it to the above scenario where the accelerator is stuck open and you can perhaps imagine why that driver could not get neutral to work. However, these are my personal experiences, and I would like to see the facts of the runaway car episode before passing judgement.

Btw, I dare not test the second part of the instructions to press/hold the power button to turn off the drive system. At least I would not do that on a public road.

[johalareewi]

I have found that whilst I am applying pressure on the accelerator the car will rarely go into neutral. Sometimes I have to push the stick across into neutral for about 3 seconds before neutral engages.

That is normal. You have to hold the stick in the N position for a couple of seconds to engage neutral.

Just flicking it doesn't work (not like D and R).

You can also press and hold the 'START' button for 3 seconds, or the fastest way is to press the P button.

If you are moving, pressing P puts the car into N (and not PARK). Not intuative but handy to know.

Good summary here...

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/77490-whatd-happen-if-you-press-p-while-you-drive-2.html#post1081621

[Sagitar]

If you are moving, pressing P puts the car into N (and not PARK). Not intuative but handy to know.

I am pretty sure that I have read somewhere that the function of the Park button is speed related and that if done at low speed will drop the parking pawl, bringing the car to an abrubt halt or breaking (and I do mean breaking not braking) something.

Perhaps someone more technically aware than I am could confirm this?

My reading, is that it is fine to use the Park button to engage neutral in a "runaway" situation, but it should not be done just before the car comes to rest.

[Colin321]

Link to site alleging fake call

Some people now no longer believe this incident.

[cootuk]

The solution is obvious.

As soon as a police siren is heard, the computers return to normal.

Therefore every Prius ought to be fitted with sirens as standard...simples

[ormi]

The solution is obvious.

As soon as a police siren is heard, the computers return to normal.

Therefore every Prius ought to be fitted with sirens as standard...simples

the prius in no way suffers from the sticking throttle unless you have cheap mats.....its now been said that the mon in question is an attension seeker and a fraudster and is now in the proces of being charged by police

[cootuk]

I might get a kamikaze license plate surround

[Jamesbelfast]

I might get a kamikaze license plate surround

The word "Tora" has nothing to do with Kamikaze - it means "Tiger":)

[cootuk]

Maybe a new bumper sticker of

"Ghost in the machine"

or

"Trainee kamikaze pilot"

[johalareewi]

I am pretty sure that I have read somewhere that the function of the Park button is speed related and that if done at low speed will drop the parking pawl, bringing the car to an abrubt halt or breaking (and I do mean breaking not braking) something.

Perhaps someone more technically aware than I am could confirm this?

My reading, is that it is fine to use the Park button to engage neutral in a "runaway" situation, but it should not be done just before the car comes to rest.

Whoops.

Yes you are right.

If you are moving very slowly, the park button will brake the car.

In a runaway acceleration situation, you will be going fast enough for P to put the car in neutral.

Edit:

Very slowly would seem to be 3 mph or less.

[Sagitar]

I am pretty sure that I have read somewhere that the function of the Park button is speed related and that if done at low speed will drop the parking pawl, bringing the car to an abrubt halt or breaking (and I do mean breaking not braking) something.

Perhaps someone more technically aware than I am could confirm this?

My reading, is that it is fine to use the Park button to engage neutral in a "runaway" situation, but it should not be done just before the car comes to rest.

Whoops.

Yes you are right.

If you are moving very slowly, the park button will brake the car.

In a runaway acceleration situation, you will be going fast enough for P to put the car in neutral.

I have tried twice to use the button with the green cross to say "thanks" for this post, but it keeps telling me I have used up my quota. I didn't know I had used any . . . . . .

[johalareewi]

I have tried twice to use the button with the green cross to say "thanks" for this post, but it keeps telling me I have used up my quota. I didn't know I had used any . . . . . .

Same here

[Fujisan]

Quote from today's Japan Times:

"During two hours of test drives Thursday, technicians with Toyota and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration failed to duplicate the same experience that Sikes described, according to the memo prepared for the Oversight Committee.

"It does not appear to be feasibly possible, both electronically and mechanically, that his gas pedal was stuck to the floor and he was slamming on the brake at the same time," the memo stated.

The brakes on the Prius also did not show wear consistent with having been applied at full force at high speeds for a long period, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing three people familiar with the probe, whom it did not name. The newspaper said the brakes may have been applied intermittently."

Full story here.

[Fujisan]

I have tried twice to use the button with the green cross to say "thanks" for this post, but it keeps telling me I have used up my quota. I didn't know I had used any . . . . . .

Oh, that's what those buttons are.

Learn something everyday.

[Parts-King]

The brakes will always overcome a full revving engine, stand on the brakes, dont take your foot off and the engine will stall (manual) or allow you to put it into neutral and get out (auto). This piece of known information was "forgotten" by an expert giving his deposition to the US Government, quite handy that seeming how he was being paid by lawyers about to sue Toyota!

As for Ms. Smith's position that she threw her car into reverse and it did nothing to either stop

the car or damage the transmission, that's an incredible claim that so far no mechanic believes.

Just as anyone who has ever tested cars knows that full pressure to the brakes will always

override engine speed. (It should be noted that on Toyota's hybrids you can put the car in reverse

while in motion, and nothing will happen.)

Rhonda Smith thanked Sean Kane, president of for-profit auto industry safety consultant Safety

Research & Strategies Inc. for inviting her to testify on Tuesday. For those who didn't watch the

proceedings, the most humorous part was Kane trying to get out of answering the direct

question, Did part of his funding come from litigation attorneys who are actively suing Toyota on

this issue? In fact, they do pay him. According to a Feb. 13 article in The Wall Street Journal, the

Rehoboth (Mass.)-based company works with plaintiff's attorneys to file suits against the

automakers it investigates.

Kingo

[cheetah1]

I have tried twice to use the button with the green cross to say "thanks" for this post, but it keeps telling me I have used up my quota. I didn't know I had used any . . . . . .

Oh, that's what those buttons are.

Learn something everyday.

There is no way the breaks wouldn't be stronger than the engine, not a chance in hell...