SMARTening motorways

[Mr. Dazzle]

Have to say I really don't get yhe AC control complaint thing, but I appreciate that's probably just me.

I can't recall the last time I needed to adjust the AC in my car. I set it to 20°C and never touch it again for 9 months.

I was driving on a warm day when there was a sudden thunderstorm with hail... with the downdraft, the outside temp dropped about 10c in 2 mins and the windscreen fogged. I couldn't find the controls to turn on the fan and get some hot air on it.

I tried it in my car just to see if it works when I first got it...you literally just have to say "Defrost the windscreen" and the frauline in the dashboard is away! Seriously, it's great....2s effort

[Cousin Jack]

Aircon in the Lexus is good, which is just as well because the temp 'sliders' are almost impossible to use by touch. 20 C and I'm good.

Mrs is forever fiddling (and complaining).

[Mr. Dazzle]

AC preferences in my car are linked to my driver profile

Everyone just needs a new car with the latest infotainment right now

[Count Steer]

AC preferences in my car are linked to my driver profile

Everyone just needs a new car with the latest infotainment right now

Are you ever going to tell us what sort of car you've got?

[Mr. Dazzle]

No, because it's made by the company I work for

I can't afford one anyway but for the discount, it's way above my station. Makes you realise how big the margins are

[Count Steer]

No, because it's made by the company I work for

I can't afford one anyway but for the discount, it's way above my station. Makes you realise how big the margins are

"Hey Intelligent Personal Assistant"
"Which company does Mr Dazzle work for?"

[MrLongbeard]

Aircon to 16 degrees and window open permanently, to hell with your fancy voice assistants and posh buttons

[Mr. Dazzle]

Ignoring voice activation for a second and just thinking back...

Even my wife's 2006 Civic has a separate "clear windscreen" button which bypasses the rest of the climate menu. Every car I've owned for the last >10 years has, as far as I remember. WTF were you driving Spin? It had the modern tiny buttons/sliders set up but no separate "I want to see out" button?

[KungFooBob]

My car has four physical buttons on the dash.

Home - to get the touchscreen back to the start.
Hazard lights
Rear demister
Heated screen

All the rest is done from the touch screen.

Imho, it's only ever wimmin who change the heating settings.

[Horse]

Good summary

Www.roads.org.uk/blog/not-so-smart

[The Spin Doctor]

Ignoring voice activation for a second and just thinking back...

Even my wife's 2006 Civic has a separate "clear windscreen" button which bypasses the rest of the climate menu. Every car I've owned for the last >10 years has, as far as I remember. WTF were you driving Spin? It had the modern tiny buttons/sliders set up but no separate "I want to see out" button?

Brand new (at the time) VW Passat. Struggling to remember year model, but big panel with seemingly dozens of identical controls for air con / media. If it had a 'clear screen' button I never found it.

T'other half's '12 Skoda doesn't have a clear screen button either.

[The Spin Doctor]

Imho, it's only ever wimmin who change the heating settings.

I think you're right... OH is constantly fiddling... usually mid-bend or halfway round a roundabout. Drives me bonkers.

[Count Steer]

Ignoring voice activation for a second and just thinking back...

Even my wife's 2006 Civic has a separate "clear windscreen" button which bypasses the rest of the climate menu. Every car I've owned for the last >10 years has, as far as I remember. WTF were you driving Spin? It had the modern tiny buttons/sliders set up but no separate "I want to see out" button?

Brand new (at the time) VW Passat. Struggling to remember year model, but big panel with seemingly dozens of identical controls for air con / media. If it had a 'clear screen' button I never found it.

T'other half's '12 Skoda doesn't have a clear screen button either.

Last car I had without these buttons was, erm, can't remember but probably had levers to control the air flow.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Quick search only finds a 2022 Passat, but probably not too different?

Bottom left, little symbol as per Count's pic.

EDIT: BTW I'm sure there's some interesting "human factor" learning to be had here. Interesting to the weirdy beardies at least We all get in cars without first familiarising ourselves where certain critical functions are, then blame the car when we can't find them in urgent use case.

[MrLongbeard]

Passat

Bloody horrible things to drive, but I'm sure the buttons are the same in my wife's 2018 / 2019 model

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

You lot need to hand your man cards in

[The Spin Doctor]

Quick search only finds a 2022 Passat, but probably not too different?

Bottom left, little symbol as per Count's pic.

EDIT: BTW I'm sure there's some interesting "human factor" learning to be had here. Interesting to the weirdy beardies at least We all get in cars without first familiarising ourselves where certain critical functions are, then blame the car when we can't find them in urgent use case.

It's a long time since its engine management system imploded writing the vehicle off at just 60k miles but it was earlier than that... no scrolling screen, and it had wall to wall silver buttons. CD player! Sound was good though.

Oddly enough, I was talking about the new level 2 Fords that are now appearing in the UK and I said, "will the driver of a new Ford have any training other than being handed the key and the handbook? And who reads the handbook? I did look at the pages on assistive features [on the rental Hyundai out in NZ] but only AFTER driving from Auckland to Wellington! I was on a tight deadline."

And I'm a bit of a nerd like that - I actually tend to read handbooks though I will confess to double standards when it comes to software. If it doesn't work without reading the help files it's too complicated.

I've lost count of how many trainees who've turned up with new bikes and I've asked them to explain the ABS / combined brakes / traction control to me and I've got a blank look and "I don't know..."

I remember having a guy on a new BMW - the model with the servo assisted brakes that were getting a bad rep online - and asking how he found them. "Are they servo assisted? I didn't know"...

[Horse]

the new level 2 Fords ... and I said, "will the driver of a new Ford have any training other than being handed the key and the handbook? ... BMW

The dealer information for the BMW C1 stated that new owners should be taught countersteering!

[Mr. Dazzle]

The idea of a handbook is quaint.

My last few cars have had them, but they're buried away in a slot in the glovebox. I think the one in my present car is still shrink wrapped! S'all on this touchscreen that no-one likes

I've turned it off in my car, but I do have the option to have computer game style "Tutorials" whenever I use a function I've not used before. You can also just ask the car "How do I......?".

Probably not so helpful when you're about to crash and you're desperately waiting for the car to read out the instructions on how to turn off the cruise control.

[KungFooBob]

I can access my handbook via the touch screen (there is a paper copy in the book pack too).