OP
EV chat
- Thread starter woodbar
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OP
woodbar
Active Member
Yes very alarming - the first auto I drove, many, many years ago was a Van Den Plas 3 litre - a friend lent it to me when the diff on my car went west! It felt like a tank to drive and combined with the drivers seat backrest fault where it would not lock in any position as well as my several accidental attempts to dip the clutch and ended up slamming the brakes on made an interesting drive! Accelerating too hard and you started to recline and pressing the imaginary clutch you could end up blowing the horn - using your nose!
prpr
Well-Known Member
Agreed.
I had a loan car a couple of years ago (a nasty little hybrid, but that's irrelevant) which had this annoyance (and others). Trouble is, I didn't know about it and the first time I drove it I went to go round the usual "parked cars with no oncoming traffic" close to home and it pulled me back towards the centre of the lane and nearly caused an accident with said parked cars. I found I could override it by applying more force to the wheel but I thought it's damned dangerous.
I did find the off setting eventually, but it came back on again with the next engine start. F* me - the whole world is turning into a dictatorship about everything.
OP
woodbar
Active Member
Very many criticisms of electronic parking brakes above and I agree they just overcomplicate the actual mechanics, electronic systems and usage. The trouble is there are far too many methods of controlling them used by various manufacturers - some combined with an adjacent "Auto Hold" button which actually works on the normal hydraulic brakes. This is what I believe accounts for lots of those blinding brake lights when you are stationary in a queue of traffic - the drivers may not have their foot on the pedal, it could be just that auto-hold is enabled which maintains the pressure on the hydraulics if you are stationary and take your foot off the pedal - and the stop lights ON!
The very first car I had with that was a Hyundai i40 manual box - reasonably pleasant car but I found out very quickly that if you enabled auto hold when you actually parked the car and switched off you could easily assume that the handbrake was on - a few times after I tried to get out of the car and realised it was starting to roll, because the handbrake was in fact OFF, I never ever enabled the auto hold again - and only manually used the handbrake switch as a normal manual one from that point onwards! Clearly this was a programming fault in the system - surely IF the car is in a stationary brakes applied status (from auto hold) and the user then switches the engine off and opens the door to exit it should automatically enable the handbrake - that's the logic I would use anyway!
It would be good if there actually was an agreed standard for the UI of auto-hold and electronic handbrakes - then at least you could get out of X brand car and jump in Y brand car and know how to operate it?
The very first car I had with that was a Hyundai i40 manual box - reasonably pleasant car but I found out very quickly that if you enabled auto hold when you actually parked the car and switched off you could easily assume that the handbrake was on - a few times after I tried to get out of the car and realised it was starting to roll, because the handbrake was in fact OFF, I never ever enabled the auto hold again - and only manually used the handbrake switch as a normal manual one from that point onwards! Clearly this was a programming fault in the system - surely IF the car is in a stationary brakes applied status (from auto hold) and the user then switches the engine off and opens the door to exit it should automatically enable the handbrake - that's the logic I would use anyway!
It would be good if there actually was an agreed standard for the UI of auto-hold and electronic handbrakes - then at least you could get out of X brand car and jump in Y brand car and know how to operate it?
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
...and everything else – but the people who set the standards don't seem to consult drivers, or are trying to dictate how they think we ought to drive... or are try to de-skill driving so that anybody can do it (which is more or less essential now the public transport options are so limited – I don't mean in London!). KISS (and that does not mean make it simple to operate for the stupid).
I mean, whoever thought it was a good idea not to have an ignition key? (I know, I'm repeating myself).
Yep, but the latest Euro-mandates require that they can't be turned off at all. I was annoyed there were no driver options in the configuration menus (Vauxhall Mokka EV).
Over a certain age (I think it might be 70), you can't even go into a new car showroom with a pocket-load of money offering to buy one of their fancy over-priced monstrosities (does anyone actually like the looks of these ridiculous illuminations?) unless you are willing to buy without a test drive. F* that! It's because their insurance won't cover it.
Latest scam: start charging your EV at a public charger, leave it to get on with it, and somebody pulls up alongside and unplugs from you to plug into their own car, thereby getting charge that you are paying for.
PS: rapid charging is very bad for battery longevity. EV makers love it because it decreases the service life of a car. They're already in clover because the life of an EV is <10 years whereas my ICE is already nearly 20 years old.
You're well behind. We have an Airplane! running joke, along with many other popular culture references (H2G2 included).I didn't know his name was Shirley?
EEPhil
Number 28
You will find many references to Shirley on here. Think "Airplane!".I didn't know his name was Shirley?
Edit: Damn! BH posted whilst I was typing!
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
A hospital? What is it?
OP
woodbar
Active Member
Yes, that is in fact very dangerous and have experienced exactly the same thing on my current car - even more dangerous if the driver then starts searching through the touch screen menus to switch it off whilst driving - pure madness!
Luckily, on my vehicle IF you switch off all of these nannying so called safety features they do actually stay off, which I am most grateful for. It even has a warning that can tell you when "the vehicle in front has moved off" - WTF? Unless you are doing something like texting on your phone or fast asleep at the lights (both illegal anyway) and you are actually paying attention to your role of driving, then why would you need that? (Ref: Joe Walsh - The Pretender)
EEPhil
Number 28
"A big building with patients", but no resident doctors.
OP
woodbar
Active Member
Ooops, that counts me out then!
When I bought my current car, just over 3 years ago, I paid a deposit and had to wait a couple of months before delivery. The salesman (sorry "Executive") was absolutely useless, knew very little about the product and I kept having to remind him about certain things he promised to do (get me in spare wheel kit and find out certain details etc) but I knew this was par for the course so I kept on his a** by phone regularly to get things moving.
The big day came and we both went down to collect the shiny new (ish, 3 months old demo) motor. Walked in the showroom and checked a few details, they had got the spare wheel kit but not the foam and fixings to put under the boot floor yet. I said that's fine for now, just wrap it all in bubble-wrap and/or cardboard and stick it the boot. After 5 mins came back with, oh, we don't seem to have any packing!!!!!!
Then he asked me if I had already paid the balance direct to the company by BACS transfer - I said no, I was not asked to or informed of this requirement and anyway I never pay in full for anything this expensive until I have it in my possession, here's my card. His answer, we are not allowed to take debit cards, something to do with money laundering???? By this time I was pretty peed off so I said, fine, give me my deposit back immediately with interest, put my stuff back in my old car and we will go elsewhere. Oh, I will just check with the manager - yes in the circumstances we can accept a debit card this time - well there's a thing.
So the deal was done then he said you just need your card again to pay for the road tax as we don't tax the cars you have to pay for it but I can do it online straight away with your card details. Definitely not I say - you have included it in the cost of the car. We don't do that since the change in car tax procedures. I just pointed to the item on the sales invoice he had previously given me "including 12 months road tax" - he said, Oh that is obviously a mistake, to which I replied, yours, not mine! 5 minutes later my new car was taxed by them ready for us to drive off!
Subsequently I left a review for them which just said "Absolute disaster - would never go there again" and a day later I got a phone call from the head man at the dealership asking why! I am sorry to say that in the 50+ years I have had the misfortune of using "main dealers", both for firms cars and personal ones, I have rarely found one I feel I have trust or confidence in, both servicing or sales!
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OP
woodbar
Active Member
Just wait for the forthcoming mandatory speed limiters which will not allow you to drive faster than the posted speed limit - I think a lot of new vehicles actually have the capability built in but not yet enabled. Yes, it maybe a good idea as you should not be exceeding the speed limit and it will be fine when EVERY vehicle is similarly enabled (disabled some might think). If you have the misfortune to be an early adopter then a percentage of vehicles following you are going to get pretty teed off and maybe try some risky overtakes?
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
In which case just wait for cars doing 30 in a 70 because the AI vision got it wrong.
The way to "override" it is to alway indicate, but that is almost as moronic as never indicating.
OP
woodbar
Active Member
Who actually is this bloke (sorry person
) called Al? He ( sorry, um, er, it?) is cropping up a lot recently?And why is a capital I (
) the same as a lower case l ( for tanned
hide) on my keyboard?
Black Hole
May contain traces of nut
Might suit the arsehole in front of me through a couple of sets of traffic lights earlier, chatting away to the passenger and slow off the mark (get out of my way!)... then did some lane weaving to progress down a 40 limit at somewhat more than that.
OP
woodbar
Active Member
Should you indicate to pull back to the left into the inside lane on a motorway after overtaking a slower vehicle? Answers please, on a postcard, to ..............
Hint, even so called professional drivers/trainers/instructors seem to be at odds on that one.
Owen Smith
Well-Known Member
Yes, because someone might need to know if you are pulling in or not. For example the car coming up behind you that wants to overtake you, indicating will tell them they don't need to move right into the third lane.
OP
woodbar
Active Member
Yes, I agree, and that is what I always do as apart from the example you gave there are so many drivers who are quite happy toddling along until you overtake them whereupon they squeeze the go pedal a bit harder to close up the space you intended to occupy!
EEPhil
Number 28
It's a long time since I frequently travelled up and down the M40/M42/A42/M1. I always signalled a change of lane. The best one was overtaking a slow (60-65mph) police car that was in lane one. Took a while to pass it at 70 in lane two but when I was a reasonable distance in front I signalled my intention to move into lane one.
gomezz
Well-Known Member
On my "new" car the "hand brake" is a lift/press lever which I tend to use when waiting for traffic lights to change but there is also a brake hold button which I have been using for stop / start low speed traffic. I have no idea if the brake light comes on when using either of these. It is a 2019 Civic (replacing a 1999 Civic), is anyone able to tell me without me backing up to a brick wall in the dark and seeing for myself? Or indeed if I am using those two features correctly in the right circumstances?
Edit: Just found a long Reddit thread on this. Seems the brake light stays on with brake hold but does not come on for the parking brake, Which sort of makes sense as I do not want to be permanently blinding the driver stopped behind me while waiting for the lights to change. If at temporary road work lights with a blind approach I will continue dabbing the brake pedal to flash the lights if I am last in the queue until someone pulls up behind me. Also found that there is a third hill assist feature which stays on for a second or so while you move your foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator if relied on manual brake hold.
Edit: Just found a long Reddit thread on this. Seems the brake light stays on with brake hold but does not come on for the parking brake, Which sort of makes sense as I do not want to be permanently blinding the driver stopped behind me while waiting for the lights to change. If at temporary road work lights with a blind approach I will continue dabbing the brake pedal to flash the lights if I am last in the queue until someone pulls up behind me. Also found that there is a third hill assist feature which stays on for a second or so while you move your foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator if relied on manual brake hold.
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Owen Smith
Well-Known Member
All that complexity just to get rid of the handbrake cables...