Car features

[Kiltox]

34 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I’m about to take a non air con car 600 miles in what probably will be baking August heat. Sounds like your idea of hell! ?

TBH I’m with him - had to drive my Duster the other day, it was warm and I couldn’t wait to get back into my climate control-equipped car. 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

I’m about to take a non air con car 600 miles in what probably will be baking August heat. Sounds like your idea of hell! ?

We did a van venture in a poverty-spec Turkish Transit last year and it was one of the most uncomfortable journeys I have undertaken since the time I drove 400 miles from Snowdonia with a wet arse and ill-fitting trousers because the tent had sprung a leak in the middle of the night.  In a Ford Ka.  I'm 6'2".

As much fun as that car was to drive (and it really, really was) my right foot would go numb after about an hour of motorway driving.  After two hours, I couldn't really feel it at all.

[Eyersey1234]

Air conditioning was the one feature I had wanted as my old Fiesta didn't have it. 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

1 hour ago, Eyersey1234 said:

Air conditioning was the one feature I had wanted as my old Fiesta didn't have it. 

My old Fiesta did have it but it didn't work after a few years and I couldn't afford to get it  fixed.  That was agonising.

Having used radar cruise last year for the first time, I am thoroughly sold on it.  Bloody fantastic feature.

[Eyersey1234]

1 hour ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

My old Fiesta did have it but it didn't work after a few years and I couldn't afford to get it  fixed.  That was agonising.

Having used radar cruise last year for the first time, I am thoroughly sold on it.  Bloody fantastic feature.

What was your old Fiesta? 

[Spiny Norman]

Maybe it's living in cold, drizzly Glasgow, but I never use aircon, to the extent that I've killed it in a few cars I've owned because I never switched it on from one year to the next.

[Tamworthbay]

29 minutes ago, Spiny Norman said:

Maybe it's living in cold, drizzly Glasgow, but I never use aircon, to the extent that I've killed it in a few cars I've owned because I never switched it on from one year to the next.

Even when global warming has turned the rest of Scotland into the new Death Valley, the East end of Glasgee will still seem cold in the middle of August.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

2 hours ago, Eyersey1234 said:

What was your old Fiesta? 

2005 Ford Fiesta Mk V Zetec Climate (Blue).  Cracking car.

[Eyersey1234]

48 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

2005 Ford Fiesta Mk V Zetec Climate (Blue).  Cracking car.

I had a 2006 1.25 Style, they are good cars 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Mine was the 1.4 but I do like the 1.25s.  Very nearly the same power with slightly better fuel economy and less noise.  Win-win.

[leafsprung]

Utterly boring I know but once you've enjoyed the safety and convenience of a heated front screen in the depths of winter you'll wonder why they aren't a legal requirement. How many of us can admit to being late (or even leaving on time) and sitting watching a small circle spread glacially slow through the frost on your windscreen whilst gunning the engine and watching the clock ticking round but then saying sod it and trying to drive while looking through a gap the size of a bog roll tube?

Also the simple pleasure of watching your neighbour lob a kettle of boiling water over a frozen screen and seeing the stone chips magically doing a dot-to-dot?  

[Yoss]

I just use a 2 litre milk bottle of hot tap water, not boiling kettle water. Have done for years, never had problems and it's probably quicker than your heated screen. 

[Eyersey1234]

20 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

Mine was the 1.4 but I do like the 1.25s.  Very nearly the same power with slightly better fuel economy and less noise.  Win-win.

On a decent run I could get 50mpg average out of the 1.25, I'm not a lead footed driver though. 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

19 minutes ago, leafsprung said:

Utterly boring I know but once you've enjoyed the safety and convenience of a heated front screen in the depths of winter you'll wonder why they aren't a legal requirement. How many of us can admit to being late (or even leaving on time) and sitting watching a small circle spread glacially slow through the frost on your windscreen whilst gunning the engine and watching the clock ticking round but then saying sod it and trying to drive while looking through a gap the size of a bog roll tube?

Also the simple pleasure of watching your neighbour lob a kettle of boiling water over a frozen screen and seeing the stone chips magically doing a dot-to-dot?  

I seem to recall that one manufacturer owns the patent to heated front screens (Ford?) and that others have to pay a royalty to use them.  This might be bullshit.  It does explain why my Golf doesn't have one, though.  The de-mist is brilliant, however.

[Tamworthbay]

14 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

I seem to recall that one manufacturer owns the patent to heated front screens (Ford?) and that others have to pay a royalty to use them.  This might be bullshit.  It does explain why my Golf doesn't have one, though.  The de-mist is brilliant, however.

I think you are right, Volvo developed it but were bought out. It is a very useful feature.

[ETCHY]

A mate of mine had a Granada with a heated screen years ago. He still rates that as a terrific feature & could never see why other makes haven't adopted it.

I myself can see the point of it.

To be honest I'd have thought even if Ford owned the patent it would have expired by now?

[Mrcento]

I never really gelled with my Mk1 Focus, but the heated windscreen was a fantastic feature. It's one of those things you don't really realise you always needed until you have one, or miss until your next car doesn't have one.

[rusty998]

From what I remember Ford has the Patent for the quick clear windscreen,  that's why land rover, Aston Martin and jaguar had them too, 

The met police even had heated front screens in some of their smiley Transits , 

I've fitted a few specials that had the screen made with the heating element inside the two layers of glass like the Ford one's,  mostly for rally and race cars as they don't have the heaters installed for lightness,  

Some Japanese and Mercedes had heated elements behind the black band on the lower parts of the screen to allow the wipers to free up when freezing,  

I've had a few car's with the quick clear windscreen,  Range Rover classic, orions, escorts, they are a brilliant invention, they car start to fail with age as the screen starts delaminating and water corrodes the fine wire's,  but really good invention when needed .

[Snipes]

I don't like them. I find the heating elment distracting when driving. 

[timolloyd]

Funnily enough the one luxury item on my Caterham is a heated screen!

[xtriple]

Just found out that my interior lights only work when it's dark! Had to do a Google to find out though and just been out and checked: press the unlock button and the headlights come on and all the interior lights/dashboard come to life, it's like a fookin' Christmas tree. Lock it again and the interior lights go out but the headlights stay on so you can see your way home. So that's going to be me with a flat battery then!

 

[TrabbieRonnie]

Great thread!  Got me thinking about the fleet's myriad gadgetry...

 

1992 Hilux Surf...  electric aerial, selectable damper stiffness, and a 'ECT' button for the autobox that holds it in the gears longer for overtaking tractors...

1992 Mazda 323...  internal boot release, foot operated flip/slide forward passenger seat to let the back seaters out, anti-static pads next to the door lock buttons, you're to touch them as you depart to prevent static shocks when closing the door!?!  Pop-out rear windows.  Actually really loving the interior of this car at the mo, beautifully engineered slidey lever heater controls, even the keep fit windows are a revelation (you don't have to switch it back on to close the windows!  just wow!)...

1989 Trabant...  Bit light on gadgets this one!  Manual screenwash pump is fun, and you just turn the rearview mirror right round to the anti-glare 'dark side' at night.  Freewheel on top gear not really a gadget, but very handy on a two-stroke.  Column shift, why did they ever change from that btw?  The joy of a clear, flat floor...

1993 Audi Coupe...  oil temperature, oil pressure and voltage gauges!  Hydraulic accumulator power assistance for the brakes, 50 pedal presses before it's exhausted, noice.

2005 Subaru Outback...  even the modern has some cool stuff... heated bit of the windscreen under the wipers (amazing defrosting/heating up in general actually), low range gear selection, button for showing the clock for a few seconds even when ignition is off.  Frameless windows are of course the mutt's nuts as well.

 

In general, I prefer the 90's Japanese stuff... brilliant switchgear and comfy interiors.  I really do like the indicators on the right-hand stalk too.

 

[leanycan]

City steering on the relaunched panda. Never seen the point on having it even though the steering was light enough already. 

Does rust count as an option? Seems to come as standard on most cars I buy ?.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Bloke I knew at college had a Panda with 'city steer'.  We both reckoned it was actively dangerous because it gave you so little feedback...

[Mrcento]

5 minutes ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

Bloke I knew at college had a Panda with 'city steer'.  We both reckoned it was actively dangerous because it gave you so little feedback...

If i remember right, It deactivates over a certain speed (from memory, 20mph). But i agree, it's utterly pointless, the steering with it off is too light as it is.

Also, it burns out the steering motor running it.

[GrumpiusMaximus]

3 minutes ago, Mrcento said:

If i remember right, It deactivates over a certain speed (from memory, 20mph). But i agree, it's utterly pointless, the steering with it off is too light as it is.

Also, it burns out the steering motor running it.

If it kept the parts people at the local Fiat dealer happy...

[New POD]

3 minutes ago, Mrcento said:

If i remember right, It deactivates over a certain speed (from memory, 20mph). But i agree, it's utterly pointless, the steering with it off is too light as it is.

Also, it burns out the steering motor running it.

What if you had say chronic fatigue (ME) and the act of using the steering wheel would basically make your arms ache for days after driving.  Probably not pointless then ? 

[Eyersey1234]

I tried out the city steering feature on our Panda once to see how light it was. It gave so little feedback I didn't feel safe with it. 

[Spiny Norman]

2 hours ago, Eyersey1234 said:

I tried out the city steering feature on our Panda once to see how light it was. It gave so little feedback I didn't feel safe with it. 

I had a Punto with it, and the only time I ever used it was if I had to slot the thing into a parking space 10 inches longer than the car was. Felt like the wheel wasn't connected to anything at all.

[Mrcento]

15 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

Maybe it's living in cold, drizzly Glasgow, but I never use aircon, to the extent that I've killed it in a few cars I've owned because I never switched it on from one year to the next.

Might well be a Scottish thing, I've never had a car with working air con. think all but 3 of the 13 i've owned had it fitted, so still zero from 10.