Why do cars still have traditional instruments?

[The_Burg]

Now i know there are differences but in this day and age surely a LCD panel of say 7" or so could replace the binaccle?
Display could be fully customisable, ie analogue style /digital, a choice of what is displayed eg, just the speedo except when a fault or warning occurs for normal folk or every parameter under the sun for the geek / enthusiast, complete choice of colours, fonts etc.? All the data is available via ODBC anyway so no change to sensors and it has to be cheaper than all the mechanical bits and bobs.

Same as washing machines, cheapo ones have hugely complex mechanical programmers which must be hell to make still. Fully electronic would cost pence.

[chunkymonkey71]

Lexus and Mercedes have been doing this for years on their more expensive models.

[va1o]

The same reason cars don't drive themselves

[Accelebrate]

Brilliant, until it's sunny and you can't see anything.

[The_Burg]

va1o said:

The same reason cars don't drive themselves

In what way? The technology for a display has been around for years and is very well proven.

You can even get a bit of kit to plug into ODBC and connects to sat nav to display all sorts of realtime info.
Same as you can use the 'Climatronic' in VW's to display all sorts of info with a hack, not that i've ever managed to get most of them to work!

[The_Burg]

Accelebrate said:

Brilliant, until it's sunny and you can't see anything.

Personally every car i've ever had has had recessed dials or shades to solve this issue.

[Hitler Hadrump]

I like analogue dials. Last thing we need in cars is another bloody screen.

[Triumph Man]

Hitler Hadrump said:

I like analogue dials. Last thing we need in cars is another bloody screen.

+1, there's something just right about good analogue dials. I will never buy a car with digital instruments. Thankfully these seem to be reserved mostly (at the moment) for lots of French pieces of tat.

[Acheron]

Those citroens have a display dont they that show the speed.

It would drive me insane. I'd always have to have it on an even number, like 30 or 32 or 28. I hate odd numbers.

At least a conventional speedo isnt as clear to make out and is also less obvious. The numbers in the citroen are too big.

Maybe im just weird

[TTwiggy]

Probably because car manufacturers remain resolutely behind the times with respect to the sort of technology that we take for granted in other areas.

When I bought my Audi TT in 2003 (it was a 2001 model), the bloody thing had a tape play - in a car that cost just north of £30k new. Granted, it also had a cd changer (at vast additional cost...), but where on earth could you still buy tapes in 2001?

[Accelebrate]

The_Burg said:

Personally every car i've ever had has had recessed dials or shades to solve this issue.

Most the time, I've struggled to read recessed onboard satnavs on a few occasions. Maybe I should head to specsavers.

The traditional instruments that annoy me more are the 1980s digital watch style displays which some manufacturers still fit to some cars for the clock, climate control etc.

[redstu]

Hitler Hadrump said:

I like analogue dials. Last thing we need in cars is another bloody screen.

a lot of people like dials, some people actually take driving seriously rather than an extension of an xbox game!

Cars are too complex anyway without adding further. Now if the software and displays were open source then more people might be interested.
Complexity only reduces cost for the manufacturer and raises expense for the customer. Or is that being cynical?

[TriumphVitesse]

WTF do we need more bks technology thats impossible to fix when it goes wrong

"Er, hello garage, my LCD speedo, fuel & temp display have stopped working, shall I come with or without lube when you present Me with the repair bill?"

[ZeeTacoe]

because they look horrible?

[Hugo a Gogo]

The_Burg said:

Same as washing machines, cheapo ones have hugely complex mechanical programmers which must be hell to make still. Fully electronic would cost pence.

and all those washing machines are cheap, reliable, easily and cheaply fixed....

[Mattt]

I have this, and never pay attention to the speed needle, only the rev needle. I read speed off the LCD.

I read that humans are better at reading changing information off analogue displays, and static information in the form of text.

[The_Burg]

Some seem to have missed my point, the costs could be cheaper.
The display could be fully customisable, so analogue, bar graph, Knightrider speak and spell style.
Why would a solid state device be more unreliable than a mechanical device?

Perhaps we should scrap that unreliable programmed ignition and fuel injection and go back to manual choked carbs and contact breakers?

[pilchardthecat]

Hugo a Gogo said:

The_Burg said:

Same as washing machines, cheapo ones have hugely complex mechanical programmers which must be hell to make still. Fully electronic would cost pence.

and all those washing machines are cheap, reliable, easily and cheaply fixed....

And the electronic ones break twice a year and require you to pay callout/parts/labour everytime they go wrong, or buy an expensive warranty.

Which begs the question: why haven't car manufacturers started doing it?

[Jayho]

Technology acceptace of the current customers?

There are probably many people who use cars purely as getting from A to B, and go for the very very basic models, to make more money from ones wanting more, car manufacturers can charge a premium for these "Extras"

[soad]

Hitler Hadrump said:

I like analogue dials. Last thing we need in cars is another bloody screen.

Yes, me too. Agreed