Investigation of Electrical Component Failures Affecting Vehicle Electronics

This paper examines the AP-to-ECM interfaces of five vehicles equipped with electronic throttle control systems. All five vehicles employ simple voltage level sensing from two or three sensors in the accelerator pedal assembly. The purpose of the study is to identify any differences in the AP-to-ECM interfaces of vehicles with high reported rates of unintended acceleration compared to vehicles with low reported rates of unintended acceleration. The study does not attempt to identify the root causes of unintended acceleration; however it points out important design issues that suggest a set of best practices for electronic throttle control design.