Yesterday I pretended that my accelerator was stuck and tried to shut down the engine while doing about 10 miles per hour. Pushed button once, nothing; pushed button twice, nothing; pushed button 3 times, nothing. How do you shut these cars down in an emergency?

 

With the Lexus start/stop button, you need to hold the push-button down for 3 seconds continuously for the engine to cut out, while in Drive.

Push button 3x is I think the method to turn off a Nissan/Infiniti start/stop button, but I'm not too familiar with that system.

 

It would be much better to practice shifting into neutral. That way you will not lose the power steering and power brakes. Then shut it off when you come to a stop.

 

Excellent suggestion. Exactly what my wife and I practiced the first week of ownership. In a functioning 450, shifting to neutral disables the accelerator. Using the power button is way safer when stopped.

 

Mazda (and im assuming all ford products) turn off with the 3 second hold as well as with the 3 pushes of the start button

 

This is the way to do it.

Unfortunately, the policeman who was driving his Lexus with his family did not do this. He has plenty of time enough to call 911 when his car continue to accelerate. Finally he hit something and got killed along with the people in the car. And the guy was a officer!

Put the gear in neutral and step on the brake. Coast the car to the shoulder. Perhaps put on your emergency lights too. When you are at the shoulder, kill the engine by pushing the start/stop button until the engine dies. The manual says 3 seconds but hold on to the button until the engine is dead.

Then call a tow car to a licensed mechanic shop, not at Lexus. You need an independent expert mechanic to check the car out.

 

I fail to see the purpose of this. Please explain.

 

Hopefully this problem won't happen on the RX350. And hopefully if it ever does, that nobody will come to harm. But it did happen on other models. And lives were lost.

You want an independent non-Lexus professional opinion on what actually cause the acceleration. You gather this evidence to present to Lexus if that is the action one takes. Or you need that information to be presented to a court of law should that be the action taken when the problem resulted in harm to people or to the car.

 

I think evena a lexus dealer will testify if they do find something. That would not be a lexus/toyota problem, that is a moral one

 

wouldn't powering off w/ the start button cause steering wheel to lock in place

 

JSKennedy:

That is precisely why the third poster in this thread suggested that someone in this situation shift into neutral, stop the car, them shut it off with the power button. That way you will not lose the power steering.

 

driving w/o pwr steering could be a little annoying especially if you're out of shape

driving w/ a steering wheel that is locked in position is a entirely different issue

 

I didnt the the RX's were affected by this issue?

 

NO lexus models are affected by the recall.

This is because they are japanese made and the accelerator pedal is supplied by Denso instead of CTS. The RX even though is built outside of Japan, still uses Denso pedals. We are just discussion a BIG if.

 

do the RX's have ebrakes?