Toyota is asking 75,000 owners of Prius hybrid cars to come in and have their vehicle's software checked.
A software glitch in some 2004 and 2005 Priuses can make a warning light come on without cause, and in some cases shut down the gas engine altogether, a Toyota spokeswoman said. Because the Prius also has an electric engine, drivers typically can safely get to the side of the road, where they can restart their cars.
Sixty-eight incidents of Prius warning lights flashing without cause or engines shutting down have been reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Toyota spokeswoman added. NHTSA has not asked for a recall, but has told Toyota to notify owners. The automaker is doing that through letters.
When drivers bring in their cars, mechanics will examine the car and reprogram the electronic control module if necessary. In some cases, mechanics may also apply a dielectric grease to a connector on the transaxle--a unit that combines a transmission and an axle's differential gear--to keep water from getting inside. Water entering the transaxle can cause problems to those related to the software glitch.
While vapor locks, worn clutches and bad tires have long stalled drivers, motorists are discovering a whole new generation of problems with the advent of the electronic car. Manufacturers have replaced traditional emergency brakes and other parts with electronic devices in many models in the past few years.
The public, though, will have to be convinced of the reliability of these electronic wonders, and the current problems with the Prius (not to mention the general public's familiarity with desktop crashes) likely won't help.
Despite a few minor problems, the Prius has become quite a strong seller for Toyota. The company shipped 125,742 of the hybrid vehicles worldwide in 2004, selling 53,991 in the U.S. alone. So far, 81,042 have been sold in the U.S. in 2005.
NOTE: For David and Andrew (our resident MS fanz), just in case you're ready to launch into me for being anti-MS, this is simply a pun. Sometimes it's okay to smile.
That would be funny, and yes Microsoft drivers are horrible. I have this one IBM USB mouse, windows recognizes it only about half the time it's plugged in. And and works perfect with other OS. __________________________________ R.K. <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com/" target="_newWindow">http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com/</a>
NOTE: For David and Andrew (our resident MS fanz), just in case you're ready to launch into me for being anti-MS, this is simply a pun. Sometimes it's okay to smile.
That would be funny, and yes Microsoft drivers are horrible. I have this one IBM USB mouse, windows recognizes it only about half the time it's plugged in. And and works perfect with other OS. __________________________________ R.K. <a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com/" target="_newWindow">http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com/</a>
Web giant is spending $120 million to beef up its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, according to filings with the city reviewed by the San Jose Mercury News.
The Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 S6500 could make its debut at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month, according to a leaked promotional image.
MIT creates a simulation to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Spacewar. A relic of the early days of minicomputers, it was one of the first computer video games and set the stage for many others, including Asteroids.
NOTE: For David and Andrew (our resident MS fanz), just in case you're ready to launch into me for being anti-MS, this is simply a pun. Sometimes it's okay to smile.
__________________________________
R.K.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com/" target="_newWindow">http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com/</a>
NOTE: For David and Andrew (our resident MS fanz), just in case you're ready to launch into me for being anti-MS, this is simply a pun. Sometimes it's okay to smile.
__________________________________
R.K.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com/" target="_newWindow">http://www.Remove-All-Spyware.com/</a>