Read this on Wikipedia. sounds crazy! Runaway vehicle? Is this safe?

The cost of DbW systems is often greater than conventional systems. The extra costs stem from greater complexity, development costs and the redundant elements needed to make the system safe. Failures in the control systems can result in an unstoppable runaway vehicle - if the throttle, ignition and transmission are all beyond the direct control of the driver there is no effective way to stop the vehicle in such an event.

 

It makes it seem like the brakes would go out or power brakes go out making it hard to stop no matter what.

technology in the automotive industry replaces the traditional mechanical and hydraulic control systems with electronic control systems using electromechanical actuators and human-machine interfaces such as pedal and steering feel emulators. Hence, the traditional components such as the steering column, intermediate shafts, pumps, hoses, fluids, belts, coolers and brake boosters and master cylinders are eliminated from the vehicle.


Mybe I'm not understanding this that well. If I'm just being stupid with this question sorry guys.

 

I think it is possible and I did hear about someone in Germany that kept accelerating and then sued VW or whoever it was for faulty systems. That has been the only incident ever (publicized) so it seems they have figured out all the issues.

I'm sure that Honda has thought about what should override what and the brake pedal probably always has power over everything else. You can also shift to neutral no matter how "stuck" the DBW gets.

If you're worried, trace the system in your car. There is a main harness plug on the throttle body that would probably kill the system if you unplug it.

 

Neutral and ebrake.

 

Ya kinda figured that was going to be the only way out was the ebrake.

I lost brakes on a 1991 eagle talon on 18 pounds off boost at 150mph and I'm glad to be alive after that. so when i read this it gave me flash backs of a guard rail. car caught fire from over down shifting

 

thats what the ignition switch is for... turn it off and there you go, no more power to the ecu... we have it now in boats and have for 3 years... only heard of one issue and nothing happened, just the springs broke in the throttle plate so it wouldn't idle correctly, other than that, nothing else was awry and nothing else has ever gone wrong... pretty amazing how small the failure rate is on these systems... better the the previous stuff...