What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

[Eklipze3k]

The forum just isn't as active as it used to be (thanks Facebook et al), and those that are active probably just don't know the answers to the questions being posed as we're all old school, and this Uconnect stuff is far too high tech for us

 

[The Panda Nut]

The forum just isn't as active as it used to be (thanks Facebook et al), and those that are active probably just don't know the answers to the questions being posed as we're all old school, and this Uconnect stuff is far too high tech for us

Yes, it doesnt help that I didnt want blue teeth or memory stick music in the first palce. It doesnt work as well as a plain old cd. I dont want digital instruments, hill holders or any of the clearly pretty useless EU emissions gear that hasnt made cars cleaner, just less reliable and more expensive. If I could have the time back thats been wasted with all this rubbish I would add another 5 years to my life. Far too much change for changes sake. In addition I done want a 750HP electric car with unnecessary 4 wheel drive either. Just a straight forward car that will get from A to be with performance to match my age and reactions and without the 650 horse power I dont need or want to pay for. Ive nothing against the electric powered variety but I will not be buying a £45000 Fiat 500 period. If we had even a slight eye on global warming common sense would put a stop to most of this nonsense and start getting real about transport making it simpler, more reliable and suited to todays world. We have the German car industry to thank for all this idiocy. I hope the people converting older vehicles to electric power bankrupt the lot of them as this is they way to go. PS And who exactly thought dual mass flywheels were a sensible way forward?

 

[vexorg]

Old cd units would skip, unlike proper tape decks, the car cd units had to have buffers to take accountof the skipping when you went over bumps. I've still got a tape deck in one of my cars

I have wondered why no one has started an "old school" car production, I'm guessing they cant meet the current emissions. Early 90's was the peak of normal cars in my view, enough electronics to replace the unreliable parts like points in the distributer, and before all the safety emission stuff kicked off.

 

[StevenRB45]

Cracking day today...

Took the boy up the woods this morning tactically to wear him out so he'd nap. Boy did he deliver literally picked a route himself that took us up to top of the valley. The hills in the distance would be the north pennines..walked it all himself until he didnt so piggy back 2 miles back.

Back to ours for a snack and into the car up the 40 miles to Alnwick Garden to run and around and jump in the fountains for 4 hours before home was about 26 degrees all good really lots of fresh air and about 7 miles walked.

Other than...between me and the wife we've had 7.5 hours kip. Been flagging since about 3...to the point I actually switched the lane departure warning on on the way home. Normally it's bloody annoying on the basis it won't let you return to the left lane (entirely legally) without indicating and goes mad on single track roads. However between the sunlight through the window, a comfy chair and the gentle bobbing on the springs it seemed sensible to have an obnoxiously loud buzzer and light show if I wandered out of lane.

Oh and while it was a nice day...between entry lunch and banging a tank of petrol in the car...no change from 130 quid but hey..with inflation at the rate it is if I'd gone next month that'd be 150.

 

[Rocinante]

...Normally it's bloody annoying on the basis it won't let you return to the left lane (entirely legally) without indicating ....

Is it not a requirement to indicate when changing lanes ?
perhaps @portland_bill can advise

 

[StevenRB45]

Is it not a requirement to indicate when changing lanes ?
perhaps @portland_bill can advise

My ADI advised if pulling out an indicator is required...however on completion of an overtake it is not. But you may wish to if the gap is smaller than ideal/2 car lengths.

I'd indicate if leaving etc...but this would seem to suggest it's still taught in the same manner.

When to Signal when Driving

When should you signal when driving, correct use of signals and when you should and shouldn't indicate on the UK driving test

www.drivingtesttips.biz

 

[Rocinante]

My ADI advised if pulling out an indicator is required...however on completion of an overtake it is not. But you may wish to if the gap is smaller than ideal/2 car lengths.

I'd indicate if leaving etc...but this would seem to suggest it's still taught in the same manner.

When to Signal when Driving

When should you signal when driving, correct use of signals and when you should and shouldn't indicate on the UK driving test

www.drivingtesttips.biz

I was really just relying on the general rule that if you're changing lanes, you should be indicating. However, I suppose if you've over taken someone and you're on the wrong side of the road, there should be an expectation from other drivers that you will return to the correct side of the road at some point.

 

[StevenRB45]

I was really just relying on the general rule that if you're changing lanes, you should be indicating. However, I suppose if you've over taken someone and you're on the wrong side of the road, there should be an expectation from other drivers that you will return to the correct side of the road at some point.

On a dual carriageway the expectation is still you will be returning to the left lane on completion of an overtake.

You should only be in the right lane if overtaking.

 

[portland_bill]

Is it not a requirement to indicate when changing lanes ?
perhaps @portland_bill can advise

I was really just relying on the general rule that if you're changing lanes, you should be indicating. However, I suppose if you've over taken someone and you're on the wrong side of the road, there should be an expectation from other drivers that you will return to the correct side of the road at some point.

My ADI advised if pulling out an indicator is required...however on completion of an overtake it is not. But you may wish to if the gap is smaller than ideal/2 car lengths.

I'd indicate if leaving etc...but this would seem to suggest it's still taught in the same manner.

When to Signal when Driving

When should you signal when driving, correct use of signals and when you should and shouldn't indicate on the UK driving test

www.drivingtesttips.biz

Signals should be given to inform other road users of one's intentions. However, any signal needs to be of benefit, and should be given thought as to its effectiveness, its necessity, and to avoid any misleading signal.
Generally it is advised to always signal when changing lanes to the right, as this is usually to overtake another vehicle, and the signal on the front of the car will tell the vehicle ahead that you are moving out. If they use their mirrors, it shoudl prevent them from trying to also change lanes at the same time, or may encourage them to do so if feeling competitive. (Sorry, a bit of cynicism creeping in)
Mostly a signal to move back to the left is unnecessary, as you should be moving faster than the vehicle in that lane, so no inconvenience is created. A left signal can be useful to discourage close following traffic from trying to pass on the left, or to wake the passed vehicle up if they have increased speed. It also helps calm close following traffic, if they are itching to go faster, although moving left is preferable to any delay while a signal is given. (Get out of the way, rather than promise to move out of the way soon.) A left signal can be useful when moving from lane 3 to 2, to discourage vehicles in lane 1 from moving to lane 2 at the same time and trying to share the same space. Choosing when to move to avoid blind spots works even better.
Importantly, every signal should be given thought, not just applied automatically. This means unnecessary signals can be avoided, but more importantly, necessary signals are given at the right time, to give the right message.
There are of course many situations where signals can be difficult, and with thought, we can be ready for misinterpretation of those signals, rather than have to react, or get angry. Some will never be easy.

In Swindon, near the Magic Roundabout, a bus lane ends just before the entrance/exit at Burger King. A left signal is necessary to change lanes after the bus lane, if turning left at the Magic Roundabout. Following traffic will often cross teh solid line early, into the bus lane, so need to be told if you are moving that way too. However, the same signal is used if entering Burger King, but the speed will be different. (Your speed and position, and changes to those, are also signals.) There is a risk that vehicles emerging from Burger King will misinterpret a left signal, and pull out. No problem if speed is correct.
Yesterday, approaching that lane change, I needed to signal left, as following traffic was drifting into the bus lane. A woman leaving Burger King waited until I was quite close, then decided to pull out. (Slow thinking, she had plenty of time to just go when I was 50 yards away, but presumably the second brain cell was not yet ready to help the first.) This was no problem to me, I just lifted the accelerator, expecting her to keep moving. Silly *** stopped, broadside across my lane. Genius. So I stopped gently, no fuss, but I did extend my braking distance to manage following traffic, and choosing to stop close to her is just a bit of mischief on my part. So there we sat, while she shouted and gesticulated, while effectively parked across a live lane. I just waited. She then, instead of driving away, chose to reverse back into the car park, then needing to start her emerge process again. Perhaps she likes a challenge. Can't win there, signal and out she comes, no signal, and follwiong traffic may move up on the left side.

A long time ago, I stared a thread for such questions, always happy to help, even if answers are long enough to make you wish you hadn't.
Found it, last used 2018, doesn't time march on. https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/driving-techniques.460491/page-5

 

[Rocinante]

On a dual carriageway the expectation is still you will be returning to the left lane on completion of an overtake.

You should only be in the right lane if overtaking.

Not withstanding Bill's full and thorough answer.
There is a bit more scope for interpretation on a dual carriageway than if you're driving on the wrong side of the road. You are of course 100% correct that you should return to the left, but if there is traffic a little further ahead, you may not move over straight away, etc so if there can be a little more doubt about where your car is going, it seems reasonable to indicate to let other traffic around you know and shouldn't be automatic that you don't indicate, but perhaps that wasn't exactly what you were saying.
I tend to try to indicate when ever my vehicle changes direction/lane, perhaps that's too much, but I think that's better than too little which is all too common (especially on roundabouts where it can be anyone's guess which exit a car is taking). If you're indicating in the direction your car is going there shouldn't be too much room for interpretation. But perhaps as Bill indicated, I need to put more thought in to it, so it isn't as automatic.

My name's Rocinante and I'm an overindicator.

 

[bugsymike]

I always think it funny how lots of people protested about identity cards and their civil liberties, then have mobile phones with their whole life on it Throw in paperless invoices and no cash, etc. When the "rogue state hackers" really get going no one is going to prove they even had a bank account, let alone any money in it!

 

[vexorg]

My name's Rocinante and I'm an overindicator.

Buy a BMW to fix that

 

[StevenRB45]

Not withstanding Bill's full and thorough answer.
There is a bit more scope for interpretation on a dual carriageway than if you're driving on the wrong side of the road. You are of course 100% correct that you should return to the left, but if there is traffic a little further ahead, you may not move over straight away, etc so if there can be a little more doubt about where your car is going, it seems reasonable to indicate to let other traffic around you know and shouldn't be automatic that you don't indicate, but perhaps that wasn't exactly what you were saying.
I tend to try to indicate when ever my vehicle changes direction/lane, perhaps that's too much, but I think that's better than too little which is all too common (especially on roundabouts where it can be anyone's guess which exit a car is taking). If you're indicating in the direction your car is going there shouldn't be too much room for interpretation. But perhaps as Bill indicated, I need to put more thought in to it, so it isn't as automatic.

My name's Rocinante and I'm an overindicator.

I've got nothing against left indicator on a dual carriageway or otherwise..it's more the system in the car is flipping stupid.

If for example I was passing a line of cars at 70 and they are doing 60 odd and then a fine gentleman in an led festooned german executive vehicle were to suddenly appear in my back seat having shown up at about 90..I may well decide to drop into the next reasonable gap in the slower moving queue having let the bloke I'm cutting in slightly on know with an indicator.

If the system was worth persevering with I'd train myself to always use the indicators but it isn't it's easier to knock it off generally. As well as legal maneuvers on the dual carriageway it has random issues with parking bays, road works, and local authorities who think you can draw lanes narrower than a car on a road and magically all the cars become narrower.

 

[vexorg]

Many new nissans force you to indicate for a lane change, or suffer the wrath of the propilot system

 

[StevenRB45]

Many new nissans force you to indicate for a lane change, or suffer the wrath of the propilot system

It's a fairly common issue with camera based lane keeping assist systems.

They can't really tell the difference between edge of road markings and lane markings, so they just go off whenever you cross a line without an indicator on.

At least in the case of our car...it's not attached to the steering so you aren't fighting cack handed intervention based on incomplete information.

At least unlike all the other driver aids...they provided a nice physical button to turn it on and off...and it remembers if you switched it off. It's like they knew it was annoying...

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

The last couple of times we were over in the 'States the rental car had active lane keeping. Traveling up to my sister, near Boston Mass, from my daughter's in Southern Maryland it was very tempting to trust the lane keeper but I soon learned it was not to be trusted. For many miles it would lull you into a false sense of trust then only to suddenly allow the car to drift into the next lane due to a poorly defined white line, "country muck" on the road, or other interruption to the lane marker. After a while I just started disregarding it altogether and drove as if it wasn't there. At best I can't see the point of unreliable technology like this and, at worst, I think it's positively dangerous because as it appears to work for quite a lot of the time there's also the times when it doesn't - and that's where the accident happens isn't it!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Not sure if this is a "grumpy", "smile", or "other" thread item? yesterday we were checking our energy statement on line (Mrs J is much better on the computer than me) and we were amused, I think? to see they are recommending we reduce our direct debit amount by some £70.

I've made several posts in different threads about my ongoing efforts, for the last couple of years, to reduce our use of energy and we've redoubled these efforts through the spring and into the summer months. Adding insulation (I've doubled the loft insulation depth and have the "itches" to prove it. What a truly horrid job that is. Also been trying to eliminate draughts (be warned, that can become an obsession) replacing our nearly 40 year old double glazing and so on. Mrs J likes a bath and now doesn't fill it quite so full as she would have. I prefer a shower and we have a pumped power shower which uses electricity to power the separate (Salamander) pump and hot water from the gravity tank so both gas and electricity being used. I find it invigorating to stand under the strong needle spray it produces, but I am resisting that indulgence and also shutting it off once I'm "wetted down" while I soap, then switching it back on to rinse off thus substantially reducing water consumed - especially hot water, thus gas used and the electricity used by the pump. In addition we are watching very carefully to only boil exactly the quantity of water needed when making drinks like tea and coffee etc. We also noticed it seems to be much cheaper to heat anything with gas than electricity so we are "doing stuff" on our gas hob rather than in the electric oven. Initially it was difficult because you get into a way of doing things over the years and it's difficult to change ingrained habits but after a while of "reeducating" the brain it all becomes second nature and the savings have been very obvious.

Had they - the utility company - informed me of the saving being made back in the early spring and recommended the reduction in our payment at that time, I think it would have been well worth changing that direct debit and making a couple of "bob" on it sitting in my bank account rather than theirs. Now, with the frightening price increases about to hit us, it hardly seems worth changing it? So, should I be smiling or grumping?

 

[Rocinante]

The last couple of times we were over in the 'States the rental car had active lane keeping. Traveling up to my sister, near Boston Mass, from my daughter's in Southern Maryland it was very tempting to trust the lane keeper but I soon learned it was not to be trusted. For many miles it would lull you into a false sense of trust then only to suddenly allow the car to drift into the next lane due to a poorly defined white line, "country muck" on the road, or other interruption to the lane marker. After a while I just started disregarding it altogether and drove as if it wasn't there. At best I can't see the point of unreliable technology like this and, at worst, I think it's positively dangerous because as it appears to work for quite a lot of the time there's also the times when it doesn't - and that's where the accident happens isn't it!

I suppose the point is, that it's a safety net.
You should drive as if it's not there, (which you ended up doing), but if you lose concentration and drift, (and the system is working at that point) it will catch you. I suppose a flawed safety net is better than no safety net, as long as the user knows it's capabilities and is not relying on it.
I suspect the manual states as such, they'd be pretty subject to lawsuits if it didn't.
I also suspect the marketing departments are a bit more enthusiastic about the systems capabilities.

 

[s130]

When towing I always left indicate BUT NOT until I think/know I'm very much clear of what I have just over taken. I also leave the indicator going a small amount of time before executing the move to the left. I find this practice comfortable if possibly unnecessary. An often big bonus, especially on busy roads is that HGVs and other towers will (if that have not already done so) give a flash on their headlights as if to say "go on I'm happy, I see what you want to do".

For those that have not towed before then your normal driving rear views are totally messed with. No rear window, you have to rely 100% on your mirrors, most of which these days give wider views and thus lengthen the perceived distance. Add trailer and thus 20ft of extra baggage behind your normal car only outfit and it does take a little bit of getting used to and extra care/caution.

Generally speaking motorists don't argue with HGVs because they know they will come of worse. Sadly attitudes are a little different when it comes to cars + trailers/caravans.

 

[StevenRB45]

I also suspect the marketing departments are a bit more enthusiastic about the systems capabilities.

Unfortunately most of these things are effectively mandated by Euro ncap the safest car ever built...would score 2 stars max in the current testing regime without them.

Our current car scored 4...because at the time they didn't supply AEB as standard although now it is (thankfully ours does not have it as the few encounters I've had with it in other cars it seems more likely it'll take exception to a large flower at the end of your drive way than help you avoid anything dangerous).

Effectively to get 5 stars...these systems must be present, operate to a minimum standard and on by default.

In general I don't mind driver aids, provided they are unobtrusive and reliable.
Of all the various bells and whistles (hill holder/esp/abs/tcs/ebd/eba/speedlimit assist/cruise control/lane departure warning/park distance control/rear view camera/auto lights and wipers) the lane departure warning is the only thing I do not use.

I would say they tend to work with things that are hard and fast rules or there's an obvious failure condition. So TCS, if the wheels are spinning it needs to intervene. ESP, if the car is going to spin...it needs to intervene, Parking sensors, don't let me reach zero distance to the car behind. When you get manufacturers attempting to use technology to regulate things that involve nuance then they get annoying.. also when the technology isn't good enough to do what they are trying to do away from test conditions that has the potential to be plain dangerous.