▁earlier ▁sudden ▁acceleration ▁inc idents . ▁ ▁And ▁studying ▁the ▁thro tt le ▁systems ▁at ▁NASA ' s ▁Lang ley ▁Research ▁Center ▁and ▁Ch rys ler ' s ▁A ub urn ▁Hills ▁headquarters . ▁ ▁ABC ▁News ▁acceleration ▁controvers y ▁On ▁February ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁ABC ▁News ▁broadcast ▁a ▁report ▁which ▁apparently ▁demonstrated ▁how ▁un int ended ▁acceleration ▁could ▁be ▁caused ▁by ▁indu cing ▁a ▁short ▁circuit ▁in ▁the ▁thro tt le ▁control . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁segment , ▁Dave ▁Gilbert , ▁a ▁Ph D ▁engineer ▁and ▁professor ▁of ▁autom ot ive ▁technology ▁at ▁Southern ▁Illinois ▁University ▁Car b ond ale , ▁was ▁shown ▁in ▁a ▁late - model ▁A val on ▁with ▁ABC ▁News ▁rep orter ▁Brian ▁Ross . ▁ ▁By ▁" ind uc ing ▁a ▁short " ▁in ▁an ▁un spec ified ▁circuit , ▁Gilbert ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁cause ▁the ▁A val on ▁to ▁acceler ate ▁dram atically . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁car ▁was ▁stopped , ▁a ▁di agnostic ▁tool ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁car ' s ▁EC U ▁displayed ▁no ▁fault ▁code . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Dr . ▁Gilbert , ▁proper ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁E TC ▁should ▁not ▁have ▁permitted ▁a ▁short ▁like ▁the ▁one ▁he ▁induced ▁to ▁open ▁the ▁thro tt le ; ▁the ▁EC U ▁should ▁have ▁detected ▁a ▁fault ▁and ▁cut ▁the ▁thro tt le . ▁ ▁Test s ▁on ▁G M ▁vehicles , ▁Gilbert ▁said , ▁did ▁not ▁expose ▁a ▁similar ▁f law . ▁Aut ob logs ▁analysis ▁quer ied