Five most useless features in a car

[bobbo89]

My old FN2 Type R with its start button. It still had a stanard key that you put in the ignition and turned but instead of that starting the car, you then had to push the start button. Pure gimmick!

Its cup holders were also pointless with them being directly infront of the gearstick!

[mp3manager]

TonyRPH said:

To all those complaining about dashboard dimmers...

I found them really useful when driving for long hours in the middle of the night on unlit roads.

My only pet peeve with them, is when they are placed next to the headlamp height adjuster, and it's easy to get confused between the two..

Good job the brake and accelerator pedals aren't placed next to each other then, as it would be easy to confuse between the two of them........oh wait!

[boxedin]

JimbobVFR said:

Boot release on the key fob. My A2 has this and it's less than useless. You still need to lift the hatch using the handle where the release is, also if you use the fob to release the boot the car will automatically relock when closed, handy if you put the keys down while arranging your stuff.

arghh.. Did this very recently, turned out to be a very expensive 'feature' in my experience. I didn't realise it would lock on closing.

[Fastdruid]

boxedin said:

JimbobVFR said:

Boot release on the key fob. My A2 has this and it's less than useless. You still need to lift the hatch using the handle where the release is, also if you use the fob to release the boot the car will automatically relock when closed, handy if you put the keys down while arranging your stuff.

arghh.. Did this very recently, turned out to be a very expensive 'feature' in my experience. I didn't realise it would lock on closing.

It is one advantage to having the 'keyless entry', on the versions of the Mondeo (and I presume other makes) with it there is an additional sensor in the boot which recognises the key and doesn't lock if you leave the key in the boot. Doesn't work on the plain old 'keyless start' though (I've just tried it with the spare key to hand).

[TonyRPH]

mp3manager said:

TonyRPH said:

To all those complaining about dashboard dimmers...

I found them really useful when driving for long hours in the middle of the night on unlit roads.

My only pet peeve with them, is when they are placed next to the headlamp height adjuster, and it's easy to get confused between the two..

Good job the brake and accelerator pedals aren't placed next to each other then, as it would be easy to confuse between the two of them........oh wait!

lol but seriously - I was referring to this (Audi A3) example in particular.

[Fastdruid]

TonyRPH said:

lol but seriously - I was referring to this (Audi A3) example in particular.

That is a bit crazy to have identical dials that close given that you'd mostly be going for it in the dark...

[jamei303]

A dash dimmer shouldn't be necessary. There seems to be a trend towards brighter whiter/bluer dashes recently. I don't know what's wrong with a dull red suitable for driving in all conditions. I've never driven a car and wished the dash was illuminated more brightly at night.

[Fastdruid]

jamei303 said:

A dash dimmer shouldn't be necessary. There seems to be a trend towards brighter whiter/bluer dashes recently. I don't know what's wrong with a dull red suitable for driving in all conditions. I've never driven a car and wished the dash was illuminated more brightly at night.

I need one as with auto lights it either ends up too bright or too dim depending on time of day.

Set it perfect for night and when the lights come on in the day (eg due to rain or a tunnel) you can't see the dash at all. Re-set it so you can see it and then come night time it burns brighter than the sun and you can't see a thing until you turn it down. Repeat ad-infinitum on a daily basis in Autumn and Spring.

[jamienshelly]

Regarding sidelights, I would not be without them!, You are driving at night on unlit country roads and your o/s headlight fails, all oncoming vehicles, especially motorbikes and lorries, think that you are a motorbike. You have just a head on with a bike or a lorry, and you were swearing at them to move over.
It is for the same reason that number plates are reflective.

[jamei303]

jamienshelly said:

Regarding sidelights, I would not be without them!, You are driving at night on unlit country roads and your o/s headlight fails, all oncoming vehicles, especially motorbikes and lorries, think that you are a motorbike. You have just a head on with a bike or a lorry, and you were swearing at them to move over.
It is for the same reason that number plates are reflective.

Put your remaining headlight on full beam and put your fog lights on - this will sort you out until the next MOT.

Personally I pull over and change the bulb, but realise that's a pretty weird thing to do.

[Toaster Pilot]

jamei303 said:

Put your remaining headlight on full beam and put your fog lights on - this will sort you out until the next MOT.

Seems to be the standard response from what I see on my commute regularly!

No idea how people can drive for long periods of time with one working headlight bulb in the dead of night!

[Halmyre]

TonyRPH said:

mp3manager said:

TonyRPH said:

To all those complaining about dashboard dimmers...

I found them really useful when driving for long hours in the middle of the night on unlit roads.

My only pet peeve with them, is when they are placed next to the headlamp height adjuster, and it's easy to get confused between the two..

Good job the brake and accelerator pedals aren't placed next to each other then, as it would be easy to confuse between the two of them........oh wait!

lol but seriously - I was referring to this (Audi A3) example in particular.

The Passat's the same (obviously), with the advantage that you can't see it from a driving position. At least you can quickly work out that you're twiddling the wrong bit. The Alfa had an awkwardly sited push button that you pressed to sequentially set the level, but if you pressed too often it went back to full brightness and then it was start again - one push, two pushes, three, four...dammit, overshot again. And it was placed close to the trip reset.

[FD3Si]

Recognise this?



Quite why you'd want a switch to deactivate the electric windows in a 2 door, 2 seat, 2 window car I don't know. That's odd. But that would be ok in isolation, I guess.

However, can someone please tell me why the juddering fk you'd put it exactly where one's knee is most likely to knock it?
Grrr, pissing windows have broken, better get the multime... THAT fkING SWITCH AGAIN.

Is it to make it so the default is just to drop the roof if you want fresh air?
You create wonderful cars, but your ergonomics division appears to be staffed by cretins.

[DBSV8]

jamei303 said:

thismonkeyhere said:

This ^

Never quite understood the anti-sidelight rants on here. Surely they're there to help others see your car when it's slightly dull/dusk etc, and they do that very well. Headlights are for when you need light to see the road by.

It depends on the sidelights

The Mk2 Focus has sidelights dimmer than candles so I always use headlights if I want to be seen:

the first time i hired a series one e type it came with a wind up torch as part of the emergency kit , when asked about it the hirer said you will probably need to use this if you drive at night to see the dash instruments !!!

not kidding , oh and the headlamps wether on full or dipped beam were more or less one candle or two

[Silverbullet767]

McWigglebum4th said:

Audi the glovebox realease

Sitting on the dashboard is this bueatiful crafted little button with a little picture of an open glove box

You reach out a tiny amount without shifting your body and press the button and marvle at its silcone damped awesomeness

Somewhere a tiny little ECU considers your request and it dutifully realeases the glovebox catch

Then the glovebox opens in a lovely smooth sexy action answering your very demand and making you realise that you have made it you are in an Audi you marvel at the imagine.

You look in wonder at your now open glovebox


And then you reach across to push the button to reverse the process and nothing happens

You push again and still there is no response

Again you try a little harder but still nothing


Then you realise


The button only opens the glovebox


And then you consider it


And the reality hits you like a crushing blow

I'M IN 4 door lump of diesel dull and the buttons a fking con

And you know


You have failed

I have this in my (soon to be retired) A6, bloody joke isn't it?!

[George7]

TonyRPH said:

lol but seriously - I was referring to this (Audi A3) example in particular.

Similar deal with my ZT, very easy to get the wrong one:

[LukeSi]

Window lock switch (on a 2 seater...)
The dial to not just dim, but completely turn off the instrument back lights, why? They are dull enough as it is, why the hell would you include a dial to turn them off!

[matthias73]

Paul O said:

Halmyre said:

This is a personal observation - YMMV.
SIDELIGHTS
Here’s a free tip - if it’s dark enough that you think you need sidelights then it’s dark enough that you need headlights. Maybe some people are trying to save wear on their bulbs, or are worried about the increased fuel consumption.

Agree with this, particularly on new cars with DRLs. DRLs allow you to be seen, headlights allow you to see stuff. Don't see the point of the side lights any more on cars that run DRL.

They are often known as parking lights.
You know, so that if you are parked somewhere dark for a little bit, you can leave them on to let other cars know you are there without draining the battery.

[McWigglebum4th]

Silverbullet767 said:

McWigglebum4th said:

Audi the glovebox realease

Sitting on the dashboard is this bueatiful crafted little button with a little picture of an open glove box

You reach out a tiny amount without shifting your body and press the button and marvle at its silcone damped awesomeness

Somewhere a tiny little ECU considers your request and it dutifully realeases the glovebox catch

Then the glovebox opens in a lovely smooth sexy action answering your very demand and making you realise that you have made it you are in an Audi you marvel at the imagine.

You look in wonder at your now open glovebox


And then you reach across to push the button to reverse the process and nothing happens

You push again and still there is no response

Again you try a little harder but still nothing


Then you realise


The button only opens the glovebox


And then you consider it


And the reality hits you like a crushing blow

I'M IN 4 door lump of diesel dull and the buttons a fking con

And you know


You have failed

I have this in my (soon to be retired) A6, bloody joke isn't it?!

We have it in the works pool car

I was only vaguely disappointed when the glovebox didn't silently close at my command


But it did allow me to have a great piss taking oppurtunity for my Q7 driving neighbour and the glovebox button. Almost as funny as when the door handle went a bit screwy and it cost more to fix then my daily driver cost to buy.

[Shaw Tarse]

petrolsniffer said:

Fastdruid said:

I'd agree, I liked the Puma intermittent wipers which (as a previous poster notes) can be set to any intermittency you want but even then I find if the rain is itself intermittent you still end up playing with it all the time.

How do you do this???? I've done it by accident a couple of times but never known how to set the delay

From my poor memory, switch intermittent wipe on, switch off, switch back on at the delay you want?
Also works on older Focus?