Feds investigate Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute SUVS for complaints about sticky throttles

By Dee-Ann Durbin,Tom Krisher, The Associated Press  

DETROIT - Government safety regulators are investigating complaints that throttles can stick on older-model Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute SUVs and cause them to crash.

The probe, announced Tuesday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, affects 730,000 SUVs from the 2001 to 2004 model years that are powered by V-6 engines.

The safety agency said it has received 99 complaints from owners of the SUVs alleging 13 crashes, nine injuries and one death caused by the problem. The throttles on the SUVs can fail to return to idle when the driver takes his foot off the gas pedal, according to agency documents.

Sixty-eight of the complaints were about the Escape, and 31 involved the Tribute, a nearly identical vehicle made by Ford for Mazda. Dearborn, Mich-based Ford used to own about one-third of Mazda. But Ford began cutting ties in 2008, and in 2010 lowered its ownership to 3.5 per cent.

Investigators are looking into whether the sticky throttles could have been caused by repairs made as part of a 2004 recall of the same vehicles. About 590,000 of the vehicles were recalled in December of 2004 to fix an accelerator cable defect, and the documents say the repairs could have damaged the cruise control cable.

The investigation is among the larger probes started by NHTSA in 2012. While many affect fewer than 100,000 vehicles, the agency this year began looking into door fires affecting 1.4 million Toyota Camry midsize sedans and RAV4 small SUVs. It also expanded a fuel tank fire probe in older-model Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs to include 5.1 million vehicles.

NHTSA investigations are the first step toward a recall, but they don't always cause cars and trucks to go back to dealerships for repairs.

The SUV investigation comes just over a week after the Center for Auto Safety, a Washington, D.C., advocacy group petitioned NHTSA to investigate the Escape and Tribute problems. The group also wants a hearing on whether Ford and Mazda met obligations to notify owners and fix defects in their vehicles.

But NHTSA said in documents filed Tuesday that it has denied the group's petition because the agency has been looking at the Escape and Tribute problems since early in 2012. The agency said it began gathering information after the driver of a 2002 Escape was killed in a crash in Payson, Ariz., this past January.

 Source;http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/91396--feds-investigate-ford-escape-and-mazda-tribute-suvs-for-complaints-about-sticky-throttles

Toxic Dangers Found in Automobiles

Here's an interesting read sent to me by the author, Brian Turner....
Whenever you're behind the wheel, you're probably thinking about how to drive safely so that you don't hurt yourself or your passengers in an avoidable accident. But the greatest danger on the road isn't from other cars it's from toxic chemicals that are found in nearly all automobiles.

Windshield Dust
Windshield dust poses serious health risks to people who ride in automobiles. Dust on windshields contains PVCs fire-retardant chemicals that are found on clothing items and other commonly used items. PVCs are linked to birth defects and learning impairments in children, so it's especially important for pregnant mothers to avoid exposure to them. If you turn on your air conditioning system while dust is on your windshield, the dust will get sucked back into the car and you may breathe it in. Clean your windshield regularly and roll windows down when first starting the car instead of turning on the air conditioner to reduce your risk of exposure to PVCs.
Asbestos in Brake Pads
Car Manufacturers are doing a much better job building vehicles today. Although, if you own an older car and change your brake pads yourself, you should be aware that you may be exposing yourself to mesothelioma, a rare and fatal form of cancer, or other lung problems. Many brake pads contain asbestos particles. Asbestos have been linked to mesothelioma, so you need to limit your exposure to these particles. Professional mechanics wear masks while changing brake pads and other parts like clutch plates, linings, etc. and take other precautions against exposure to asbestos. Consider letting your mechanic change your brake pads or wearing protective gloves and a mask while changing them.

Coatings of Interior Knobs
Many interior knobs are coated with either chlorine or bromine. Both of these chemicals are hazardous to your health. These chemicals can lead to thyroid problems, learning impairments and decreased fertility. Always wash your hands after coming in from the car, and never let your children put their fingers in their mouths while in the car. If you have children younger than five years of age, find out what their car seats are made of; bromine and chlorine are often used to make car seats, and it's difficult to stop young children from putting their hands in their mouth. Get environmentally friendly car seats that don't contain bromine or chloride to avoid exposing infants to these toxins.

Like what you read here? Check out one of Brian Turners other blogs;

Musclemania Car Club
Classic Cars Guru
Fastest Car
Custom Car Sales
The World of Cars

Thanks Brian!

Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Nissan Juke Among I.I.H.S. Top Safety Picks

By CHERYL JENSEN
On Thursday, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released crash-test results for 13 small cars. Six earned top scores, bringing the total number of small cars named top safety picks by the institute to 22.

The I.I.H.S., which is funded by the insurance industry, also released a list of the 10 small cars that claim top crash-test scores as well as the highest fuel economy ratings in their class.

The six top safety picks consist of 2011 and 2012 models. They are the 2012 Ford Focus and the Honda Civic four-door, as well as the 2011 Hyundai Elantra, the Lexus CT 200h, the Nissan Juke and Toyota Prius.

Other vehicles that were tested but not named top safety picks were the 2011 Dodge Caliber, the Honda CR-Z and Insight, the Nissan Sentra and Versa, the Scion xD and Suzuki SX4.

To earn the top designation, a vehicle must receive a rating of good in all four of the institute’s crash tests: front, side, rear and rollover. Electronic stability control must be available at least as an option. The institute rates on a scale of good, acceptable, marginal and poor.

The Civic, CT 200h, Elantra, Focus and Prius are all produced with at least one model or trim level that achieves an E.P.A. fuel economy rating of at least 40 m.p.g. on the highway.

“The bottom line is that small-car safety is improving, and that many of the most fuel-efficient cars that are available today are now available with very high levels of crash protection, which wasn’t the case a few years ago,” said David Zuby, the institute’s chief research officer, in a telephone interview.

Indeed, most small cars now are equipped with air bags and electronic stability control as standard equipment, and are designed to help protect people better in front, side, rollover and rear-impact crashes.

But the laws of physics still apply, Mr. Zuby noted. People who are more interested in safety than fuel efficiency, for example, would be better served buying a larger car.

When the institute began naming top safety picks with 2006 model-year vehicles, the criteria were less stringent than today. Still, only three small cars — the Honda Civic, Saab 9-2X and Subaru Impreza — received the distinction.

The Hyundai Elantra is an example of the changes that have taken place in this segment. Now a top safety pick, it once earned some of the lowest crash test scores of any passenger vehicles.

The institute also noted that newer small cars achieved substantially better gas mileage than their old models managed.

What prevented 7 of the 13 tested small cars from earning top marks? Five received an acceptable rating in one or more of the tests. They were the Honda CR-Z and Insight, the Nissan Versa and Sentra, and the Scion xD. Meanwhile, the Suzuki SX4 received marginal ratings for rollover and rear protection. The Dodge Caliber also was deemed marginal for side protection, but acceptable in the rollover test.

None of the small cars received a rating of poor in any tests.

For complete lists, visit the I.I.H.S. Web site.

Source;
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/ford-focus-honda-civic-and-nissan-juke-among-i-i-h-s-top-safety-picks/

Auto regulators drop rule for power window safety requirement

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) withdrew proposed rulemaking for an automatic reverse function that would prevent a child’s neck or hand from getting caught in a closing window, if they inadvertently pressed down the switch that raises the window.

There are few fatalities or serious injuries that additional safety requirements could prevent, NHTSA stated in a notice about the nixed rule. Any new regulation “would instead address primarily ‘finger-pinch’ type injuries.”

Vehicle redesigns have largely addressed the issue, and now have window switches that need to be pulled up. Window switches that are pressed down to close automatic windows have been replaced, virtually eliminating the hazard. This leaves only older vehicles with that specific safety hazard.

NHTSA also asked for a delay in requiring backup cameras in cars. Both measures are part of the 2007 Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, for which Consumers Union originally lobbied.

Consumers can check out which vehicles have auto-reverse safety features through safercar.gov
—Maggie Shader

Source;
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2011/03/auto-regulators-drop-rule-for-power-window-safety-requirement.html?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristRSS

Keyless Ingnition Leads to CO2 Poisoning, Deaths

As I've mentioned before, I really hope Honda stays away from this push button ignition, and if we do go to it, do it with the key like how they did it on the S2000....
Car keys are becoming obsolete as more and more carmakers offer keyless ignition fobs, but the item that's supposed to make life easier for drivers is now accused of taking life in three separate incidents, and causing accidents and headaches for drivers across the country.

Three deaths -- one in New York, and two in Florida -- are raising the spotlight on keyless ignition, after drivers who left engines running in attached garages died of carbon monoxide poisoning in their sleep.

Mary Rivera of New York survived the carbon monoxide poisoning that killed her longtime partner, Ernie Codelia.

The former school superintendent and college professor says the permanent brain damage she now suffers was caused by the keyless ignition feature on her 2008 Lexus.

Rivera's lawyer, Noah Kushlefsky, says the feature lacks adequate warning and didn't stop Rivera from inadvertently leaving her car running, even though the fob was separated from the car by both distance and time.

"The engine should shut off after a specific period of time of inactivity," Kushlefsky said. "It's a problem that's only going to be magnified as more cars end up on the road with keyless start."

Toyota said it sympathizes with the families of anyone injured as a result of exposure to carbon monoxide.

The company didn't comment on the lawsuits filed in the Rivera incident, but did offer a statement on its keyless technology:

"Toyota's electronic key system fully complies with applicable federal motor vehicle standards and provides multiple layers of visual and auditory warnings to alert occupants that the vehicle is running when the driver exits with the key fob. Electronic key systems such as Toyota's are neither new nor unique within the automobile industry."

According to Edmunds.com, electronic key systems are featured on more than 150 2010 model year vehicles.

Automakers offer various iterations of keyless ignition.

As of last year the feature was offered in nearly 150 models, ranging from high-end to bargain models.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is now considering tighter restrictions which would standardize keyless ignition technology due to concerns of carbon monoxide poisoning, vehicle roll-away thefts and shutting off moving vehicles in an emergency.

Source (via autoblog);
http://www.41nbc.com/news/health-news/997-keyless-ingnition-leads-to-co2-poisoning-deaths#

OnStar to provide service for non-GM cars, unveils aftermarket product at Consumer Electronics Show

Las Vegas - Today OnStar announced it would make its services available in non-GM cars through an aftermarket rear view mirror replacement. The mirror frame features the blue OnStar button, along with buttons for emergency response and hands-free phone calling, similar to its appearance in GM vehicles.

The bulky replacement mirror combines a GPS chip, accelerometer, Bluetooth hardware, and a cellular chip to connect with OnStar services and operators. OnStar uses Verizon for its voice and data connections.

The mirror uses its accelerometer to determine if a crash has occurred, which triggers OnStar's emergency collision response. An OnStar operator will attempt to contact the vehicle occupants and call emergency responders as needed, using the GPS signal to determine the car's location.

The GPS also enables OnStar's stolen vehicle location service.

Similar to OnStar in GM vehicles, the aftermarket mirror provides turn-by-turn navigation from an OnStar operator. The device pairs with Bluetooth cell phones allowing hands-free calling.

Users can also get a prepaid calling plan through OnStar, and use the mirror as a phone.

This aftermarket OnStar implementation suffers from a few limitations. It does not connect to a car's OBD-II port, so cannot offer remote door unlock or engine start. OnStar is also not offering an associated smartphone app, as it is with the Chevrolet Volt.

OnStar has tested the mirror in a wide variety of non-GM vehicles, and says it is compatible with cars from Ford, Lincoln, Toyota, Nissan, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, and Honda.

The mirror is expected to be available in early Summer at Best Buy. OnStar recommends a professional installation. The unit will cost $299, with the cheapest service plan at $18.95 per month.

Source;
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-32254_1-20027278-283.html

Jalponik.com : How A Cadaver Made Your Car Safer

Whoa....gruesome, but it's hard to argue with the results....
A highly-promoted feature in the 2011 Ford Explorer are its new inflatable rear seat belts. The not-so-highly-promoted working stiffs that helped make it happen? Human cadavers. Here's how automakers still quietly use dead people to make your car safer.

When automakers and safety advocates show off the results of crash tests, they inevitably run video showing empty vehicles or crash test dummies; back in the 1980s, they even turned the dummies into lovable cartoon characters. What the industry doesn't like talking about is how much of the safety innovation in vehicles was built around testing cadavers.

Since the 1930s, when researchers at Wayne State University first threw a body down an elevator shaft to see what kind of forces it could sustain, cadavers have been essential to making driving safer. Every part of a car touching on safety — from steering columns and laminated windshields to side-impact air bags — has science from cadaver tests making sure they work.

"It's still very important," said Priya Prasad, a former top safety researcher at Ford. "Even though we have very good math modeling of dummies, human modeling hasn't reached that state yet."

Automakers prefer to keep their names away from such ickiness. When a Swedish researcher told a newspaper in 2008 that General Motors and Saab were using cadavers in research, both companies quickly denied the story. And as far as the denial goes, it's true: automakers don't have the medical resources that cadaver tests require.

But universities do. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration funds scores of cadaver tests at schools across the country every year; many of those schools also get grants from automakers. And the data they gather can be shared widely.

That's the case with Ford's inflatable seat belts, an idea it's been testing for several years. The 2011 Explorer will be the first vehicle in the world to offer them, and Ford has made the belts a highlight of the safety features offered to compete against other family haulers.

But before the system could be sold, Ford had to answer myriad questions. Just because it has an air bag doesn't mean the belts would automatically do a better job of shielding passengers from injuries than standard seat belts. It could even be worse: What would happen to children who were sleeping on the belts when they inflated?

Most of Ford's tests used the family of dummies developed by the industry, including ones that mimic children. But without a cadaver test, Ford couldn't know for sure how the inflatable belt would affect internal organs and tissues.

Typically in cadaver tests, as the one pictured above run by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, researchers swaddle the body in stockings, including one over its face, partly for scientific reasons and partly out of respect. The arms and hands, if still attached, are bound in place to keep them from moving during a simulated crash, and sensors record the forces on various parts.

After the test, researchers would likely have used x-rays and autopsies to examine how much damage the cadaver sustained. Ford shared the results with NHTSA but deemed them confidential business information — meaning we can't access them by way of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request — but given that the belts are going on sale, we can guess the tests were successful.

Universities which run such tests have standard procedures for handling cadavers that cover every step of the process, from informing the relatives of a donor what the body will be used for to disposing of the remains.

Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood said the company, like the rest of the industry, was trying to move into digital modeling for crash testing whenever possible. It's far cheaper to run thousands of computer simulations of a crash test with a digital wireframe than to do even one test with a dummy. And either test is less squeamish to the general public than crash-testing involving a once-living, breathing body. It's no wonder they're in no mood to publicize their continued, but still very necessary, use.

"If there's a specific need (for a cadaver test), we will look outside the company to see if someone can help, but most of our work is digital," Sherwood said.

Albert King, a professor at Wayne State who has been working in cadaver research since 1966, said the school's tests had fallen off in recent years; where it used to do one cadaver test a month on average, it now did a few a year if that. King once estimated that such tests saved 8,500 lives a year.

The major reason? After six decades, there's not much room left to improve safety inside the car. With even low-end vehicles offering eight air bags, most research has turned toward how to prevent crashes in the first place.

"We have most of the information we need," King said. "The rest of it we're doing through computer."

But it's not just cars that benefit. Researchers have drawn on Wayne State's cadaver work to design helmets that might prevent concussions in NFL players. NASA has used cadavers to test crashworthiness in the past, and the Defense Department-backed studies rely on cadaver work to better understand traumatic brain injuries.

Prasad says as good as computer models are, they still can't capture the exact essence of how human tissue reacts.

"It's always a good idea when you're developing something to do cadaver testing," he said.

Source;
http://jalopnik.com/5622667/how-a-cadaver-made-your-car-safer

NHTSA To Update Test Process for Five-Star Safety Ratings

Just the Facts:
NHTSA will test 55 vehicles using new crash methods.
The new tests will result in a single, easy to compare score.
NHTSA says it will be harder for vehicles to achieve the coveted five-star rating under the new test criteria.

WASHINGTON — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will test 55 vehicles from the 2011 model year, putting them through a new "tougher" crash test and giving them a single overall safety grade at the end. It's part of NHTSA's newly updated five-star safety rating program.

The agency says the changes to the program will make it easier for consumers to compare the safety performance of different vehicles. The safety ratings will also include information about lane departure, forward collision warning and other modern electronic safety features on vehicles. NHTSA says it will be harder for vehicles to achieve the coveted five-star rating under the new test criteria.

The list of vehicles to be tested includes 24 passenger cars, 20 SUVs, two vans and nine pickups, all from the 2011 model year. The list includes the Audi A4 ; BMW 5 Series; Buick Lucerne; Chevrolet Cruze and Malibu; Dodge Caliber; Ford Fiesta, Fusion and Taurus; Honda Accord and Civic; Hyundai Sonata; Infiniti M37; Kia Forte and Optima; Mazda 6; Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Nissan Altima, Sentra and Versa; Toyota Camry, Corolla and Prius; and Volkswagen Jetta.

The SUVs to be tested are the Acura MDX; Chevrolet Tahoe, Traverse and Equinox; Ford Edge and Escape; Honda CR-V and Pilot; Jeep Grand Cherokee; Kia Sorento and Soul; Lexus RX 350; Nissan Murano and Rogue; Subaru Forester and Outback; Toyota Highlander, RAV4 and Venza; and the Volvo XC60.

The vans are the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. The pickup trucks to undergo the new NHTSA testing are Chrysler's Ram 1500 Crew and Quad Cab models, the Ford F-150 Super Cab and Super Crew Cab and the Ranger Extended Cab, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended and Crew Cab and Toyota's Tacoma and Tundra Double Cab models.

NHTSA did not give details of the new crash test protocol. The agency also said it will not be possible to compare the new safety ratings to NHTSA's previous ones since the criteria are different. The new ratings will be made available at NHTSA's Web site once they are completed.

Source;
http://www.insideline.com/car-news/nhtsa-to-update-test-process-for-five-star-safety-ratings.html

Honda to install brake override

This is an example of Honda being Honda, Proactive...

Honda Motor Co. will install a brake override system on Honda and Acura brand vehicles starting in August and expects to have equipped all models with the safety system by the end of 2011.

Congress is weighing mandatory brake override systems as a result of investigations into hundreds of reports of unintended acceleration of Toyota Motor Corp. as well as other vehicles.
In vehicles equipped with brake override systems, pressure on the brake overrides other commands and reduces the power going to the engine.

"We are committed to applying Brake Priority Logic on 100 percent of Honda and Acura passenger vehicles produced for the North American market by the end of calendar year 2011, with our first application coming to market in late August 2010," Honda's U.S. sales subsidiary said today in a statement.

Source;

http://detnews.com/article/20100526/AUTO01/5260435/1148/auto01/Honda-to-install-brake-override

CarShark Software Lets You Hack Into, Control And Kill Any Car

Whoa! Yikes!
CarShark's a computer program that'll let someone hack into a car's onboard computer system to kill the brakes, disable the engine, blast music and otherwise wreak electronic havoc. It's both clever and absolutely frightening. Here's how it works.

A team of researchers led by professors at the University of Washington and USCD hacked the Controller Area Network (CAN) system installed on all new cars built in the United States to show how potentially vulnerable the system is. The CAN is supposed to allow onboard vehicle systems to communicate so problems are easier to diagnose, but the hands of these hackers it's the open door to disabling a vehicle.

The researchers connected to the car via a simple OBD-II computer port and using the CarShark program, identified the packets of information being trafficked across the CAN. For some hacks they used a process called "fuzzing" and sent random bits of code to disrupt them. This caused horns to blow, trunks to pop and even the brakes to stop functioning. There's supposed to be a failsafe override for the brakes, but jamming the ABS solenoids could lock up the brakes so they're not usable.

The most frightening attack is called "self-destruct" and essentially counts down from 60 seconds on the dash clock and then shuts off the engine and locks the door.

Don't freak out too much. It's not a simple task for someone without a degree in computer science to access the CAN and rewrite the code for a modern car, but that it's possible at all is something scientists think automakers need to consider when protecting these systems.
The full research report can be found here.

Source;
http://jalopnik.com/5539181/carshark-software-lets-you-hack-into-control-and-kill-any-car

Toyota Announces Pedal Recall Fix

Toyota today announced it will begin fixing accelerator pedals in all of this week's 18.4 billion-gazillion (approx.) recalled vehicles with a "precision cut steel reinforcement bar." Details below.
Toyota claims they've finally pinpointed the issue that could, on rare occasions, cause accelerator pedals in recalled vehicles to stick in a partially open position. The issue involves a friction device in the pedal designed to provide the proper "feel" by adding resistance and making the pedal steady and stable. The device includes a "shoe" that rubs against an adjoining surface during normal pedal operation. Due to the materials used, wear and environmental conditions, these surfaces may, over time, begin to stick and release instead of operating smoothly. In some cases, friction could increase to a point that the pedal is slow to return to the idle position or, in rare cases, the pedal sticks, leaving the throttle partially open.

Toyota's solution for current owners includes a precision-cut steel reinforcement bar being installed into the assembly that'll reduce the surface tension between the friction shoe and the adjoining surface. With this reinforcement in place, the excess friction that can cause the pedal to stick will supposedly be eliminated.

And, hey, why not also get your floor mat fixed while you're in getting yer pedals fixed.

Source;
http://jalopnik.com/5461198/toyota-announces-accelerator-pedal-fiery-death-fix

Toyota adds another 1.1 million cars to floor mat recall.

The accelerator pedal, right, in a 2010 Toyota Camry is seen on the show room floor of Bobby Rahal Toyota in Mechanicsburg, Pa., Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009. Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it will replace accelerator pedals on about 4 million recalled vehicles in the United States because the pedals can get stuck in the floor mats.

Tonight Toyota has added another 1.1 million cars to its floor mat recall in September.

That recall now includes the these additional models:

2008-2010 Highlander;
2009-2010 Corolla
2009-2010 Venza;
2009-2010 Matrix;
And the 2009-2010 Pontiac Vibe.

This is in addition to the 4.2 million cars recalled in September for floor mat issues.
Here’s how Toyota plans to fix these cars:

“Toyota's remedy plan is to modify or replace the accelerator pedals on the subject vehicles to address the risk of floor mat entrapment, even when an older-design all weather floor mat or other inappropriate mat is improperly attached, or is placed on top of another floor mat. Floor surface modifications are also being considered and will be included in the remedy plan for any model for which it is deemed appropriate.

Initially, dealers will be instructed on how to reshape the accelerator pedal for the repair. As replacement parts with the same shape as the modified pedal become available, they will be made available to the dealers for the repair. Customers who have had the pedal reshape remedy completed will have the opportunity to receive a new pedal if they desire, after replacement pedals become available.

In addition, Toyota will replace any Toyota all-weather floor mat in a subject vehicle with a newly designed mat, free of charge. For those customers who have the previous design all-weather floor mat but do not need or want the newly designed all-weather floor mat, Toyota will recover the previous design all-weather floor mat and reimburse its price.”

Toyota gas pedal problem blogs since last year
Floor mat warning issued- September 29, 2009
Gas pedal sticking update- October 29, 2009
ABC News investigates gas pedal problem- November 3, 2009
Toyota announces fix for gas pedal problem- November 25, 2009
More gas pedal problems prompt recall of 2.3 million Toyota cars- January 21, 2010
Pontiac Vibe part of recall- January 24, 2010

Toyota halts sales of 8 models with gas pedal problems - January 26, 2010

Source;
http://www.kvue.com/news/consumer/Toyota-adds-another-11-million-cars-to-floor-mat-recall-82856627.html

Safety of cars' keyless entry and ignition systems questioned

Wow, this is a really good read, as a Honda person (only push button start system we have in north america is the S2000), I come across a lot of people asking why Honda has not adopted the Push Button technology, here are a few reasons why (now watch every 2011 come equipped....).
The sleek Infiniti G37 Cindy Marsh bought last August was the car of her dreams, equipped with the latest keyless electronics technology that allows her to start the engine with the touch of a button.

But right away, the system gave her trouble. To get the engine started, she would sometimes have to tap the power button repeatedly. Sometimes it wouldn't start unless she opened and closed the car doors, Marsh recalled.

She eventually adapted to the system's quirks but said that even now she isn't sure how to shut off the engine in an emergency."

I don't know if I ever read it in the owners manual or not," said Marsh, who lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Old-school car keys appear headed for extinction, as automakers rush to install wireless systems that allow drivers to unlock their doors and start their engines with an electronic fob that they never have to take out of their purse or pocket.

Introduced less than a decade ago on luxury models, the push-button systems are rapidly spreading to all segments of the market, including bargain-priced Kias. The number of models with them as standard or optional equipment has quadrupled in the last five years.

Many drivers don't fully understand how the systems work, however, leaving them vulnerable to potentially serious safety problems.

In complaints to federal regulators, motorists have reported that they were unable to shut down engines during highway emergencies, including sudden acceleration events. In other cases, parked vehicles accidentally rolled away and engines were left running for hours without their owners realizing it.

And although traditional keys all work the same way and are universally understood by consumers, automakers have adopted different procedures for using the keyless ignition systems. As a result, owners may not know how to operate their own cars in an emergency, let alone a rented or borrowed car.

"Where you have a second to make an emergency maneuver, you shouldn't have to search around for the right procedure to use on a switch," said Henry Jasny, general counsel at Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a nonprofit group based in Washington, D.C., that pushes for laws to make roads safer.

Standards weighed
The risk is considered serious enough that federal regulators and an auto industry trade group are looking at adopting standard procedures.

All of the systems rely on a similar architecture that uses a fob: a small transmitter that communicates with the vehicle's computer. The fob can automatically open door locks when the owner approaches the vehicle, and then the engine can be started with just the push of a power button on the dashboard.

But to shut down the engine while the vehicle is moving, drivers must hold down the power button for one to three full seconds, depending on the make. In some cases, two or three successive taps on the button will work. Mercedes-Benz allows drivers to kill the engine with a single push of the power button, but only if the transmission is in neutral. At least one manufacturer prevents emergency engine shutdowns if the vehicle is moving at less than 5 mph.

Industry officials say that the devices have become wildly popular with buyers and that glitches will be eliminated through the normal course of technological improvements, making new regulations unnecessary.

"We really haven't seen too much confusion with these systems," said Dave Proefke, a vehicle security engineer at General Motors Co.

"As they become more widely adopted, I think we'll find that they converge in how they operate," he said.

Besides offering convenience for motorists, Proefke said, the technology gives auto designers greater styling freedom because there's no longer the need for a key cylinder in the steering column. It also benefits older people who have difficulty removing keys from their pockets or turning a key in a lock.

And "it has that cool factor," said Dan Edmunds, director of vehicle testing at www.edmunds.com, an Internet automobile research site.

Auto safety experts say the industry needs to do a better job explaining the functions of advanced technology to motorists and needs to adopt common operating procedures.

Automakers are offering the systems on 155 models this year, compared with 41 in the 2006 model year, according to Edmunds.com. Ford Motor is planning to make keyless ignition an option in its entry-level 2011 Fiesta, due out later this year.

Freeway panic
But some owners say that confusing software rules have put them in peril.

Wally Brithinee was in his 2007 Toyota Avalon last August when it began to speed out of control on Interstate 5 near San Diego. Thinking quickly, Brithinee, president of an electric motor repair business in Colton, pressed the sedan's power button, but nothing happened.

"This car isn't stopping," he told a passenger as he felt panic swelling in his chest. "I really didn't know what to do at that point."

Five terrifying miles later, Brithinee managed to halt the runaway Avalon by braking hard and shifting to a lower gear. He walked away unharmed. All that could have been avoided, he later learned, had he depressed the button for a full three seconds, the emergency shut-off procedure used in Toyota Motor Corp. vehicles.

A keyless ignition system may also have played a role in the Aug. 29 crash that took the life of California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Saylor and three members of his family when a Lexus ES 350 lent to Saylor by a car dealer accelerated out of control to speeds of more than 120 mph before hitting an embankment in suburban San Diego County.

Some safety experts believe that a warning label should be included on the dashboard, telling motorists how to shut off the engine. But industry analysts say manufacturers typically resist installing such labels.

What's more, automakers maintain that shutting off the engine may not be the best option in an emergency, because doing so will cause the driver to lose power steering and possibly braking ability.

Toyota has blamed the San Diego accident on a floor mat that trapped the accelerator pedal. But a September memorandum by investigators for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also identified the Lexus' push-button ignition as one of the "significant factors" in the crash and noted that "there was no ignition key" that could shut down the engine or warning label on the power button to explain how to shut off the engine.

In the aftermath of the Saylor tragedy, Toyota issued a recall covering 4.3 million of its vehicles and said it would modify gas pedals, change floor padding and install new software.

Toyota spokesman John Hanson said the company is also discussing internally whether to change the function of its power button.

And Thursday, Toyota launched another recall targeting 2.3 million vehicles, including many of the models subject to the floor-mat recall, saying their gas pedals could stick.

Paul Green, a human factors expert at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, said he sees the issue with keyless technology as part of a growing problem of high-tech features being introduced faster than the industry is able to agree on common operating procedures.

"The amount of research we are doing is not adequate," Green said.

Motorists are confused even when they pay top dollar for advanced features. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found in a recent survey that a majority of owners of Infinitis equipped with automatic lane departure warning systems did not know that a button on the steering wheel turned the system on and off.

"They had no idea that they had a button on the steering wheel that could activate the system," said Russ Rader, a spokesman for the institute.

The highway safety administration said in a statement that it has begun to look into possible standards for the keyless systems. And the Society of Automotive Engineers formed a committee in July to examine keyless technology and "study a possible standard on how long the ignition button should be depressed to shut off the engine."

But new federal safety rules or industry standards typically can take years to adopt. The scrutiny is coming eight years after the first system was introduced by Mercedes-Benz.

Abetting thefts
Beyond safety problems, the push-button technology has some idiosyncrasies that have left motorists stranded but also provided loopholes for car thieves.

In early General Motors vehicles with push-button start systems, owners would sometimes shut down the engines with the transmission still in gear.

That would not electronically lock the ignition system, and thieves soon found they could simply get in the vehicle, push the start button and drive away, said Forrest Folck, a forensic mechanic in San Diego who investigated the issue for an insurance company."

Cars were being stolen all over the United States," he said.

Larry Stewart, a former Times sportswriter, discovered an opposite problem with the technology in his 2007 Toyota Camry.

After he parked at a Granada Hills restaurant last summer, the car would not start. The tow truck driver who came to Stewart's rescue wasn't surprised, telling Stewart he had been there several times recently for the same reason.

The driver blamed the problem on stray radio signals, possibly from a powerful police or fire station transmitter nearby. He towed the car 100 yards, and it started immediately.

"It's really unnerving that such a thing could happen," said Stewart, who lives in Arcadia.

Even GM engineers found themselves in the same situation when they parked test vehicles at a Detroit-area shopping mall and found that the keyless ignition system was disabled, according to Proefke, the GM expert.

"It was a dead zone," he said.Proefke said the problem was traced to interference from a nearby nightclub's lighting system, which was broadcasting unlicensed high-power radio signals.

Source;
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-carkeys24-2010jan24,0,6794000,full.story

Auto safety features

Here's a really good article explaining Auto Safety Features....Honda Civic and Pilot models demonstrate crumple zones in a crash test. The crumple or crush zones in their sheet-metal structure absorb and disperse crash energy to reduce an impact’s effects on the occupants.

Automotive safety has come a long way from the scary days when ordinary window glass was used for windshields. Safety features - once a hard sell in the 1950s when manufacturers first attempted marketing them - have now become a key selling point.

And astonishing advances in safety have been made in recent years, thanks to the advent of low-cost electronics. A whole new lexicon of automotive terminology has evolved to describe passive and active safety features.

We’ll attempt to boil it down here to a non-techno-speak reduction that will still provide some sound informational nourishment.

Active safety features include things like electronic stability control, traction and adaptive braking systems and are covered in another article in this series.

Here we’ll look primarily at passive safety features that are standard or optional on a wide range of vehicles.

THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO CRUMPLE UP
Old-school types are fond of saying modern vehicles crumple up like discarded origami creations in a crash - and they do, on purpose. They have crumple or crush zones in their sheet-metal structure that absorb and disperse crash energy to reduce an impact’s effects on the occupants.

Stamp your foot hard on the ground, then do the same to a shoe box to see how it works. There are also side-impact or side-intrusion beams in the doors that prevent intrusion when the side of car is hit.

All vehicles sold in North America must meet minimum crash standards for front, side and rear collisions and rollovers, but it’s also true larger, heavier vehicles will generally fare better in a crash than smaller lighter ones – it’s a matter of physics. And some are better than others. The U.S.-based U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which has been scientifically crash testing vehicles since 1969, offers a star rating that’s worth taking note of.

THE NEXT LINE OF DEFENCE
Seatbelts are arguably the most valuable passive safety feature in your vehicle, holding you in place while the vehicle sacrifices itself around you. Today’s three-point belt systems remind you to wear them with warning chimes and have been improved with the addition of adjustable shoulder-belt anchors that can make wearing the belt more comfortable and effective.
Seatbelt pre-tensioners are small explosive devices that snap the belt tight after an impact. Force limiters mitigate injury from the belts themselves.

Supplemental-restraint systems is a fancy term for what we universally call airbags, which aren’t deployed in a crash by air at all, but by an inert gas. Dual stage front bags inflate based on an accident’s severity. Side airbags protect your torso in a side impact and side-curtain airbags protect the heads of front and rear seat passengers, and those with roll sensors stay inflated longer in a rollover.

Knee bags help prevent injury to lower extremities. A child restraint system known as latch (lower anchors and tether anchors for child seats) is found in all new vehicles as are child-resistant door locks.

Adjustable head rests let you locate them close to the back of your head where they are most effective. Active head restraints work by moving the head restraint forward in a rear collision to protect your neck. Anti-submaring seats stop your body from sliding out from under the belts in a frontal crash.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE
To this basic safety kit have been added things such as tire pressure monitoring systems that keep track of tire pressure, which is important to control, braking, fuel economy and tire wear. Run flat tires can be driven on even after losing their air so you don’t have to fix a flat by the roadside. Specifically designed winter tires have rubber compounds and tread patterns designed to work effectively in a variety of harsh weather conditions.

A reversing camera system displays what’s behind you when you’re backing up and displays it on dash or rearview-mirror screen so you don’t squash anybody’s tricycle. Ford’s cross traffic alert and Chrysler’s cross path detection technology warns of vehicles you can’t see when backing out of a parking spot. Infiniti’s around view monitor has cameras that give you a 360-degree look around your vehicle.

Adaptive cruise control employs radar to automatically adjust speed and slow the vehicle to maintain a set distance between the vehicle ahead. Many find this annoying. But a collision-warning system can detect when a vehicle ahead is stopping suddenly and warn you with a flashing light and an alarm while priming the brakes for instant action. Volvo offers an in-city slow speed version that actually applies the brakes to stop a fender bender.

Mercedes-Benz is offering attention assist, which can detect when a driver is getting drowsy and warn him or her to pay attention. A crash-alert system will notify a central communications centre if you’ve had an airbag-deploying crash, and some systems also turn on the four-way flashers and sound the horn.

Adaptive headlamps actually swivel, as you round curves, giving you an earlier look at what’s lurking in the dark. Xenon or high-intensity discharge headlamps provide a clear white light projected out to greater distances for earlier detection of things in your path. And if it’s pouring, rain-sensing wipers detect water on the windshield and activate automatically.

Smart keys can automatically unlock your car and let you start it with the push of a button and be programmed to limit power available to an inexperienced teenage driver.

Head-up displays project information about vehicle speed and warning lights up into your lower line of vision on the windshield, but can also display infra-red generated images of objects in your path.

Heated side mirrors will make for safer passing and merging and if you haven’t adjusted them correctly and blind-spot warning sensors can detect a vehicle you can’t see and alert you with a flashing light, or in BMW’s case, a vibrating steering wheel. A lane-departure warning system makes you aware your car is drifting out of its lane.

Bluetooth is an in-car wireless communications facilitator that can allow the use of a variety of voice-activated or hands-free devices, reducing driver distraction.

A battery-saver program built into your car’s electrical grid may not seem like a safety device, but it can keep your battery from going flat and stranding you in a winter parking lot.

Different manufacturers offer some or all of these systems either as standard or as options.

Source;

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/car-tips/buyers-guide/auto-safety-features/article1345129/