Fixing Cars

Audi’s Green Police Bowl campaign is raising some questions about whether or not this is taking a shot at Green activists and making fun of them.

The commercial at first just seems to be a fun way to get people to think about how they recycle and for people to consider the outcome if they choose not to.  By showing a Green Police task force that arrests people for choosing plastic over paper is just a fun way or thinking about accountability.

Currently in Seattle the recycling efforts are far from the habits of people living in other areas of the country.  Its not because people don’t care, it’s simply because they’re dealing with things that are much more critical in terms of just getting by in these tough times.

It’s not important to point out specific places that can improve, its more of just how everyone can make a conscious effort especially when it’s more costly to fill a garbage can than it is to fill a recycling bin like here in Seattle.

I went from being someone who didn’t put a ton of effort into recycling into someone who is borderline OCD when it comes to this because I have the smallest garbage can rate which is a tremendous savings if you go to a larger one.  It then becomes a challenge for our family of 4 to get by on this size but a little extra time spent rinsing and crushing recyclable material gives a good feeling.

It’s something that I’m sure most people don’t really talk about in random conversation, but I’d find it interesting if this Audi commercial does get people talking about it and sharing some ideas on how to do it.

I’d argue with other journalists who are calling this an enviornmentally unfriendly ad because regardless of the attitudes people have, and of the self-reflection that could infringe on people’s thoughts of how they contribute, this will serve as a way to get your attention and talk about the urgency of the climate condition.

This Super Bowl commerical is one of a four part series put together by Hyundai that shows the 14-step painting process that they use on the Hyundai Sonata.

They claim to have a better paint job than the Mercedes CLS550 describes actor Jeff Bridges, the voice behind the ad.

Hyundai isn’t likely going to be hurting by overspending on these ads considering they quadrupled their sales for Q4, so looks like they are opening up the safe to drop a few million on a day of Super Bowl ads that cost about $3 million for 30 seconds.

Kia Motors is promoting their Sorrento with toys that are show getting tattoos, partying in Vegas, and getting out on the town.

Audi Green Police

Audi has a focus on educating people on being green with their Green Police commercials for the Super Bowl.

Audi’s destination site for the campaign is http://www.truthinengineering.com

They also have Facebook, Youtube and Twitter all setup to send their audience through to learn more about being green and of course about how Audi will help them be green.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ — Green Police focused on ‘protecting and conserving the Earth’ are now a part of modern life, or at least that’s what a series of tongue-in-cheek public service announcements by Audi would have us believe. Audi Green Police videos now posted on YouTube at www.youtube.com/greenpolice offer guidelines that would purportedly save a billion pounds of napkins from landfills each year if we only we would avoid ‘napkin abuse.’ Another PSA urges saving 1,000 pounds of CO2 by unplugging our electronics from power strips – aka ‘Mother Nature haters’ – when not in use. What’s this leading to? An Audi Super Bowl ad that touts the environmental friendliness of the clean diesel A3 TDI, Green Car Journal’s 2010 Green Car of the Year®.

The Audi Super Bowl ad promises to be memorable, a trait we’ve come to expect from ads at this highest of high-profile sports venues that reaches 100 million viewers worldwide. Green Police on the trail of eco-violators may be pure imagination on the part of Audi’s agency, Venables Bell & Partners, but they’ll surely be front-and-center at some point during Super Bowl XLIV as the A3 TDI’s environmental credentials shine under their spotlight.

“The Audi A3 TDI has earned its environmental credentials and its 2010 Green Car of the Year® distinction,” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com, “and we’re pleased our award is being featured in an Audi Super Bowl ad. Any time you can achieve 42 mpg on the highway with reduced CO2 emissions, while enjoying the performance and low-end torque that clean diesel brings, well … that’s a good day. Green Police, if they really did exist in an extreme world of eco correctness, would do well to drive an efficient A3 TDI.”

Green Car Journal has focused on the intersection of automobiles, energy, and the environment since 1992. The Green Car of the Year® program, introduced in 2005, has recognized three hybrids and in its most recent years two clean diesels. Green Car of the Year® is a registered trademark of Green Car Journal and RJ Cogan Specialty Publications Group, Inc.

SOURCE Green Car Journal

Toyota is recalling the Prius in Japan for braking issues and it also plans to recall in many of the other 60 countries the Prius has been sold in.

The company has reportedly began informing its dealers in the United States about a similar recall plan involving some 100,000 Prius vehicles sold there.

[Source: Japan Today]

Toyota will announce that they’ll do a recall of the Toyota Prius for brake problems.  This will first be announced in Japan and could follow up in the US.

US Toyota Prius owners will likely become more vocal about the problems they’ve had with their Prius brakes.

The Prius uses a regenerative braking system which means it recaptures energy to charge the batteries that power the hybrid in electric mode.

Toyota Models Recall List (will be updated to include Prius)

Avalon VIN # beginning with “4T1” Years: 2005 – 2010
Matrix VIN # beginning with “2T1” Years: 2009 – 2010
Tundra VIN # beginning with “5TB” Years: 2007 – 2008
Tundra VIN # beginning with “5TF” Years: 2007- 2010
Sequoia VIN # beginning with “5TD” Years: 2008 – 2010
Camry VIN # beginning with “4T4” Years: 2007- 2010
Camry VIN # beginning with “4T1” with CTS pedal Years: 2007- 2010
Corolla VIN # beginning with “1NX” and “2T1” Years: 2009 – 2010
Highlander VIN # beginning with “5TD” Year: 2010
RAV4 VIN # beginning with “2T3” Years: 2009 – 2010

This report came from a dealer outside Toyota City in Japan.

[Source: Reuters]

CTS MFG Date Pedal

This image shows how to find the serial number and manufactured date on your pedal.

In actuality though, unless you bought your car after January 15 2010 and it had a pedal manufactured date later than that, your CTS Pedal is part of the recall.

One would expect that the only real difference would between CTS pedals manufactured before 1/15/2010 are the spring rate, otherwise the fix / shim being put into the recalled Toyota’s is only a temporary fix.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced that it is opening a formal investigation of the Toyota Prius Hybrid model year 2010 to look into allegations of momentary loss of braking capability while traveling over an uneven road surface, pothole or bump.

The Office of Defects Investigation has received 124 reports from consumers, including four reports alleging that crashes occurred. Investigators have spoken with consumers and conducted pre-investigatory field work.

“Safety is our top priority,” said Secretary Ray LaHood. “That is why in recent weeks NHTSA has also issued a consumer advisory on the recall of several models of Toyota vehicles and the Pontiac Vibe involving pedal entrapment and sticky accelerator pedals. We will continue to monitor these issues closely.”

Late Wednesday, Secretary LaHood spoke with Toyota president, Akio Toyoda, who reassured him that Toyota takes U.S. safety concerns seriously and puts safety at the top of the company’s priorities.

Consumer complaints about possible safety problems are one of NHTSA’s most important sources of information about vehicles. Officials review each one within a single business day and analyze the information to ensure trends are detected early.

Of the 100 investigations NHTSA opens every year, there are currently 40 open defect investigations, three of which involve Toyota. NHTSA has the most active defect investigation program in the world, opening or closing an investigation almost every week. Over the last three years, NHTSA’s defect and compliance investigations have resulted in 524 recalls involving 23.5 million vehicles.

NHTSA is advising owners of vehicles affected by recent Toyota recalls to contact their local dealership if they detect a problem. For more information, consumers should visit www.nhtsa.gov or call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.

Regenerative Toyota Prius Brakes

Regenerative Prius brakes are at the center of Toyota’s latest recall.  This Prius Brake diagram shows the way the system is integrated in the vehicle. The regenerative brakes are part of the Prius charging system, which reclaims voltage like a generator does. A software glitch is what is supposedly the problem and Toyota dealers will begin being informed of the intent to recall about 100,000 Toyota Priuses in the US.

The Prius brake glitch occurs when the vehicle is driving on a rough road or in poor weather conditions which may cause the brakes to pulsate as the system switches between regenerative and standard braking.  The switch occurs when the vehicle speed reaches a set MPH, and a delay occurs when the brake system changes over from regenerative to standard.

Owners of the popular Prius have been aware of this brake problem for years, and some of them have documented the problems despite getting help from Toyota.

Heres what one of our readers shared:

“I have a 2007 Prius and I had thought my car just not good in the winter. It has been getting progressively worse. Last month in the ice storm, the brakes didn’t hold. I pulled over on the side road where we live, called my husband crying to come and get me. He brought our RAV4, and he drove the Prius home. It was a very scary feeling that the brakes wouldn’t hold on slippery roads.
I reported this problem to the NHTSA and was told there are other complaints being called in. I bought my Prius thinking I was buying a well made Toyota. I hope Toyota can fix all the safety issues with the Prius.”

Ray LaHood, the Transportation Secretary has opened investigations in regards to these issues surrounding the Toyota Prius and went so far as to say owners should park their Toyota until a final repair is deemed sufficient.  He then revised that statement to say owners who are experiencing problems should contact their local dealer immediately.

Improper braking can occur in the Prius while traveling on icy roads, and could be linked to electronic problems with regards to the vehicle speed sensor which is what the vehicle uses to determine when to switch from regenerative to standard braking.

Toyota Metal Shim For Pedal Fix

Toyota could be facing a potential $2 Billion dollar loss from the result of a safety recall affecting over 2 million vehicles in the US with gas pedal problems, brake problems and accelerator issues, regardless of an increase in sales from the previous quarter.

Toyota is dealing with a catastrophe, it’s being questioned by Ray LaHood continually about whether they’re being completely open about the overall issue. Feds are pushing them hard, Ray LaHood said the company was being a little “safety deaf” when he summarized the urgency Toyota displayed when the problems began to build. Now that brake problems are getting added to the list, it has customers wondering.

Toyota stopped production on the recall models and years that were affected so that they could produce a solution for the cars currently on the road that have issues related to unintended acceleration, and recent news of Prius brakes (recently brought up in Japan with regards to the Toyota Prius).

The company has been struggling with trying to keep it’s customers informed of what to do, leaving many losing confidence in the company that once was known for the car that ran forever.

Talking with Toyota owners in person one can quickly sense the situation as being a severe threat to the loss of future business due to the slow reaction of the recall and then leaving people without enough information and being concerned about whether they should even drive until its resolved.

Toyota was reporting $155 million in losses per week quickly add up considering the additional costs of manufacturing and getting their customer’s vehicles serviced. Some Toyota dealers began installing the shims today and are working around the clock.

The Feds are now probing beyond this mechanical issue which Toyota claims are the result of pedals sticking, and looking into possible electronic and electromagnetic issues since the accelerator pedal assembly uses drive-by-wire, an electronic signal is sent to the throttle body based on the % the pedal is depressed.

Now that the Prius brakes being reported the fact that people are coming out with details about the braking system flaws, Toyota is going to be adding more to the list of recalls. Toyota Prius brakes, which are regenerative braking system that recycles energy back into the battery system to recharge itself seem to be plagued with problems, the electronic glitches, lead people to believe Toyota will need to start sharing more of the big picture since they are starting to indicate the problem is more than simply a worn pedal that is sticking.

In addition to the braking issue, Steve Wozniak, one of the original co-founders of Apple has described a throttle issue while on the freeway in cruise control. Toyota is getting a closer look at Wozniak’s Prius when they take it for a week to evaluate it.

Here’s the current Toyota Recall Models And Years.

A Gas Pedal Diagram that shows the recalled CTS pedal.

The Following Toyota vehicles are not affected by the recall:

Toyota Yaris
Toyota Prius
Toyota Corolla with VINs that begin with “JT”
Toyota Camry with VINs that begin with “JT”
Toyota Camry with VINs that begin with “4T1” AND are equipped with Denso accelerator pedals
Scion – All models
Toyota Venza
FJ Cruiser
Highlander with VINs that begin with “JT”
RAV4with VINs that begin with “JT”
Land Cruiser
Sienna
4Runner
Tacoma

Below is a list of new and used vehicles that are affected by the voluntary recall:

Avalon VINs beginning with “4T1” MY 2005 – 2010
Matrix VIN # beginning with “2T1” MY 2009 – 2010
Tundra VIN # beginning with “5TB” MY 2007 – 2008
Tundra VIN # beginning with “5TF MY 2007- 2010
Sequoia VIN # beginning with “5TD” MY 2008 – 2010
Camry VIN # beginning with “4T4” MY 2007- 2010
Camry VIN # beginning with “4T1” with CTS pedal MY 2007- 2010
Corolla VIN # beginning with “1NX” and “2T1” MY 2009 – 2010
Highlander VIN # beginning with “5TD” MY 2010
RAV4 VINs beginning with “2T3” MY 2009 – 2010

With all of these different problems from the brakes and the accelerator pedal and all these other issues, the indication seems to be coming from the computer system, that is being sent mixed signals.

The indication or the problems that are starting to surface could date back several years, and there could have been some underlying issues that only now are becoming amplified to the point where people are noticing them or getting significant issues with the drivability, they might have been so minor that people just ignored them in the past.

People are really concerned about their car especially with the recent developments around Toyota and the problems that are occurring with the gas pedal situation and the brakes.
Toyota Prius brakes are being looked into in Japan and there US just announced they’ll be looking into these as well.

It really is hard to envision how a company even as big as Toyota, is made to handle such a crisis, their response time and their ability to handle the volume of problems that are coming to them is unimaginable and people who own Toyota are demanding that they be helped as quickly as possible.

Here is information that details the components in a driver assist system. Note the Accelerator Reaction Force Control Unit. This may or may not be a system thats currently part of the Toyota platform, but it would suggest that if there were a reaction force control unit then it could be a combination of a bug in the software and a safety mechanism that is supposed to “alert a driver” via brakes being applied.

10 990 603 Driver Assisting System Meth