4 ms·

Because physical throttle cables never got stuck for that 3/4 of a century.

MarcoZavala 4y ago
bob1029 4y ago
The failure mode of a physical throttle cable is almost always much more gradual than with a computer bug, which can effectively kill you instantly without warning.
- jandrese 4y ago
  My grandfather had a truck on his farm with an occasionally sticky throttle. He failed to mention this when I had just gotten my learners permit and was trying to get some practice. So the family hopped in the back and he took shotgun so we could drive over to the cattle pasture and check on the herd. Halfway there I hit a bump in the dirt road and accidentally smacked the throttle with my foot, which causes it to stick on the floorboard just as we are approached the stream to crossing. Luckily for everyone involved my grandfather knew what to do and slapped the stick into neutral before we all went careening over the rocky crossing. I was a bit slower getting the clutch in and the brakes on being a new driver. It was pretty weird feeling stopped in the middle of a stream with brakes fully on and the engine roaring. He then reached over and turned off the key, making me feel like an even bigger idiot for not thinking of it. The point is if you're not mentally prepared for a runaway engine it's hard to figure it out on the fly in the mere moments you have before your doom. Follow on note: Grandpa gave that truck to my uncle a few years later and my uncle managed to blow up the engine almost immediately. Turns out some of the head bolts were not fully tightened down at the factory but my grandfather drove it so gently that it wasn't a problem except for a persistent but low grade oil consumption issue for its entire life.
- MengerSponge 4y ago
  "almost" is doing a lot of work in that sentence
- cameronh90 4y ago
  I had a car from the 90s that suddenly developed a sticky throttle. Of course you just put the clutch in and nothing to worry about.
jacquesm 4y ago
They did, but at least you were aware of it, besides, throttle cables breaking was far more common than them getting stuck. And typically if a throttle cable got stuck it wasn't really the cable but the butterfly valve attached to it that got stuck, usually on gunk in the throttlebody itself.

The failure mode of a physical throttle cable is almost always much more gradual than with a computer bug, which can effectively kill you instantly without warning.

jandrese 4y ago
My grandfather had a truck on his farm with an occasionally sticky throttle. He failed to mention this when I had just gotten my learners permit and was trying to get some practice. So the family hopped in the back and he took shotgun so we could drive over to the cattle pasture and check on the herd. Halfway there I hit a bump in the dirt road and accidentally smacked the throttle with my foot, which causes it to stick on the floorboard just as we are approached the stream to crossing. Luckily for everyone involved my grandfather knew what to do and slapped the stick into neutral before we all went careening over the rocky crossing. I was a bit slower getting the clutch in and the brakes on being a new driver. It was pretty weird feeling stopped in the middle of a stream with brakes fully on and the engine roaring. He then reached over and turned off the key, making me feel like an even bigger idiot for not thinking of it. The point is if you're not mentally prepared for a runaway engine it's hard to figure it out on the fly in the mere moments you have before your doom. Follow on note: Grandpa gave that truck to my uncle a few years later and my uncle managed to blow up the engine almost immediately. Turns out some of the head bolts were not fully tightened down at the factory but my grandfather drove it so gently that it wasn't a problem except for a persistent but low grade oil consumption issue for its entire life.
MengerSponge 4y ago
"almost" is doing a lot of work in that sentence
cameronh90 4y ago
I had a car from the 90s that suddenly developed a sticky throttle. Of course you just put the clutch in and nothing to worry about.

jacquesm 4y ago

They did, but at least you were aware of it, besides, throttle cables breaking was far more common than them getting stuck. And typically if a throttle cable got stuck it wasn't really the cable but the butterfly valve attached to it that got stuck, usually on gunk in the throttlebody itself.