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The Gremlin Is Back!

9K views 41 replies 15 participants last post by  Foryota 
#1 ·
I was backing out of the Post Office parking lot yesterday and the engine started racing like crazy. This time I knew what to do, put it in "N" and killed the ignition.
Started the engine and every thing was fine. This happened about 2 years ago at a stop sign. It seems this happens at a stop or very slow speeds. I wish Toyota would figure out what the problem is. I KNOW it's not my "big foot".
Flame away fellow forum members.:smile
 
#6 ·
Now that you mention it, the first time it happened was at the stop sign exiting the Post Office and this time it happened while backing out of a parking spot at guess where...the Post Office. You have me wondering if that's just a coincidence or if there is some sort of interference being generated in the vicinity of the Post Office that my electronics is particularly sensitive to...microwave transmitter maybe or something else?
 
#3 ·
Unfortunately, nothing conclusive - electronics are funny that way. I remember when stuck throttles were something of a normal occurrence with my older carbureted muscle cars. Sometimes they do fun stuff like have the throttle return spring snap off - makes for some a non-boring commute. Sometimes you couldn't get them to pop in neutral - had to haul them down by standing on the brakes - some of them had unassisted drum brakes all-around. You had to really stand on the brake pedal.
 
#5 ·
I agree in theory but being on a fixed income I can't afford it. It always happens at slow speed or at a stop. I'm the only driver so at a stop I put it in "N" and at slow speed I'm ready to kill the ignition if it happens. So far it took 2 years for it to reoccur and I can handle that.:smile
 
#7 ·
Are there any cell towers, radio/TV transmitting towers, or radar antennas near the post office? I remember hearing about the road in Texas where a lot of cars died when passing near a radar dome:

FAA Radar Dome Stops Car Engines, Keller, Texas
 
#8 ·
If the Toyota drive-by-wire systems can be influenced by external electronic sources that would really be dangerous, and potentially the systems could be hacked by anyone who possesses a source of adequate power. :surprise
 
#9 ·
Yes, for the sake of public safety I'd think the FAA would be careful not to use anything that could interfere. Given how conspicuous the domes are, any coincidental car issue might be attributed to the most unusual things in sight.

That said, when I was with a Air Force recon base in the sixties, jamming military vehicles was done occasionally. No telling what those vehicles carried. Surely not our civilian stuff.
 
#18 ·
Jack.
We're all living in the Trump age.
"Subtle" is no longer in the lexicon.
"Knock 'em down, and drag 'em out," is the clarion call.
 
#20 ·
We have a 2015 rav4 and the same thing has happened to us 3 times since last august. We have had to quickly put it into neutral and turn off engine or the car will keep going. The maintinence required light came on but the toyota dealership insists there is nothing wrong and they are not responsible for anything. This is a family car and we have small children but toyota refuses to do anything about the problem. Does anyone know anything about this problem and how to deal with it? Thank you!
 
#21 ·
I got the same response from my Toyota dealer, "deer in the head lights look." I just put it in "N" when at a stop with the engine running. The first time I was taken by surprise but now I'm ready for it, I shut off the ignition and don't even wait to put it in "N". It happened to me twice in 2 years and always at a stop or under 5 MPH. I'm the only driver and I would NEVER let a family member or friend drive it. When I leave it at my Toyota dealer for service I tell them if it takes off just kill the ignition, they look at me like I'm nuts.:serious
 
#26 ·
I was backing out of the Post Office parking lot yesterday and the engine started racing like crazy. This time I knew what to do, put it in "N" and killed the ignition.
Started the engine and every thing was fine. This happened about 2 years ago at a stop sign. It seems this happens at a stop or very slow speeds. I wish Toyota would figure out what the problem is. I KNOW it's not my "big foot".
Well, after 17 months it happened again while parking my RAV at home. Almost crashed through the back of my garage before I killed the ignition. Started it up and everything was back to normal. I'm at a loss as to what to do about this problem that happens so infrequently. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
 
#27 ·
You.ve posted about this problem quite a lot in the past. Obviously the cause is a hard-to-solve mystery and so it's frustrating, and the rarity of it occurring makes it more so. At least you know what to do when it does take place, but that doesn't make it any less a safety issue.
 
#28 ·
Clearly whatever is wrong with your specific RAV is a very serious safety issue.

Presuming your dealer can't figure out what's wrong with it, personally I'd sell it and move on because it doesn't even come close to being worth the risk of killing or maiming someone, either of which would haunt you for literally the rest of your life.

Ditch the lemon.

Seriously.

.
 
#31 ·
Selling an apparently dangerous vehicle strikes me as wrong as the manufacturer for making it, so pursuing a direct remedy seems to be the right thing to do. Troublesome, yes, but moral as we expect from Toyota.
.
 
#32 ·
Ronto has posted quite a lot about this issue. In this thread he said that his Toyota dealer's service department basically has had a "Huh" reaction when he has mentioned the problem. In another thread it was reported that the NTSB would not open another dossier about the unintended acceleration issue. It appears that Ronto is at a sort of dead end about his unintended acceleration issue.

If I had that vehicle I would not sell it to a private party, but would trade it in on another vehicle and inform that dealership about the issue. After the dealer accepts the vehicle any situation with and because of unintended acceleration situation is their problem.
 
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#33 ·
If I had that vehicle I would not sell it to a private party, but would trade it in on another vehicle and inform that dealership about the issue. After the dealer accepts the vehicle any situation with and because of unintended acceleration situation is their problem.
Well said!

Given the very long time ronto has posted about this (again and again and again), that is CLEARLY the right thing to do.

.
 
#38 ·
Just tossing out a question: does anyone know of a way to monitor and store data over a reasonable time so that if the event occurs again you will have enough time to have it analyzed? Analyzed by whom, I don't know, but I can imagine advantages by simply having the data even if it is encrypted: you own it and it is not locked into Toyota's control.

Toyota's 'black box' (EDR) holds only *some data and for a mere seven seconds (five seconds plus two seconds after an airbag deploys). I'm pretty much out of the computer forensic business since retiring, but I'm tempted to tap into an EDR.

* EDR data reported in 2010 - vehicle speed, accelerator angle, gear shift position, whether the seat belt was used, brake position, anti-lock brake system.

 
#42 ·
The two times my RAV has jumped, it was due to my foot position between the gas and brake, and I was wearing either my work boots or my snow boots (size 13). In my specific cases, it was me touching both pedals, not the car acting of its own accord. I do notice that compared to the many other vehicles I've owned, the pedal arrangement in the RAV is a little funny - this is the only one where I've accidentally pressed the gas when I was going for the brake, and it was only part of the gas pedal I got with my foot. I do notice also that my legs tend to splay out funnier in this than anything else, so my right foot actually sits at about 35 degrees from vertical and closer to covering both pedals. NOT saying this is what's happening to everyone else, but based on my own observations. I do think the pedals could have been positioned better to avoid this happening. At least when it's happened to me, it's while I'm turned around in the seat reversing with my trailer attached, going at very low speed. (that damn tire on the back means I can't see my trailer in the rear window!)
 
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