Ghost in the machine - does your car have one?
Ghost in the machine - does your car have one?
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Riley Blue

Original Poster:

23,205 posts

255 months

Sunday 16th March 2025
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Friday morning, we set off by car for a couple of days away. The car hasn't been on a long journey for a while so I checked all fluid levels and tyre pressures and off we went. A few miles down the road I said to O/H, "This car must be due a service soon."

No sooner had I said it when 'Beep!' and an amber engine-shaped warning light appeared in the dash. Not having seen it before I stopped and checked the manual - 'Service due soon'...

About a hundred miles later I flicked the screen washer to clear the windscreen and just as I did so Waze's 'Paddington Bear' navigation voice said something like, "Your windscreen's dirty, I'd give it a good scrub if I was you.'

Is the ghost in the machine talking to me? Does your 'machine' have one?

supacool1

738 posts

208 months

Tuesday 18th March 2025
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Paddington knows....

Triumph Man

9,580 posts

197 months

Tuesday 18th March 2025
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I noticed yesterday evening that the interior light in my E34 5 series was on. It was set to "door" not "on", and all doors and the boot were definitely closed. The lamp cover was hot so it had clearly been on a while! Luckily a large battery on those and aside from a clock nothing to gradually drain it. Still, very weird. It's now switched to "off"

I have however noticed recently that when opening a door the interior light would flash then go out.

ferret50

2,867 posts

38 months

Tuesday 18th March 2025
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I had a Ford Connect that would randomly tell me the driver's door was open, despite it being properly closed. And it would only lock if the key was used and held in the lock position until it accepted that the door was closed!

Every day a journey

3,127 posts

67 months

Tuesday 18th March 2025
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My 164 Cloverleaf DEFINITELY had it's own mind.

Whilst stuck on the M25 one baking hot summers day the heted seat came on by itself and wouldn't turn off. I was drenched with sweat by the time I was able to get off the motorawy and get out.

Second time, stopped to refuel (this was a frequent occurrence in that car). Key out of ignition. Key in pocket. Engine still running. Eh???

brillomaster

1,864 posts

199 months

Tuesday 18th March 2025
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My bmw left wing mirror has a mind of its own, every trip it adjusts itself to a new seemingly random position.

Also I usually turn the screen of the I drive off, but it randomly turns itself back on again every so often. Weird.

Huzzah

28,960 posts

212 months

Tuesday 18th March 2025
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I had a motorbike, switch on the ignition and it'd start itself without hitting the button.

'that's handy' I thought, until it burnt out the starter/generator.

AlexGSi2000

799 posts

223 months

Tuesday 18th March 2025
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Not so much of a ghost, probably French electrics..

Passenger window regulator stopped working on my Meganne 225, left it alone for months until I finally decided to purchase a new regulator / motor.
The day I went to fit, it started working again - and continued to do so until I sold the car two years later.

Wasnt complaining mind, meant I didnt need to replace it in the end.