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Toyota troubles

The cause of Toyota’s accelerator problem, based on my experience, has nothing to do with the gas pedal, but everything to do with the one feature on virtually all cars that controls speed.

Give up?

Cruise control!

Two things control engine speed: the driver’s foot and the Cruise Control microprocessor.

A multi-function microprocessor enables the driver to automatically (1) set desired driving speed, (2) decrease that speed, (3) accelerate that speed (4) or resume speed. Tapping the brake after engaging cruise control will (5) disengage cruise control, turning it off. All of these functions are accomplished without having to touch the gas pedal. You just press dedicated buttons on or near the steering wheel for functions 1 through 4 or tap the brake pedal.

It’s function No. 3, accelerate speed, that has failed. 

I had this problem decades ago and discovered that excessive heat caused the accelerate function on my cruise control to engage automatically and go into “out of control” mode. At that moment my vehicle began accelerating on its own. Faster. Faster. Faster. It was a virtual “Christine-like” moment. Disengaging my cruise control didn’t work, even turning the ignition off had no effect.

Scary stuff.

Admit it, Toyota. Technology is great when it works. But it’s not perfect. In this case it can kill.

Harry Herget

Jonesboro

Essential resource

The ecology comes to mind because it influences the life force. Pollution becomes an issue of paramount importance. Rivers overflow, flooding villages, city halls and markets. Large ditches are dug to run off water and need lakes to contain it; otherwise, pure water holds pollutants.

We can do without more new roads that take up farmland and woodlots on the southwest side of a house that are windbreaks against tornados.

We can do without Agent Orange defoliating trees over too many acres, including ancient trees in neighbors’ yards over 200 years old.

The trees that protected everyone from global warming, flood, winds, lack of clean air and water, lack of shade and shelter, lack of wildlife and birds, lack of furniture, food, fuel, paper, beauty and bounty have been replaced by ignorance, disease and injustice. Trees are a renewable resource but it takes 15 years for a tree growing to become firewood. Farmers cutting too many trees meant they had to tear boards off their barns to make coffins.

Trees collect dust between roads and houses which is washed away by rains. Tall trees protect against lightning. Trees on high hills and mountains prevent heavy rains and mudslides from flooding houses. Trees hold floodwaters away, but people do not. The best place for trees is more than 100 feet away from buildings. If you are on a horse or jeep in a canyon going away from a mountain when snow melts, get to high ground fast.

If you cut a tree very low to the ground, it will grow again. If you bulldoze the trees, you need to cut them higher up. Needs are not more of everything, but wants are. More and more of everything causes ignorance, disease and injustice. Vast armies fight each one of them avoiding extinction. Needs are food, shelter, clothing and warmth in wintertime.

E.C. Jones

Jonesboro



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