Suzuki Samurai was Re: [geeks] SPARC proprietary (waaaay off topic)

[wa2egp at att.net]

> On Thu, Oct 09, 2003 at 07:16:01PM +0000, wa2egp at att.net wrote:
> 	[snip]
> > Was that the incidents where the Audi 5000 used to jump forward and
> > their comment was that the people couldn't tell the difference between
> > the brake and the accelerator? 
> 
> IIRC, Car & Driver (or was it Road & Track? or both? I used to read
> them) turned up NHTSA data showing that this happened in nearly every
> other make (a similar claim cropped up in the 1990's around Jeep). I
> remember that they proved that there was no production car in a safe
> state of repair that had brakes unable to completely stop the vehicle,
> including from speed and even with the gas pedal fully depressed. The
> drivers panicked and stomped the wrong pedal.

Ah, but did they prove that?

> Some people have claimed
> the vehicles had "fast idles" or faulty brake interlocks or problems
> with the automatic transmissions but none of it was ever proven. I
> seem to remember reading that Audi increased the distance between
> pedals and changed their shape in the next (1987?) model year, but
> that might be rumor.
> 
> > One little known fact was the Audi was very sensitive to RFI and that
> > was the effect. There was a QST magazine article where some one had to
> > completely sheild the "computer" or it would accelerate evey time he
> > would transmit. Hmmm......
> 
> Interesting. I'd be surprised if that was always the effect. I
> remember hearing about someone using a linear amp on a CB and frying
> the "black box" of their ignition system but that sounds apocryphal
> (or is wishful thinking).

There was a ham radio operator that fried the computer on his Camry running
45 watts on 2 meters.*  Another story was one where a ham radio operator
could light up his tail lights with his 2 meter rig.*  I used to have a good
time setting off car alarms when operating 15 meters.  Some ham radio
operators will buy American cars with the "police" option because the wiring
is better sheilded from RF.  I've even killed my engine in traffic by
"reprogramming" the computer using 75 meter RF above a certain level.  Thank
goodness it didn't fry.  It isn't wishful thinking.  Been there, done that.
If anybody doesn't believe me, just go into a car dealer and ask what is 
the maximum power output for a radio transmitter inastalled in their car 
before the car starts acting "funny". I'll bet they will say that they don't
"recommend" installing any radio transmitter in their vehicles (or a really 
small power level).

* both stories/warnings in QST magazine.