Do you have any motoring superstitions or OCD traits?

[warren t claim]

Back in '81-'82 Older_Claim owned an 1979 Opel Manta and I wasn't allowed to wear a seatbelt as it would have meant adjusting the plastic arm back to symmetrically match the unused arm on the driver's side.

In the days when I had cars with keep fit front windows I'd have to remove a handle and rotate it so both were at the same angle when closed.

[Lord Sterling]

• Digital clocks must be set at the correct time.

• The base and treble levels must be set to ensure best use of sound.

• Tyres must be set to correct manufacturer standard or just a tad higher (with the amount of bumps and potholes we have on the roads these days)

• If I'm changing a set of tyres, it'll get the marque of tyres as reccomended by manufacturers (I.e. Michelin for Peugeot etc...)

• I like to ensure that all of my cars have the correctly fitted floor mats in them, either manufacturer original or aftermarket but tailored correctly.

• I try to wash/clean cars (whether they are mine or not) regularly. I like a clean car.

• My cars must have the correct user manual and service book with wallet.

[grogee]

Back to superstitions: anyone else salute (single) magpies? "Good morning your lordship, how is your ladyship?" 

[Matty]

Loads of ocd with all cars and works vans. Seats set just right, vents pointing in the right direction etc. Just a bit of a neat freak tbh.

In terms of that ancient little twat (Austin) I'm ashamed to admit that I actually mutter to it under my breath (good lad, well done etc).

I am ashamed.

[EyesWeldedShut]

  On 02/05/2024 at 05:56, grogee said:

Back to superstitions: anyone else salute (single) magpies? "Good morning your lordship, how is your ladyship?" 

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My wife says "Good morning, sir" to all Magpies 

[grogee]

  On 02/05/2024 at 06:03, Matty said:

Loads of ocd with all cars and works vans. Seats set just right, vents pointing in the right direction etc. Just a bit of a neat freak tbh.

In terms of that ancient little twat (Austin) I'm ashamed to admit that I actually mutter to it under my breath (good lad, well done etc).

I am ashamed.

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You're in the right place, this is basically a self-help group for terminal car idiots

[Metal Guru]

  On 01/05/2024 at 22:56, Lord Sterling said:

• Digital clocks must be set at the correct time.

• The base and treble levels must be set to ensure best use of sound.

• Tyres must be set to correct manufacturer standard or just a tad higher (with the amount of bumps and potholes we have on the roads these days)

• If I'm changing a set of tyres, it'll get the marque of tyres as reccomended by manufacturers (I.e. Michelin for Peugeot etc...)

• I like to ensure that all of my cars have the correctly fitted floor mats in them, either manufacturer original or aftermarket but tailored correctly.

• I try to wash/clean cars (whether they are mine or not) regularly. I like a clean car.

• My cars must have the correct user manual and service book with wallet.

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Correctly fitting floor mats, certainly for the driver, are a safety precaution rather than a superstition. I’ve got my feet caught up in generic floor mats and it’s scary.

[Sham]

I check the oil, water, PS fluid, brake fluid, lights, tyres, horn, cable tension, lever free play, chain tension and anything else relevant on all my vehicles religiously every Saturday.

Even if they've not moved since the last time.

[JakeT]

Headlamps must be off when starting the engine. Sidelight is okay, but not dipped beam.

[sierraman]

I’ve been known to chuck aftermarket wheel trims in the sellers bin. 

[vulgalour]

Always be sure to leave one fault/niggle exactly as it is when fixing problems, otherwise worse problems will appear.

Only plug the sat nav in after starting the car.

[MrBiscuits]

  On 02/05/2024 at 14:38, JakeT said:

Headlamps must be off when starting the engine. Sidelight is okay, but not dipped beam.

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On a cold start, I cannot comfortably turn on ANY electrical load until the engine is running. My partner will happily turn on the lights, blower, wipe the windscreen and then start the car which makes my teeth itch. I once tried to explain why this is a bad idea but her eyes just glazed over.

[straightSix]

Not sure if it's an OCD trait but I always go into 5th before selecting reverse. And always leave cars in gear and wheels turned towards the curb if I'm on a hill

[crad]

  On 02/05/2024 at 05:56, grogee said:

Back to superstitions: anyone else salute (single) magpies? "Good morning your lordship, how is your ladyship?" 

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one for sorrow, two for joy, three for girl, four for a boy...

[bangernomics]

I generally set the radio to radio 2 no2 radio 4 no4 and ignore everything else.


Gzongenflatch

[bangernomics]

Now when Mrs B drives I’m always fighting the urge to say change gear for gods sake as she drives one to two gears too low.

Maybe another thread Warren.


Gzongenflatch

[Rust Collector]

I program all my radios the same:

1 - bbc radio 1

2 - bbc radio 2

3 - bbc radio 3

4 - bbc radio 4

5 - seahaven FM (local station)

6 - Heart

I don’t really like any of those stations much but it jars me when the numbers don’t match the station numbers.

Cars with less than or more than 6 radio buttons piss me off as I either have to drop off stations or I have no clue what to put on the additional ones.

[Aston Martin]

Radio 2 is always 2.

[Rust Collector]

I’m also jarred by the rear headrests being up, the front head rests being up and the front seats being out of line with each other. Obviously people adjust these things as passengers or if I lend the car out, but I put them back again next time I use the car by myself.

Also, somebody mentioned the 0.5 degree increments on some climate control and I agree that it’s really unsettling. If you can set the climate to a setting ending in .5 and not feel compelled to adjust it up or down to a round number then I think that you are so unhinged that you should permanently be removed from society with no chance of appeal.

I thought I was normal, but you’ve all made me realise I’m a weirdo.

[Metal Guru]

  On 02/05/2024 at 21:06, bangernomics said:

Now when Mrs B drives I’m always fighting the urge to say change gear for gods sake as she drives one to two gears too low.

Maybe another thread Warren.


Gzongenflatch

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Same here and because she won’t ever overtake anything even tractors at 20mph, she justifies it by getting better mpg than I do.

However, she’s just gone automatic.

[Spiny Norman]

  On 02/05/2024 at 14:43, sierraman said:

I’ve been known to chuck aftermarket wheel trims in the sellers bin. 

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I've done that.
Also smelly things. When I went to buy my current wheels the seller had what was probably quite an expensive airfreshener contraption in the cup holder. As soon as I got in the car I pulled it out and handed it to him...

[mk2_craig]

  On 02/05/2024 at 23:16, Spiny Norman said:

handed it to him...

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But what did you do with the air freshener? 

Two from me.  Always Park up with the steering wheel straight ( the front wheels themselves don't have enough to be straight but I don't like the steering wheel at an angle )

And MUCH MORE IMPORTANTLY if I buy a car and the number plate is on the wonk , I absolutely have to straighten it up. And make sure it's millimetre-perfectly dead centre from the sides of the car. Oddly enough I'm not so troubled by there being extra holes in the plate as a result of this.

[83C]

• Radio volume and temp controls: always an even number.

• Air vents - all in same position. 

[mintwth]

Filling to a round number...

[High Jetter]

I'm getting worried now. I do some of the above because it's logical or makes sense to me - like leaving a manual car in gear when stationary, foot on clutch when starting and not having headlights/heater blower etc on while cranking, handbrake on and foot off brake pedal when stationary etc etc. I'm not really superstitious or afflicted by OCD and although I agree about crooked plates, headrests/air vents/wheel centres orientation don't trouble me at all.

I think I must be weird.

[bangernomics]

  On 02/05/2024 at 22:51, Metal Guru said:

Same here and because she won’t ever overtake anything even tractors at 20mph, she justifies it by getting better mpg than I do.
However, she’s just gone automatic.

Yes I obtained an rangerover for her recently but she’s back in the mini because sunny and convertible so it’ll probably be revving its bollox off as I type.


Gzongenflatch.
In memory of Phil.

[Metal Guru]

  On 03/05/2024 at 08:00, High Jetter said:

I'm getting worried now. I do some of the above because it's logical or makes sense to me - like leaving a manual car in gear when stationary, foot on clutch when starting and not having headlights/heater blower etc on while cranking, handbrake on and foot off brake pedal when stationary etc etc. I'm not really superstitious or afflicted by OCD and although I agree about crooked plates, headrests/air vents/wheel centres orientation don't trouble me at all.

I think I must be weird.

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You’re posting on Autoshite. It’s a given.

[bangernomics]

  On 03/05/2024 at 08:00, High Jetter said:

I'm getting worried now. I do some of the above because it's logical or makes sense to me - like leaving a manual car in gear when stationary, foot on clutch when starting and not having headlights/heater blower etc on while cranking, handbrake on and foot off brake pedal when stationary etc etc. I'm not really superstitious or afflicted by OCD and although I agree about crooked plates, headrests/air vents/wheel centres orientation don't trouble me at all.
I think I must be weird.

That’s how I was taught to drive by plod instructor.


Gzongenflatch.
In memory of Phil.

[bangernomics]

  On 03/05/2024 at 08:00, High Jetter said:

I'm getting worried now. I do some of the above because it's logical or makes sense to me - like leaving a manual car in gear when stationary, foot on clutch when starting and not having headlights/heater blower etc on while cranking, handbrake on and foot off brake pedal when stationary etc etc. I'm not really superstitious or afflicted by OCD and although I agree about crooked plates, headrests/air vents/wheel centres orientation don't trouble me at all.
I think I must be weird.

That’s how I was taught to drive by plod instructor.


Gzongenflatch.
In memory of Phil.

[Rocket88]

  On 30/04/2024 at 23:31, warren t claim said:

I suppose that as the OP I should start with mine.

The radio. Or more to the point, the presets. For the last 25 years I've had to have the usual six presets set to the following.

1. Radio 2.

2. Radio 4.

3. Local BBC station.

4. Smooth FM.

5. Classic FM.

6. Greatest Hits, although before that it was the now defunct Century/Real Radio.

When I was an agency wagon driver I'd select the FM2 presets to the above so in the future I could tell if I'd driven this truck before.

 

 

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One of the first things I check when viewing prospective shite. If , on switching on the radio, Radio 4 is selected, I’ll probably buy it