You may be able to to disable the PDLs if you dig through the owners manual-Kevin PS I was relieved when they finally wore out on my 2000 Focus
Yes!-Kevin
Cell phone scramblers that turn on when the car is in motion, and turn off when the car is stopped, similar to the in-dash dvd players. Oh, and rocket launchers.
Hmm, Iâm not down with that. Lights on when Iâm using the wipers to wipe away dead bugs and every time I go through a puddle? Iâve seen several times when the sun is shining in the middle of a brief rain downpour. As an option, itâs fine. But Iâll do my own thinking, thanks.
- Heads up display like the Grand Prix - great safety item that allows the driver to always be directing his/her attention to the outside of the vehicle
- All 2WD pickups should have traction control, thereby negating the need for 4WD for most urban dwellers
- Cruise controls that allow the driver to dial in a speed instead of attaining a speed and then activating the cruise
You know, I have a motorcycle with self canceling turn signals. Itâs a two condition setup. If the turn signal has been on longer than 15 seconds and the wheels have rolled more than 500 feet it shuts off. This means if you are waiting at a light and not moving the thing doesnât self-cancel until youâve moved far enough. It also means if you are changing lanes at highway speeds it doesnât cancel too quickly. I may have the time and distance numbers slightly wrong, but you get the idea. Oh, there is also a manual cancel button. This is trivial to do. The bike Iâm talking about is 16 years old and it was an old model then, the self cancel feature was standard from the mid 1980s on.
There should be a manual override for electric windows in case the window motor breaks, or the battery is dead, or if the car wonât start for some other reason. .
I assume that non-working electric windows are dangerous and cause a person to stick their hand over the open door to pay tolls and parking fees.
Some high-end cars have this. Mercedes has a system that lets you set a following time, for example a two second following distance and adjusts the cruise control and even applies brakes to maintain that distance in traffic. Of course, it can be adjusted and turned off, but itâs available. I think other luxury brands have this also.
I dig your view, man. However, ABS is quite a perfected item these days. Even in the early 90s, ABS worked quite well (94 Honda Accord EX w/ ABS (standard, mind yâall) stops on a dime⊠too bad the unit seems to be cooked). I understand your position, and would like to point your attention to TVR, who doesnât install any sort of electrical/ mechanical devices in their vehicles (no ABS, no air bags, etc).
BUT! While YOU may be a safe drive, and it sounds like it, not everyone is. ABS is as much for the safety of yourself stopping alone as it is when someone else is trying to stop. Think about someone not paying attention coming to a red light. You are the first person in line, they will be the second. They look up from their radio/iPod/ cellphone/ etc., and see you. They slam on the brakes. If their car doesnât have ABS and they hit the brakes hard enough, they may manage to lock up the brakes and enter a skid. Chances are that they cannot pump the brakes fast enough to prevent brake lock up. You, being in front of this skidding car, are screwed, yeah?
I am an NPR listener. I would never lieâŠexactly.
Amen.
No way. I do not want anyone to be able to open my doors remotely or track where I am. I donât trust companies or the government nearly enough.
Wal-Mart needs cell phone scramblers also,would be very useful on car too-Kevin
All cars should have one roll down window to provide an escape if the car is submerged in water and itâs electric doors & windows donât operate. Caught in a flash flood 40 years back, I fear the day I canât find a car with them. One car dealer in upstate NY provided a tool to break car windows for an emergency escape. Probably easier in theory than practice. Still remember reading about the horror felt by a witness who saw the people in a car which skidded off the road into a freezing river banging on windows unable to get out, & no way he could help.
There really is no sense whatsoever in electrifying the driverâs window. The passenger-side window, yes, if you have to stop for directions or want to talk with your buddy who just pulled up next to you at that reallllllly long red light, but thatâs because itâs hard for the driver to reach over and crank down the window. That argument is completely bogus for the driver-side window - there will ALWAYS be someone in the driverâs seat, so you can ALWAYS just crank that one.
As for escape, go to your nearest hardware store and get a spring-loaded center punch. Itâs a clever device thatâs meant to put a dent in metal so you can drill it without the bit skidding off the mark, and does it by loading up a spring as you push it, then releasing it suddenly. The point slams out and dents the metal - and it also does a very good job of reducing your safety-glass window to crumbs. Itâll run you $11 or so, and you can just keep it in the door pocket in case you ever need it.
Love my manual windows and door locks-Kevin
*** Got to be mandatory cell phone blocks. ***
Agreed, good olâ crank windows.
Some youngsters donât even know what that is.
2 grand nephews moved in with us in January and rode in the 06 Escape or the 92 Explorer until mid summer when we finaly fired up the 79 chevy pickup.
âuncle , Iâm hotâ
âok, roll down the windowâ
âŠ
âŠ
âŠ( blank stare as he looks for a switch )âŠ
The center punches are also available at American Auto Assoc. locations that sell luggage & travel supplies. I have one to use, if needed, in my boyfriendâs car which has electric windows. An organized person who is the only driver of a car might be able to find it quickly in the door pocket. Unfortunately I wouldnât want to count on people being able to locate theirs, or even remember how to use it in an emergency situation.
In 04 I sacrificed color to get a corolla with manual transmission, windows & key. Last time I talked to someone at Toyota, the model was still available. Will never forget my grandsonâs extcitement at discovering when you turned a funny handle the car window opened. That made up for having a car you couldnât unlock by pressing a button.
So youâre good with no seats or steering wheel then? 