Did Chrysler beat GM to the punch?

[Gem99ultra]

I suppose I'm behind the times on timing chains. I thought just about everybody had gone from 'chains' to timing belts. Still, I fail to understand how shutting an ignition switch off would scatter the valves, head damage, etc. I did have a Ford Escort back in the '80s that broke a timing belt (at 40K miles!) that allowed a number of valves to get bent, which also caused head damage. Like others have said though - the junk people put on their key chain is absurd. It's easy to see how it could move the switch. BTW, the US government did get rid of the rest of their GM stock.

 

[dodge man]

I suppose I'm behind the times on timing chains. I thought just about everybody had gone from 'chains' to timing belts. Still, I fail to understand how shutting an ignition switch off would scatter the valves, head damage, etc. I did have a Ford Escort back in the '80s that broke a timing belt (at 40K miles!) that allowed a number of valves to get bent, which also caused head damage. Like others have said though - the junk people put on their key chain is absurd. It's easy to see how it could move the switch. BTW, the US government did get rid of the rest of their GM stock.

Timing chains are still very common. I don't know this for a fact but I bet as many cars have timing chains as they do belts. The timing chain drives the camshaft, if it breaks the engine dies just as if you shut the ignition off. Its a totally separate issue from GM's problem but the result is the same, you are going down the road at maybe 75 mph and you have no power steering, no abs or traction control. 99% of the time the person just pulls over to the side and calls a wrecker but if the road conditions or bad or traffic is bad you can see how it would be a problem.

 

[HillStreet]

I'll never buy another GM vehicle. Jacked up company.

By the way... Why isn't the government drilling GM like they did Toyota? Oh wait.. That Toyota lynch mob was from Michigan! Lol

I quit buying GM a long tlime ago and will not go back.

I was furious when the chairman of GM went to Washington duriing the bailout and said something like "I have to have $25 billion right away for R & D for electric vehicles". Just an excuse to grab money, GM and all car manufacturers know there are way too many limitations on electric vehicles and have been trying to overcome them for 40 years.

 

[MikePA]

The only company that's making electric vehicles, not hybrids, that make sense and that people are buying, is Tesla.

 

[orezok]

It's a corporate/stock holder thing. I can remember back in the 60's when Coleman company had a camping stove that had a defect that allowed the unit to flare up and burn people. At that time the company was privately owned by the Coleman family.

In a board meeting the issue was discussed and the lawyers stated that the cost of a recall would be x dollars and the cost of suits would be 1/2 x dollars. It would be better for the company to deal with the lawsuits as it would save money.

Mr. Coleman looked at the lawyers and stated, "My name is on every one of those stoves, you will recall them immediately!"

Ahh the difference

 

[crazyal]

Recalls with the car companies is all about legal exposure and money. They take the problem to their lawyers who determine whether a recall or a certain numbers of lawsuits will be more expensive, and make the final decision off the lowest numbers. The number of consumers who get maimed or killed is irrelevant

Toyota fell into this trap and changed. Now they issue recalls all the time.

 

[crazyal]

The only company that's making electric vehicles, not hybrids, that make sense and that people are buying, is Tesla.

In the big picture Tesla is a small fish with a tiny amount of sales. More people buy the Nissan Leaf than the S.

 

[houstonscott]

The only company that's making electric vehicles, not hybrids, that make sense and that people are buying, is Tesla.

No electric vehicle makes sense. HS

 

[MikePA]

In the big picture Tesla is a small fish with a tiny amount of sales. More people buy the Nissan Leaf than the S.

I didn't mention sales, I said 'makes sense', i.e., has the range and performance of a similar gasoline vehicle. 84 miles/charge of a Leaf vs 300 miles/charge of a Tesla.

No electric vehicle makes sense. HS

Blanket statements say more about the poster than the topic.

 

[Oaktree]

Originally Posted by houstonscott
No electric vehicle makes sense. HS

Blanket statements say more about the poster than the topic.

Maybe someday electric cars will make sense, that day is not today. Maybe if you live in a city and don't drive much (but still have a place where you can easily charge it), but that's it. Right now it's more about making a statement of "look how green I am" than it is about practicality. A Tesla is a rich man's tech toy/status symbol.

The price and long charging times are a deal killer for now. GM had the right idea with the Volt, I'm surprised no one else has run with it.