emergency engine shut off
 

because of the recent Toyota recall with stuck accelerators, I'm wondering about our engine-shutoff procedure. Lexus has push-button starts and people are saying it will not shutoff the engine. Some are saying if you hold the button down it will. Does anyone know what the case is for the E70? It does not mention it in the manual. And will doing this cut off the power steering / brakes?

I don't think anyone should try this..........but theoretically yes if you hold the button for a few seconds, all power will be shut down.

As with any car when you shut down everything, you lose power steering. There maybe enough reserve boost left in the brakes for one or two applications, but otherwise you will be on manual brakes which mean you'll have to use a LOT of force and obviously increase stopping distances.

another potential solution is simply shift the gear into 'neutral' and then brake. No?

Yeah, with the engine having a rev limiter that should work. I wonder what happens if you do not have comfort access and remove the "key" from the socket?

This has been a problem for all cars since they went to column locks in the 1970's. Before then, you could switch off the ignition, but once they went to the column locks, you cannot shut off the engine without locking the steering wheel.

yes, this is also for the after. ;) Another thing is with all the electronics, you don't know if neutral will even work. A cop driving his family around in a Toyota/Lexus was unable to think on his feet and his whole family died... lots of things to worry about while in the moment.

Which makes this thread worthwhile -- as the readers of it will undoubtedly be better prepared to do something quickly if it happens to them.

Once you start the car with the key fob clicked in, I didn't think you could remove it until you turned the car off.

Hnmm...
In my late 80s PathFinder you can switch off the engine WITHOUT locking the steering wheel. But you can not get the keys out of the ignition switch without locking the steering wheel.

FWIW I just proved this by switching off the engine while it was rolling down the driveway and made a 90 degree left hand turn with the engine not running but the keys still in the ignition. Score one for the ranch truck :)

Funf Dreisig

p.s. the loss of power steering made it a lot more difficult but I could make a 90 degree turn with some effort. Of course the ranch truck has a real steering wheel roughly 1/3 larger than the cool leather covered game controller in the E70 :)

Interesting. I think truck did have some looser regulations that passenger vehicles, e.g., my 1992 Ford Explorer doesn't have air bags, but I believe passenger vehicles (cars) had to have them in 1992.

Anyone know if the locking steering wheel was a legal requirement, or just an industry standard to reduce insurance premiums?

pretty sure you can pull the key out with the truck running. but i have CA