Autoblog

Peugeot recalling 240,000 307s

Dan Roth — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:01:00 EST

It's no big deal, really, just an eensy weensy potential short circuit in the ABS/Stability control system. A seal on the hardware that the ABS and ESP systems share can allow water infiltration, which leads to electrical maladies. A mass self-immolation of 307s would be rather unseemly, so Peugeot has recalled roughly 240,000 of the vehicles built between 2003 and 2006. Letters have gone out to owners beckoning about 60 percent of the 2 million total 307's sold to come back before there's legions of weeping former 307CC drivers stumbling back home.

[Source: Automotive News - sub req]

Peugeot recalling 240,000 307s originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHTSA to require anti-roll tech on all cars by 2012

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:49:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety

The NHTSA revealed the final rules on the mandatory installation of electronic stability control (ESC) to help prevent rollovers on all vehicles by the 2012 model year (September 2011). The legislation applies to all vehicles under 10,000 pounds, and was ushered in without dissent by automakers. Carmakers that produce less than 5,000 cars per year will be given more time to phase in the technology.

With their increased propensity to roll over, 90% of SUVs already feature ESC, but only 40% of 2007 model cars do. Given the disproportionate fatality rate for rollovers - only 2% of auto accidents result in rollovers, but rollovers account for 40% of fatalities - having all cars equipped with ESC is estimated to reduce rollovers up to 84%, save up to 10,300 lives, and prevent up to 238,000 serious injuries per year. When it comes to single vehicle crashes, SUV rollovers could drop by 59%, with passenger cars dropping 34%.

The threshold test will be conducted at 50 mph, using a steering robot to swerve the vehicle in a predetermined pattern while the vehicle is moving at 50 mph. According to the NHTSA, the test is severe enough to cause most vehicles to spin out without ESC. Mandated equipment includes an indicator light to warn drivers about problems with the ESC.

Since ESC employs computer-controlled selective braking, all cars must also be equipped with ABS, which is a direction automakers were headed in anyway. The cost to automakers will be in the area of $985 million, but the cost-per-vehicle will only be $111, a small premium for a life saved. The cost of property damage is also expected to drop by up to $450 million per year.

One glaring weak spot is the roof. While the NHTSA has been reviewing roof strength since the '90s, proposals have been opposed by safety advocates as too weak and manufacturers as too strong.

Exceptions to always-on ESC could off-road vehicles, use on track days, driving in deep snow, and mismatched tire sizes (e.g., using a spacesaver spare). Ford and GM have indicated they expect to beat the mandatory deadline by a year.

[Source: Detroit News]

NHTSA to require anti-roll tech on all cars by 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Apr 2007 19:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHTSA investigating Ford Escape fires

Damon Lavrinc — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Ford, Mazda

The National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into the cause of eight reported engine fires in the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute.

The model years being investigate are from 2001 to 2003, however, the Mercury Mariner platform-sharer is not part of the investigation, as it began its run in 2005.

There are two other cases that are under the microscope, that involve "fire-related phenomena," from sparks and melted electrical components. The suspected culprit, at this time, is the ABS module, which underwent a recall in the past.

More information to follow when we get it.

[Source: CNN]

NHTSA investigating Ford Escape fires originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Nov 2006 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Airbags and ABS under fire

Randall Halcomb — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:09:00 EST

Filed under: Safety

A study by Purdue University states that safety systems like ABS and airbags make drivers less vigilant. Fred Mannering, the professor of civil engineering at the university who led the study, brought his team to the water of five years of motor vehicle crashes in Washington State. The students began studying the collisions beginning in 1992, as that was about when airbags and ABS began to be introduced rapidly into the mainstream auto market.

The study compared the accident rates of 1,307 drivers, of which 271 switched from a vehicle without airbags to a vehicle equipped with them. Mannering states that this 'offset hypotheses' could explain why accident rates for anti-lock braking system-equipped vehicles actually increased when the technology was introduced. Mannering also stated that in his own experience driving his vintage MG roadster he is more cautious. Apparently, he also doesn't accelerate quickly on wet roads because his car doesn't have ABS?!

This report has nothing to do with the safety merits of the technologies themselves, but instead the assumptions on which drivers behaved during an important introduction of a new set of safety improvements. While we might agree that ABS and airbags may have given drivers a false sense of confidence, we would much rather be in an airbag-equipped Miata than an ancient MG if we were expecting to run head on into another object. It's hard not to feel like Mannering is letting his own experience and feelings influence his research, but you didn't hear that here. Additionally, it's probably not valid to make assumptions about the behavior of drivers today based on data that is over ten years old and was acquired during a transition period in safety technology. Furthermore, many safety experts, like NHTSA and IIHS, feel the findings questionable, as well. We encourage you to check out the article yourself at Ward's by following the 'read' link below.

[Source: Ward's Auto]

Airbags and ABS under fire originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 23 Oct 2006 19:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ABS-equipped vehicles: Deadly quiet

Damon Lavrinc — Sat, 19 Aug 2006 19:02:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Technology

Anti-lock braking systems have come under some mild scrutiny as of late. Frank Williams, a frequent contributor to The Truth About Cars, recently wrote an article detailing the inherent problems with ABS in passenger vehicles, saying that overall they may do more harm than good and that NHTSA should look into its own findings to address the matter.

The amount of feedback this piece received was tremendous, as evidenced by the amount of discussion that took place in the comments section.

Then, on Friday, this article came across our screens that brought to light another fact about ABS. The tire screeching, aural blitzkrieg that takes place in a panic stop is noticeably absent in ABS-equipped vehicles. It's not dead silence, but it certainly isn't as evocative as the mentally engrained noise that screams, "Look out, bad $#%& is about to ensue!"

A solution to this problem came from the mind of Larry Bunker, who, after a close call with a co-worker, began developing a system that would restore the sound that is lost to ABS technology. Bunker, who didn't go into detail about how the system would work, aims to reduce the number of vehicle/pedestrian crashes that take place yearly by selling his creation to major auto manufacturers.

Personally, we want the system to play "The End" by the Doors if some kid runs into the street, but we're open to other suggestions. Additionally, we want to know what your opinions about ABS are and, considering the information presented, if either argument is legitimate.

[Sources: The Truth About Cars and The Auto Channel]

ABS-equipped vehicles: Deadly quiet originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Aug 2006 19:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Beware of cosmic rays

Eric Bryant — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 15:53:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets, I.C.E., Safety, Technology

As if rollovers, suicidal deer, and thieves who break in with laptop computers weren't enough to worry about, now there's a new menace on the roadways - high-energy neutrons from cosmic rays.

Let's back up a moment. The increasing complexities and decreased time-to-market demands for automotive electronics has caused some manufacturers to migrate from microcontrollers and ASICs to field-programmable logic arrays (FPGAs). Devices based on volatile SRAM are the most common and also the most economical, but they rely on successfully loading and maintaining the device configuration into RAM upon each power-up.

Corruption of SRAM - where a stray cosmic ray disrupts the electron charge of a memory cell - has been a known phenomenon in the PC world for quite some time, but typically does not put the user at risk of a safety-critical failure. The story isn't the same in an automobile, where SRAM corruption can potentially cause a malfunction, or even the complete shut-down of a powertrain or safety system device. As annoying as PC crashes may be, it figures that a similar event in an ECM, ESP, or airbag module would be far worse.

It's highly unlikely that we'll ever see a recall that advises owners to minimize exposing their vehicles to cosmic radiation, but this issue does provide a sliver of insight into the challenges faced by those who design today's ever-more-complex vehicles.

[Source: Automotive Design Line via EE Times]

PSA: Beware of cosmic rays originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jun 2006 15:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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