The Lemon Fool

redsturgeon wrote:Just got a brand new 2024 car

Showoff

and I about to go through the menu to see what I can turn off.

Well you've snuck in a couple of months before the Speed Limiters become mandatory It all seems a bit unclear, but as we are not in the EU we can still turn them off, but only if they make different vehicles for the UK, but would have to leave them on in the EU. Then there was something about a temporary override if you put your foot to the floor, eg a misjudged overtake or the vehicle you are passing sped up (not uncommon), and whether they reset when you turn the ignition off. Or something.

I can't see Sportscar manufacturers fitting them to their cars active all the time, would somewhat dent their sales. I was going to say they should perhaps only apply where the posted limit is under 50mph (ie built up areas, where overtaking is somewhat uncommon), however what I expect is quite a few people will simply sit on their limiter now with no regards to the conditions.

And I'll bet the daft buggers still brake for speed cameras.

Paul

If buyers boycotted cars with all this unwanted junk, foist upon them by unelected bureaucrats, then manufacturers would have to stop making them.

V8

88V8 wrote:If buyers boycotted cars with all this unwanted junk, foist upon them by unelected bureaucrats, then manufacturers would have to stop making them.

V8

You mean "If everybody stopped buying new cars", because rules dictate new cars have this stuff, so the only way to avoid it is to keep the old ones.

And that is not going to happen.

Paul

88V8 wrote:If buyers boycotted cars with all this unwanted junk, foist upon them by unelected bureaucrats, then manufacturers would have to stop making them.

V8

You mean like safety belts?

No seriously! I'm old enough to remember the introduction. Now you can be fined for not using one. FWIW, I'm quite happy to use them. Likewise while my car is old enough to not have automatic running lights. I do turn lights on given the improved safety known by bikers. Presumably you object to both things.

Likewise airbags, catalytic converters, unleaded petrol, petrol with alcohol as an additive (E10), fuel injection, ABS, traction control, automatic windscreen wipers......

OK, some of the latter are not safety or environmental measures so not mandated, but really.

Those bloody French and Germans, insisting upon safety features. BTW if you can put the EU hatred aside, automatic running lights were introduced elsewhere. The EU took it up because data showed a reduction in accidents. Likewise automatic speed limits were a thing in Japan over 30 years ago. Bloody EU.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limiter

We used to have to crank the windscreen wipers by hand, those new fangled electric starting motors will never catch on. Now, where are my special hat and gloves I'm taking Gwendoline for a run.

Urbandreamer wrote:

88V8 wrote:If buyers boycotted cars with all this unwanted junk, foist upon them by unelected bureaucrats, then manufacturers would have to stop making them.

You mean like safety belts?

Seat belts can easily be retrofitted to old vehicles and so making them mandatory (whenever that was) was not a hardship.

My first car had semaphore turn indicators and as I recall I was allowed to keep them, but that they had to "blink", which mine originally did not.

I am just about OK with ABS now, at least if it works properly. And electric windows, power steering and brakes. But anything newer than that I regard as either unnecessary (cruise control, electric seat adjusters) or downright aggravating. And even if I can disable them, and I mostly can, it still annoys me that I have to pay more for a car because of "features" that I neither want nor need.

So car-wise I am stuck at about the turn of the century, or earlier.

Lootman wrote:

Urbandreamer wrote:You mean like safety belts?

Seat belts can easily be retrofitted to old vehicles and so making them mandatory (whenever that was) was not a hardship.

My first car had semaphore turn indicators and as I recall I was allowed to keep them, but that they had to "blink", which mine originally did not.

I am just about OK with ABS now, at least if it works properly. And electric windows, power steering and brakes. ....

So car-wise I am stuck at about the turn of the century, or earlier.

Well I find electric mirrors handy. Especially as they have heaters so work in cold weather. There is an interesting feature on my intended car, that you can select by leaving the adjuster set to nearside mirror. When the car is put in reverse the nearside mirror tilts down to view the rear wheel, aiding in curbside parking. Or you can deselect it, making reversing into a drive easier.

I'm use to using the manual handbrake of my current car when doing a hill start, but the intended car won't roll down the hill when the intention is to move the other direction without the use of the handbrake.

Urbandreamer wrote:
There is an interesting feature on my intended car, that you can select by leaving the adjuster set to nearside mirror. When the car is put in reverse the nearside mirror tilts down to view the rear wheel, aiding in curbside parking. Or you can deselect it, making reversing into a drive easier.

That's been around for a while on many models.

It means that if you want to see the kerb when parallel parking, you only need to press one button instead of 2

Urbandreamer wrote:

88V8 wrote:If buyers boycotted cars with all this unwanted junk, foist upon them by unelected bureaucrats, then manufacturers would have to stop making them.

You mean like safety belts?
No seriously! I'm old enough to remember the introduction. Now you can be fined for not using one. FWIW, I'm quite happy to use them. Likewise while my car is old enough to not have automatic running lights. I do turn lights on given the improved safety known by bikers. Presumably you object to both things.
Likewise airbags, catalytic converters, unleaded petrol, petrol with alcohol as an additive (E10), fuel injection, ABS, traction control, automatic windscreen wipers......
OK, some of the latter are not safety or environmental measures so not mandated, but really.

Safety belts, fine. I was in a head-on at 50mph, in my first car with safety belts after 10 years with none.
But all the other stuff, no thankyou.
Oh, you forgot auto dipping headlights (Oldsmobile, 1953).

V8