THE ANTI SKID SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE HAS A MAJOR FLAW IN OPERATIONAL DESIGN THAT ONLY BECOMES EVIDENT IN PACKED SNOW & ICE CONDITIONS, AND AT VERY LOW INITIAL SPEEDS, WHEN FIRST BEGINNING TO MOVE ON A DOWNHILL SLOPE. ON SUCH SLIPPERY SURFACES, WHEN THE CAR IS BARELY MOVING FORWARD DOWNHILL BY GRAVITY, IF YOU APPLY THE BRAKES EVER SO GENTLY TO AVOID UNWANTED ACCELERATION, THE ANTI-SKID WILL RELEASE RAPIDLY AND CONTINUOUSLY, DESTROYING ANY DECELERATION CAPABILITITY, EVEN THOUGH THE SURFACE FRICTION CHARACTERISTICS ARE SUCH THAT THE TIRES COULD GRIP AND STOP THE CAR. I DRIVE IN HILLY TERRAIN IN THE WINTER AND THIS HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES. TO DEMONSTRATE TO MYSELF THAT THE CAR CAN BE STOPPED UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS, I HAVE, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, DONE THE FOLLOWING; PLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN REVERSE WHILE THE CAR IS STOPPED ON A SLIPPERY DOWNHILL GRADE, WITH THE FOOTBRAKES APPLIED. THE 'REVERSE' INPUT TO THE TRANSMISSION TRIES TO MOVE THE CAR UPWARD ON THE HILL. SLOWLY RELEASING THE BRAKES PERMITS GRAVITY TO MOVE THE CAR DOWNHILL, EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION IS APPLYING A FORCE AGAINST IT.. AS THE CAR ACCELERATES FORWARD (BECAUSE OF GRAVITYD), I APPLY JUST ENOUGH GAS PEDAL TO BRING THE CAR TO A STOP, VIA THE TRANSMISSION 'REVERSE' IMPUT TO THE TIRE AND SURFACE INTERFACE.. HAD I APPLIED THE FOOTBRAKE ALONE, WITHOUT THE REVERSING FORCE, THE ANTI-SKID WOULD HAVE ACTIVATED AND RAPIDLY CYCLED AS THE CAR ACCELERATED DOWNHILL. I HAVE NEARLY WRECKED MY CAR SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS SHOPRTCOMING. EACH TIME I STOPPED ONIY WHEN REACHING THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL. THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM THAT CAN EASILY BE FIXED BY SUBARU BY TWEAKING THE SYSTEM TO CUT OUT AT VERY LOW SPEEDS. I HOPE YOU CAN SOLVE THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INTO REAL TROUBLE. THANK YOU. J. RUDDY. *AK
2013
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 SUBARU OUTBACK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE BRAKING TO A STOP, THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED EXCESSIVELY AS THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.