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I've got a 2010 Prius and couldn't be happier with it. I got about 480 miles out of the last tank of gas and averaged over 52 mpg with it (the sticker only claims 51). It ain't no hot rod, but it gets awesome milage.
My only regret driving it is everybody thinks I'm a tree hugging liberal. Maybe next deer season, I'll get one and strap it down to the roof and drive around town with it.
Just because I own a Prius doesn't mean I won't burn tires on Earth Day, I just hate buying gas.
Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my AR.
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here's a great video from you tube on how to stop a prius...NSFW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ4PtafRB9c
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Originally Posted by Skter505
That goofball already posted his video here.
Guess you are getting your desired publicity, Gasitman. Aye ca-rumba.
"Facit Omina Voluntas = The Will Decides" - Army Chief
Senior Member
That was good!
I would not even think twice to shift to neutral. Rev limiters work well. That is still the best way to go for the average person.
I also hate it how they say you will lose control if you turn the engine off while driving. In my short 11 years of driving, I have had the engine suddenly turn off due to mechanical breakdown twice! Once in my 2006 corolla while doing 70mph in freeway traffic, and once in my 84 toyota pickup. If the engine turns off, you can steer and stop just fine. You just won't be able to turn sharply or stop abruply without more effort.
Didn't these guys ever have a girlfriend that you dropped off late at night so you coast down the street with the engine and lights off?The secret is to only turn the key one click to turn the engine off. If you turn more than one click the steering wheel may lock up.
I have my doubts about only stomping on the brakes though. If you are in a 300hp lexus which got up to 90mph, lets say on a downhill slope in the summertime, and your brakes are already hot because you drive like a jackass, you will probably experience severe brake fade and wont be able to stop. It would be easier and much safer to just shift to neutral.
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Car & Driver has disproven all claims about cars not being able to overpower the engine with just the brakes and stop the car. They stopped a V-6 Toyota Camry from 60mph in 435 feet while at full throttle using only the brakes. They stopped a Rausch Mustang with 540 horsepower in 903 feet. The Pruis has a little over 100 horsepower and can be stopped using nothing but the brakes, and it has a "B" or braking position designed to use the engine as a brake for downhill travel so you don't have to ride the brake pedal and wear out the brakes prematurely or boil the fluid out of the lines, causing a complete brake system failure.
Now for the real kicker, this Sikes guy in San Diego declared bankruptcy in 2008 and is in debt to the tune of around $700,000.00. Among his creditors, Toyota Financial Services! This guy has a history of filing insurance claims for stolen property that are very questionable to say the least. A man named William Sweet dissolved his paralegal services business he started with Sikes over the "numerous incidents of fraud and theft" involving Sikes. When Sweet heard Sikes name on the news he said "As soon as I heard the name Jim Sikes I immediately woke up out of a dead sleep and thought "uh oh what is this guy up to now" He's trying to do a scam, and get in on the lawsuit for the Toyota thing, that's immediately what I thought."
Sikes told the 911 operator he had both hands on the wheel and was afraid to take a hand off to put the car in neutral, the operator repeatedly asked him to do this but he ignored her requests. (It has since been learned that Sikes was holding a phone in one hand for much of the time.) He also has claimed he reached down and grabbed the gas pedal and tried to move it from its stuck position but said "It wouldn't move at all, it was stationary." The 911 operator asked him numerous times to hit the ignition switch, be he said he was afraid to.
I'm posting this from my phone so I apologize that I can't post a link right now, but do a search for Michael Fumento, evidently he has done the work the "Journalists" and "Investigative Reporters" were too busy to do. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story, right? Toyota and the legal system should make an example of this guy if turns out he tried to take advantage of this situation.
I have never owned a Toyota but they have several models that I have looked at over the years and wouldn't mind owning. I wouldn't think twice about buying one today. Over the next year there are going to be some "once in a lifetime" deals on most models of Toyota, including free financing, 0% interest, and 2 or more years of free service on a fully loaded model of your choice. Make sure the gas pedal, pedal rod, and linkages are correct and don't have defects, then make sure the correct floormat is properly installed and secured with hooks or velcro so that it doesn't "submarine" and the only problems left will be the occasional elderly driver, drivers who have no situational awareness, and scammers. You can't make anything foolproof, they'll just make better fools! Stay safe.
Last edited by D. Christopher; 03-14-10 at 17:28. Reason: Typo.
Senior Member
DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!
We have a winner! We own two and are getting a third. Just like M4's: interchangeable parts, same manual of arms, etc.
For M4arc. The Suburban is gonzo as the family out grew it.
Still using BTU's to make ice to play hockey in VA Beach?
Last edited by Submariner; 03-14-10 at 15:54. Reason: add a DING!
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When I heard the story for the first time my very first thought was that it was some idiot trying to cash in on the Toyota PR problem. I never believed the account he gave or the stories written.
I don't know the inner workings of Toyota so I can't say whether or not there is a real issue out there with their vehicles or not...but I do feel safe in asserting that it's not what the media has blown it up to be. There may be a grain of truth at the core of this pearl of greed and stupidity, but we'll never get to see it with all this nonsense in the way.
Senior Member
just listen to the 911 call its 23 minutes long and sounds so damn fake. Its just painful of facepalm to listen to. The 911 operator had freaking nerves and patience of titanium to deal with this crap
http://priuschat.com/news/runaway-pr...ed-listen-here
Senior Member
I am with you 100% WTF! Why the hell would you dial, 911. At least one of the people who did died on line announcing his speed and burning breaks to the dispatcher. Again WTF. I looked at my wife and said, honey if that ever happens to you, just put the car in neutral and let the engine blow.
To think that 911 is going to be able to take care of you is sad.
"Real men have always needed to know what time it is so they are at the airfield on time, pumping rounds into savages at the right time, etc. Being able to see such in the dark while light weights were comfy in bed without using a light required luminous material." -Originally Posted by ramairthree
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For the brake override to intervene, BOTH the brake and gas pedals have to be pressed more than 50%. So rejoice, you can still brake torque!
And Sikes is a dumbass
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/15/t...prius-but-not/
Toyota agrees with NHTSA investigation of runaway Prius, but not calling Sykes a liar
by John Neff (RSS feed) on Mar 15th 2010 at 4:27PM
Toyota walked a fine line this afternoon when it revealed that its own two-day investigation of last week's runaway Prius near San Diego, CA had reached the same conclusion as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's investigation. That is, the brakes on Jim Sykes' 2008 Toyota Prius should have been able to stop the car. Toyota did not, however, go so far as to call Sykes a liar.
The investigation determined that the front brake pads were worn so far down from overheating that the rotors were scraping the pads' metal backings. According to investigators, this could have only happened if the brake pedal were applied lightly (less than 50% or so) for an extended period of time, not pressed firmly to the floor as Sykes claimed he was doing. Only by "dragging" the brakes lightly could they become so overheated and worn, as firmly pressing the brake pedal while the car is accelerating would engage the brake override system that cuts engine power.
Though asked repeatedly if they had concluded that Sykes was lying, representatives for Toyota insisted that was not their judgment to make and they could only say that the investigation's findings were not consistent with the scenario that Sykes describes.
Follow the jump for Toyota's official statement in which it details all eight points of its findings.
[Source: Toyota]
Show full PR text
- The accelerator pedal was tested and found to be working normally with no mechanical binding or friction. It should be noted that the Prius is not subject to a recall for sticking accelerator pedals and the Prius component is made by a different supplier than the one recalled.
- The front brakes showed severe wear and damage from overheating. The rear brakes and parking brake were in good condition and functional.
- A Toyota carpeted floor mat of the correct type for the vehicle was installed but not secured to the retention hooks. It was not found to be interfering or even touching the accelerator pedal.
- The pushbutton power switch worked normally and shut the vehicle off when depressed for 3 seconds as the 911 operator advised Mr. Sikes to do.
- The shift lever also worked normally and neutral could be selected. The neutral position is clearly marked and can be easily engaged by moving the lever left to the "N" marking.
- There were no diagnostic trouble codes found in the power management computer, nor was the dashboard malfunction indicator light activated. The hybrid self-diagnostic system did show evidence of numerous, rapidly repeated on-and- off applications of both the accelerator and the brake pedals.
- After examination of individual components, the front brakes were replaced and the vehicle was test driven, during which the vehicle was observed to be functioning normally.
- During testing, the brakes were purposely abused by continuous light application in order to overheat them. The vehicle could be safely stopped by means of the brake pedal, even when overheated.
The Prius braking system uses both conventional hydraulic friction brakes and a regenerative braking system which switches the electric drive motors into brakes to generate electricity.
The system features a sophisticated self- protection function which cuts engine power if moderate brake pedal pressure is applied and the accelerator pedal is depressed more than approximately 50 percent, in effect providing a form of "brake override."
This function, which is intended to protect the system from overload and possible damage, was found to be functioning normally during the preliminary field examination.
Toyota engineers believe that it would be extremely difficult for the Prius to be driven at a continuous high speed with more than light brake-pedal pressure, and that the assertion that the vehicle could not be stopped with the brakes is fundamentally inconsistent with basic vehicle design and the investigation observations.
These findings suggest that there should be further examination of Mr. Sikes account of the events of March 8.
NHTSA investigators were present during Toyota's examination, and are conducting their own investigation of the vehicle and its performance. Toyota's examination was also observed by a congressional staff member.
Last edited by ForTehNguyen; 03-15-10 at 17:15.
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