"Secret" car features.
Discussion
worldwidewomble said:
May already have been posted but if you start the engine on an BMW E87 1 series and immediately turn it off again, you can remove the key and start the car provided you do within 10 seconds or so. Allows you to set the heater/fans to full demist, leave the car and lock it. Handy if you don't have it parked outside your house.
Not exactly weather appropriate today!
Can you set the car to a/c instead?Not exactly weather appropriate today!
sebhaque said:
Apparently I'm really fick too as I actually like knowing where my indicator stalk is. Nae bother, I'm obviously too dumb to drive because I like tactile feedback. 
At the risk of repeating a feature, I've been driving around in a new Focus for the past few weeks. When you engage the wipers, they park themselves after a sweep slightly proud of where they rest. If you deactivate the wipers while they're parked, they move back down about an inch to keep clear of the windscreen. I tested this a few times and noticed how the wipers, on intermittent, would park themselves in view of the driver, but as soon as I flicked the stalk down, they'd also retreat into the cavity between the bonnet and the windscreen.
Subaru SVX had a switch to alter the height that the wipers sat at. I think the manual said that the high position placed the wipers in the path of the heater so that in very cold weather they would be unfrozen quickly.At the risk of repeating a feature, I've been driving around in a new Focus for the past few weeks. When you engage the wipers, they park themselves after a sweep slightly proud of where they rest. If you deactivate the wipers while they're parked, they move back down about an inch to keep clear of the windscreen. I tested this a few times and noticed how the wipers, on intermittent, would park themselves in view of the driver, but as soon as I flicked the stalk down, they'd also retreat into the cavity between the bonnet and the windscreen.
Have I done the unlock the doors on an SVX with a pin code? pull up on the door handle to enter a 4 digit number and get the doors to open.
To open the boot on my TVR 350i is an easy process.
Simply walk up to the car, unlock, pull up on the door handle to open it (doesn't pull out like most people try), then insert immobiliser fob into the slot until the light stops flashing. You then have 10 seconds to put the other key, which says "ford" on it (not the one you unlocked the door with) in the ignition slot, turn the ignition on and press the black square inside the door shut.
Simple, Honestly.
Simply walk up to the car, unlock, pull up on the door handle to open it (doesn't pull out like most people try), then insert immobiliser fob into the slot until the light stops flashing. You then have 10 seconds to put the other key, which says "ford" on it (not the one you unlocked the door with) in the ignition slot, turn the ignition on and press the black square inside the door shut.
Simple, Honestly.
aka_kerrly said:
JordanTurbo said:
The "feature" is a bit less technical on the Discovery 2 though.
In short it involves turning the engine on using the ignition, and then yanking the fob. At which point it detaches and leaves the key blade behind in the barrel
It worked at the time, but now with the vehicle and keys getting old the blades are almost always too loose in the fobs. Meaning they have a tendacy to fall out and get lost.
How many keys!!! I expect the weight of all those other keys constantly swinging around has weakened your ignition key.In short it involves turning the engine on using the ignition, and then yanking the fob. At which point it detaches and leaves the key blade behind in the barrel
It worked at the time, but now with the vehicle and keys getting old the blades are almost always too loose in the fobs. Meaning they have a tendacy to fall out and get lost.
My set is much lighter with just BMW, Land Rover, garage and front door keys on it.
Couldn't use it to take the picture though, as the landrover blade has been permanently clued into the fob after I got fed up of it inadvertently being left behind in the ignition barrel when exiting.
Contigo said:
That brake feature 'disc wiping' is on most high end German Marques (my B7 RS4 had it too) and has been for some years.
Interesting- something I ( and countless other old folks ) learned to do on old non computerised cars with drum brakes all round. Drive through a lot of water on the roads/small floods and you learned to touch the brake pedal to dry out the drums. Nice to see it an an auto feature on VAG- I tried it on first Golf van I drove in heavy rain/ couple imches of flood ,and the engine reverted to idle- VW told me this was VW ECU programming, and only cure was to build up some speed and then try. TooLateForAName said:
Subaru SVX had a switch to alter the height that the wipers sat at. I think the manual said that the high position placed the wipers in the path of the heater so that in very cold weather they would be unfrozen quickly.
Have I done the unlock the doors on an SVX with a pin code? pull up on the door handle to enter a 4 digit number and get the doors to open.
The Outback had electric heating elements where the wipers park. These can be switched on to defrost the wiper and make the blade pliable. Have I done the unlock the doors on an SVX with a pin code? pull up on the door handle to enter a 4 digit number and get the doors to open.
The Moose said:
I've personally never had an issue remembering what setting I stuck the indicator on during a move such as you describe (junction briefly after another junction).
As you don't see millions of s
tty Vauxhalls crashed and burning at these junctions, I can only assume you're one of those people...
If I were a gambling man, I'd bet you're also "blinded" by brake lights when stopped at traffic lights also
I regularly see Vauxhalls with indicators flicking from one side to the other, and having driven a few of the hateful piles of sAs you don't see millions of s
tty Vauxhalls crashed and burning at these junctions, I can only assume you're one of those people...If I were a gambling man, I'd bet you're also "blinded" by brake lights when stopped at traffic lights also
t I can see why it's easy to to do this. Sounds like even Vauxhall have effectively admitted it was a st design.MethylatedSpirit said:
To open the boot on my TVR 350i is an easy process.
Simply walk up to the car, unlock, pull up on the door handle to open it (doesn't pull out like most people try), then insert immobiliser fob into the slot until the light stops flashing. You then have 10 seconds to put the other key, which says "ford" on it (not the one you unlocked the door with) in the ignition slot, turn the ignition on and press the black square inside the door shut.
Simple, Honestly.
I read this and my first instinct was to say "fSimply walk up to the car, unlock, pull up on the door handle to open it (doesn't pull out like most people try), then insert immobiliser fob into the slot until the light stops flashing. You then have 10 seconds to put the other key, which says "ford" on it (not the one you unlocked the door with) in the ignition slot, turn the ignition on and press the black square inside the door shut.
Simple, Honestly.
k off you wind up!";-)
Mr2Mike said:
I regularly see Vauxhalls with indicators flicking from one side to the other, and having driven a few of the hateful piles of st I can see why it's easy to to do this. Sounds like even Vauxhall have effectively admitted it was a st design.
You're mistaken. It works perfectly well. It's neither better nor worse than any other design. t I can see why it's easy to to do this. Sounds like even Vauxhall have effectively admitted it was a st design.Jimmy Recard said:
Mr2Mike said:
I regularly see Vauxhalls with indicators flicking from one side to the other, and having driven a few of the hateful piles of st I can see why it's easy to to do this. Sounds like even Vauxhall have effectively admitted it was a st design.
You're mistaken. It works perfectly well. It's neither better nor worse than any other design. t I can see why it's easy to to do this. Sounds like even Vauxhall have effectively admitted it was a st design.blueg33 said:
TooLateForAName said:
Subaru SVX had a switch to alter the height that the wipers sat at. I think the manual said that the high position placed the wipers in the path of the heater so that in very cold weather they would be unfrozen quickly.
Have I done the unlock the doors on an SVX with a pin code? pull up on the door handle to enter a 4 digit number and get the doors to open.
The Outback had electric heating elements where the wipers park. These can be switched on to defrost the wiper and make the blade pliable. Have I done the unlock the doors on an SVX with a pin code? pull up on the door handle to enter a 4 digit number and get the doors to open.
rscott said:
Older Saabs used to have a very simple system for heating the screenwash - the pipe from the reservoir was basically coiled around the coolant pipes several times.
My Peugeot 405 from the early 1990's had washer nozzles mounted on the wiper arms...with a suitably long hose to feed them which - in colder weather - was probably the least good place to route them. Took ages to defrost - although a jug of warm water liberally poured around could work. Poor design for northern Europe.My first car - BMC Mini traveller - had screen wash fitted as an aftermarket device - simple pump operated on finger power. Great until the pipe let go above your knees.
The Don of Croy said:
My Peugeot 405 from the early 1990's had washer nozzles mounted on the wiper arms...with a suitably long hose to feed them which - in colder weather - was probably the least good place to route them. Took ages to defrost - although a jug of warm water liberally poured around could work. Poor design for northern Europe.
Citroën BX was similar but WORSE. The tube ran along the length of the blade with pinholes at regular intervals. Put the water exactly where you wanted it across the whole swept area.....until it got a bit cold.Edited by CanAm on Saturday 23 July 13:02
Jimmy Recard said:
You're mistaken. It works perfectly well. It's neither better nor worse than any other design.
I'm hardly mistaken; I've both experienced the stty indicators for myself and seen other people struggling with them. Removing tactile feedback from a control is an absolutely fundamental bit of bad design, and Vauxhall have admitted as much by changing the design.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff