Automotive News

Prius Gas/Accelerator Pedal: Replacement, How It Works

Curious about the Prius accelerator pedal?  Toyota will be recalling all from the “Gen 2s”, model years 2004-2009, along with a few million others.  It’s worth noting that the original crash that spawned this safety campaign involved a non-hybrid Lexus with push-button start. 

Catch up on the floor mat saga here...

The Prius is included in the previous floor mat “safety campaign”, yes, as well as the one recently announced for accelerator pedals, but the car has also become an icon of Toyota innovation, not to mention the blurring line between computer and automobile.  If there is any car suspected of being too complex, too radical, or at least highly watched for any signs of failure, I believe it is the Prius. 

No surprise then that it has received the brunt of the attention regarding unintended acceleration, even though the car in the San Diego crash, I remind you, was a non-hybrid Lexus.  Evidence the video portion of the AP article with gratuitous footage of the Prius and it’s Hybrid Synergy Drive emblem. Toyota to replace gas pedals on 4 million vehicles (AP via SFGate.com)

[Interesting side note: the title of the AP story updated while writing this blog, previously “Toyota replacing some 4M gas pedals that could jam"]

According to my local dealer, there is no accelerator replacement currently available for the Prius.  The updates will no doubt have a different pedal shape, to aid avoidance of creeping floor mats.  An interim fix may be simply cutting a portion of the current pedal away.  The pedal lever is one solid plastic piece, which could be easily modified by a hot knife along some Toyota-issued template.  This is wholly speculation on my part; what they will actually end up doing remains to be seen.

The good news is that the pedal is super simple to remove: two 10mm bolts accessible under the dash and one connector, so recall effort should be minimal.  I pulled this unit out in 5 minutes. 

The mechanism includes a large spring assembly to provide the “kinaesthesia” of a traditional accelerator pedal (that actually connects to an engine).  In “drive-by-wire” cars, such as the Prius (and most modern cars), the pedal lever simply moves a magnet (the green colored portion in the photo) which changes the readings of a Hall Effect sensor—in this case two sensors, for redundancy and accuracy, which are conveyed to the HV ECU (the car’s main computer).  Pics of the sensor component below.

Based on this input the car decides how much to actually move the engine’s throttle plate and, in the hybrid case, provide current to the electric motors.

Note that this design makes it impossible for the pedal to stick down, like a hydraulic system does with a leak (dead clutch pedal, dead brake pedal), or bind from a frayed cable (floating throttle, cruise control).  This is an important point when considering posts like this one on PriusChat: SCARY; gas pedal stuck, dropped into “b” gear.  Basically if the pedal is stuck, something is holding it there.

The curious point, at least in my view, is that the accelerator pedal is only a sensor; replacing it with yet another sensor does nothing to change the fact that the car is still effectively “in control.” What’s really in question?  First, the software: how well the car can interpret our inputs in a crisis: the accelerator pedal as well as brake, shifter, power button, steering wheel, etc.. What’s our confidence in technology?  Second, and more to the heart: what’s our personal ability to carry out those inputs—i.e. do we know how to operate this car?  Evidence the videos from our previous blog post, the car will cut power when shifted into neutral or when the brake is applied simultaneously. 

This is the brilliance of drive-by-wire: the car is smart enough to know it doesn’t need more “gas”, and will override the “gas” pedal request that’s ostensibly from the driver.  In my view, this is much safer than a traditional, mechanically operated powertrain.

Posted by Carolyn Permalink Categories: Automotive News »

LG TV: Worst Case Scenarios

Shifting into neutral works anytime

Pressing the brake will stop the car (quite quickly) when the accelerator is still held down

What happens when you hold the power button down for 3 seconds?

Don’t be afraid to practice shifting into neutral or pressing the power button under controlled conditions, to reassure yourself how the car works. 

Any other questions, comments, or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Posted by Carolyn Permalink Categories: Automotive News »

Floor mat anxiety?  LG TV investigates…

By now we’ve all heard about the tragic accident in San Diego involving an off-duty CHP officer losing control of his car.  Here is the initial story in the San Diego Union-Tribune:

CHP veteran among four thought to be victims of Friday crash via SignOnSanDiego.com

See all related news from the Union-Tribune here

Toyota attributed the inability to stop to the floor mats:

Read the initial NHTSA and Toyota releases here (via AutoBlogGreen)

Over two months since the accident, sympathy for the Saylor family has given way to media sensationalism and speculation.  Here’s an example of such an article:

Toyota Executive Denies “Cover Up” In Probe of Runaway Cars via abcnews.com

More speculating from the LA Times:

Toyota’s runaway-car worries may not stop at floor mats via latimes.com

Since the campaign involves the Toyota Prius, LG customers have had many questions about our experiences with floor mats and what we recommend.  Here is our response:

1. Two of our customers have experienced unintended acceleration due to floor mat interference. Both cases were Prius with aftermarket floor mats.  Both were able to avert an accident by pulling the floor mat back.

2. I have not removed the floor mats in the shop Prius, a 2007. (Note plenty of pedal clearance with all weather mats, held in place by the factory clips.)

3. We are making note of floor mat installation on cars coming in. We are happy to inspect your floor mats and make sure they are installed properly, free of charge.  We are always available to answer any questions via email or phone.

Yesterday I received the Safety Recall Campaign letter, direct from Toyota, for the shop car.  In it they offer four suggestions on how to react if your vehicle continues to accelerate rapidly after releasing the accelerator pedal.

1. Pull back the floor mat
2. Step on the brake pedal
3. Shift into neutral
4. Hold the power button down for 3 seconds (safety override)

As the media whips up anxiety surrounding electronic failure of cars (rather than floor mat interference), I’ve heard speculation that the vehicle will not actually apply the brakes when the accelerator pedal is fully depressed, or that it won’t shift into neutral, or uncertainty on how to shut the car down with a push button start mechanism.  Since we at LG want you to feel empowered and informed in your car ownership (rather than afraid or powerless), we filmed examples of actions 2-4 to reassure you how the Prius behaves:

Shifting into neutral works anytime

Pressing the brake will stop the car (quite quickly) when the accelerator is still held down

What happens when you hold the power button down for 3 seconds?

The Saylor accident, like all car accidents, is a reminder of how deadly cars can be and that we shouldn’t take them for granted.  Don’t be afraid to practice shifting into neutral or pressing the power button under controlled conditions, to reassure yourself how the car works. 

Any other questions, comments, or concerns, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Posted by Carolyn Permalink Categories: Automotive News »

New Prius no “prius” at all

"Prius” means “to come before”, and in that sense the new 2010 model is no prius at all.  It has a bigger engine (1.8L up from 1.5L), lower EV Mode speed (24mph down from 34mph), and the exact same battery.  This is not progress by any green standard; it is capitulation to the status quo: selling more of the same thing, dressed up in a new style, with a bit more “power” and a few new accessories.  (Pic: LG at Pri promo event)

Translation: less Prius, more BMW.

Late last year, environmental pundit Amory Lovins explained how incrementalism is now a high-risk strategy. In other words, the environment (which is to say, human life) cannot afford business as usual. We need alternatives to burning gas now.

Luckily, we have them.  The second generation Prius can easily become a plug-in vehicle; here at LG we’ve converted dozens of Prius to plug-ins and now offer the best plug-in package to date (see earlier post). This is the true 3rd generation Prius.

If you’re looking for a Prius, I would highly recommend buying a 2004-2009 model and converting (a used vehicle with the conversion will cost about the same as a new model, roughly $30,000, depending on package).  We have the resources to find you exactly what you want.  Use the contact page for inquiries...

If you already have a second-generation Prius and you’re considering something new, convert it!  You will have twice the car as the 2010: a regular Prius and an EV built into one.  Arm rests worn out?  Tired plastic?  LG can solve these problems.  The core of the vehicle has tremendous value: Gen 2 Prius will last over 300,000 miles with very few issues.

New cars are inevitable and at some point necessary.  LG’s business is largely based on them, and I’m not suggesting a John Denver hypocrisy: don’t build a house in the mountains of Colorado (now that I’ve already got one).  I’m reminded of Kyoto critics pointing at greenhouse gases from China and India (now that we’ve already loaded the atmosphere with them).  I digress… Clearly we can and will service the 2010 Prius and many new models beyond.

But as far as cars and the environment are concerned, we have crossed a threshold.  The second generation Prius is perhaps the best car ever made: it’s practical, reliable, fuel efficient, and an ideal platform for a plug-in conversion.  (Pictured: Carolyn with plug-in Prius converted at China Light and Power) With it’s bigger engine and lower EV mode speeds, the 2010 Prius appears less desirable as a plug-in candidate, which to me indicates that the car is slipping back in the internal-combustion direction.  We cannot allow this slide to happen.

If you are inclined to buy new, I strongly encourage waiting.  Toyota can provide plug-in functionality off the assembly line; indeed they recently announced a plug-in version of the latest model at the end of this year.  Caveat: only 150 units in the US, only for lease, and only to fleets.  Range and performance are unknown.  One thing is clear: they won’t make it available to the public unless our collective buying habits encourage them to do so.

Posted by Carolyn Permalink Categories: Automotive News »

Learning from GM

The bankruptcy of General Motors is a profound event—economic as well as cultural—worth recognition and reflection regardless of our feelings for cars. The company’s failure is a collective one—labor, consumer, and executive (both internal to the company and in government policy)—of not taking responsibility.

As an affluent, non-industrial bubble, the residents of San Francisco seem unable to sympathize, and I agree in the sense that GM’s myopia has been obvious for decades.  However, bankruptcy is much more than an overdue embarrassment to relish as we drive Japanese cars.  It’s a genuine opportunity for the company to do right, and given its overwhelming influence in our country’s economic and environmental future, it’s crucial we all learn from GM’s mistakes.

Here are a few resources I recommend:

1.) Video: The Decline of GM from The New York Times

2.) GM’s Reinvention Corporate Website

3.) The World of Business: The Road Ahead from The New Yorker

4.) Interactive: GM Timeline from The New York Times

5.) Interactive: Automotive Bailout Timeline from The New York Times

I remain amazed and impressed by how much Obama has taken on in his first months as president, and I understand his endorsement of GM products.  But I remain strongly opposed to buying a new GM vehicle, just as I am to buying the new Prius.  It is essential that we only support the automakers when they produce plug-in vehicles.  All of GM’s materials, including the website linked above, put enormous emphasis on the Volt; we must put equal emphasis on that car as the one worth waiting for and ultimately buying.

One of the problems already apparent with the Volt (and the same problem with the EV1) is the goal of perfection, which is unrealistic.  Evidence the Prius, which took three years in Japan and then three more globally to mature into the model we now see all over San Francisco, which is one of the best cars ever made (and yet only half functional as a gasoline-dependent vehicle).

Don’t misunderstand me: the Volt is a valid indicator of why GM is worth saving and supporting. GM can be restructured and ultimately sustainable, just like our means of transportation.  But there is no Chapter 11 for the environment, at least not without a Chapter 7 for us human beings.

Posted by Carolyn Permalink Categories: Automotive News »