Toyota Corolla May Be Recalled over Steering Problem
in [Technical]
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From: nm5k on 18 Feb 2010 10:09 On Feb 18, 6:54 am, Tegger <inva...(a)invalid.inv> wrote: > john <johngd...(a)hotmail.com> wrote in news:53abe15c-ca24-451e-92cb- > 924747baf...(a)l12g2000prg.googlegroups.com: > > > Many owners have posted about steering problems here, and guess what? > > There is a problem and Corolla may be recalled! > > > "Some Corolla drivers in the U.S. have reported experiencing a loss of > > steering control, typically occurring at higher speeds. > > The witch-hunt continues... > > There's no problem with the steering other than a "feel" that people aren't > used to. > > Odd how nobody complained about the EPS that was available on the MR2 for > years; the new Corolla's system is similar to that. > > -- > Tegger I've always speculated it was just something that needed to be reprogrammed. It's not a safety issue per say.. It just aggravates people when they are on the highway. Myself, I think most of the problem is there is likely too much assist at highway speeds, and it needs to be toned down a bit. On a normal variable assist steering, there should be a good amount of assist at slow speeds, but very little if any at highway speeds. At speed, you want to mimic the feel of a non assisted rack and pinion. I've always felt they must be running too much assist at speed if it feels squirrely assuming the alignment is right. It's nothing that is dangerous. It's not like the steering is going to unhook and let you smash a guard rail.. :/ Good grief....
From: jim beam on 18 Feb 2010 10:34 On 02/18/2010 06:16 AM, Tegger wrote: > dr_jeff<utz(a)msu.edu> wrote in > news:Q6ydnUuaVefv1eDWnZ2dnUVZ_sqdnZ2d(a)giganews.com: > >> Tegger wrote: > >>> >>> >>> The "big mess" is in the media alone. So far, ONE death confirmed as >>> being specifically due to a stuck gas pedal. >> >> How do you confirm that a death is due to a stuck gas pedal? Do you >> have to call in to 9-1-1 and say that you're going to die from a stuck >> gas pedal? A stuck gas pedal is a really hard thing to confirm. >> > > > OK, then we have NO deaths confirmed as being due to a stuck gas pedal. > > What a witch-hunt. > you should be able to recover the last 30 seconds of data from the engine computer - that should tell you speed, throttle position, etc. and whether throttle position stayed fixed. but even that doesn't confirm with certainty - maybe the guy was having a heart attack and had his foot pressed down in pain. -- nomina rutrum rutrum
From: cuhulin on 18 Feb 2010 16:14 Electric windows/power windows, electric door locks, some vehicles have electric/electronic doors and locks, electric trunks, (boots, in Brit speak) power steering, power brakes, electric/electronic power everything.Both of my Dodge vans have power steering and power brakes.I wish they didn't have power steering.I can easily do OK with old style factory installed manual/non power steering.Brakes too. cuhulin
From: ChrisCoaster on 18 Feb 2010 17:14 On Feb 18, 10:09 am, n...(a)wt.net wrote: > On a normal variable assist steering, there should be a good > amount of assist at slow speeds, but very little if any at highway > speeds. At speed, you want to mimic the feel of a non assisted > rack and pinion. > - Show quoted text - something http://www.bmwcoop.com/wp-content/images/2009/01/bmw-logo.jpg has more than mastered! Now why can't they do that for the MASSES? (us po' folks!) -CCoaster
From: ChrisCoaster on 18 Feb 2010 18:05
> > The good news is that we'll probably still have caster, camber and > toe-in adjustments. What's SAI? > > > - Show quoted text - ______________ It's a difficult angle to explain, but pretty there's an invisible line(like the earth's axis) around which a tire rotates as the wheel is turned. Facing the car dead on, this steering axis is inclined so that it angles in at the top(toward the middle of the car). This is not to be confused with camber, which is the tilt of the TIRE itself in(negative camber) or out(positive). The past 20 years it's been called Steering-Axis-Inclination. Some truckers and old-timers still call it Kingpin. It's function is to create lift as you steer the wheels away from a dead-ahead. The wheels want to go down into the ground - which is impossible - so the nose lifts, just perceptibly, as you turn the car's wheels. When you let go the steering wheel, or let it slide through your hands, the car's weight forces the wheels back to a dead- ahead(in an ideal world!). This is the same counterweight you feel when you turn the steering wheel to make a turn -either in a no-PS or a car with variable-PS and you're at moderate to high speeds. That is the exact feeling - that communication between the steering/ suspension & the road - most of us "luddites" are afraid to lose during the fly-by-wire transition. -CC |