JustJason
Vice Admiral
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2007
- Messages
- 5,321
First and foremost!!!!!!! This is not to be another Toyota bash thread!!!!!!!!
The only reason I bring up Toyota is because the "sticking gas pedal" thing is starting to look like its a problem with the fly by wire system.
I wanted to ask/poll everyone how they feel about fly by wire as a technology as a whole, and do you feel safe/comfortable with it?
For those who don't know much about the technology, i'll explain without rambling on.
For the last 100 years, and still today, many a car is shipped with a standard throttle cable. You push on the gas pedal, which in turn pulls an old fashion cable that opens up the throttle. When you let off the pedal, a combination of springs closes the throttle and allows the gas pedal to return.
Fly by wire technology. You push the gas pedal down, there is a potentiometer (variable resistor) that changes the voltage output from the pedal, and sends a signal to the cars ECU. Depending of the return voltage (or signal) from the pedal to the ECU, in return the ECU sends a certain amount of voltage to the throttle body and tells it to open or close a certain amount.
With cable technology, if the gas pedal is somehow stuck, you can reach down with your foot (or hand) and grab the pedal and pull it up, which will close the throttle (barring a snapped cable + frozen springs scenario... which is like 10,000,000 to 1 odds)
With fly by wire, if there is a short circuit, a voltage drop, an ECU malfunction... ect Your essentially putting the throttle in the hands of the car, and not of your own.
So how do you all feel about it as a technology? Safe? Unsafe? Not sure yet?
Fire away.... and please keep the replies toyota free unless it somehow specifically relates to the company.
Mods.... please do not delete but edit if you see it fit to do so.
The only reason I bring up Toyota is because the "sticking gas pedal" thing is starting to look like its a problem with the fly by wire system.
I wanted to ask/poll everyone how they feel about fly by wire as a technology as a whole, and do you feel safe/comfortable with it?
For those who don't know much about the technology, i'll explain without rambling on.
For the last 100 years, and still today, many a car is shipped with a standard throttle cable. You push on the gas pedal, which in turn pulls an old fashion cable that opens up the throttle. When you let off the pedal, a combination of springs closes the throttle and allows the gas pedal to return.
Fly by wire technology. You push the gas pedal down, there is a potentiometer (variable resistor) that changes the voltage output from the pedal, and sends a signal to the cars ECU. Depending of the return voltage (or signal) from the pedal to the ECU, in return the ECU sends a certain amount of voltage to the throttle body and tells it to open or close a certain amount.
With cable technology, if the gas pedal is somehow stuck, you can reach down with your foot (or hand) and grab the pedal and pull it up, which will close the throttle (barring a snapped cable + frozen springs scenario... which is like 10,000,000 to 1 odds)
With fly by wire, if there is a short circuit, a voltage drop, an ECU malfunction... ect Your essentially putting the throttle in the hands of the car, and not of your own.
So how do you all feel about it as a technology? Safe? Unsafe? Not sure yet?
Fire away.... and please keep the replies toyota free unless it somehow specifically relates to the company.
Mods.... please do not delete but edit if you see it fit to do so.
