I seriously think we could do a lot worse than to have DRL's on all cars.
Auto lights too for the reasons stated above.
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I find the automatic wipers on the Honda a godsend - react far quicker to changes in rain/spray than I can.
Auto lights I find less useful - drove a colleagues C-Class last year and it turned the lights on OK but seemed unable to turn them off again when we stopped. Honda have the best idea - with the dash display lit up during the day at a reasonable level the glare at night makes you turn the lights on to dim it!
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I like all these gadgets on my Renaults. And if you don't like them, you can disable the automatic headlights anyway. Also the wipers can be disabled with a piece of tape over the sensor (my idea, not a recommendation by Renault...)
No these things are not 'needed' but they all add up to making the ownership experience a bit different.
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I'm amazed just how many of these gadgets are on mainstream cars. My Mondeo has the auto lights, the auto wipers and the auto dimming rear view mirror. It also puts the heated windscreen on automatically on cold mornings.
Could live without any of them, but they all contribute to a car which is so easy to live with.
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My Vectra has auto wipers and auto dipping mirror. As with comments from others, I am very impressed with the wipers. They react quickly and effectively. Their only failing is that they get confused by high humidity levels in the Rotherhithe Tunnel and can do odd things in there.
As for the auto dipping mirror. I hate it. Useless. It does not remove dazzle at all. Not impressed with that at all.
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Auto wipers on my Avensis are generally good. Quick to react when spray from oncoming vehicles hits the screen so a good safety feature there.
I find they take longer to respond at night for some reason-maybe the sensor is based on light through the droplets.....
Only issue is when they screen is iced up-if you forget to turn the wipers of before starting the engine and wipers are stuck to the screen.....could be interesting as ice will set them off......
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>>It does not remove dazzle at all>>
That's in direct contrast to the VW version - it's both very effective and very quick both to dim and return to normal.
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>>It does not remove dazzle at all>> That's in direct contrast to the VW version - it's both very effective and very quick both to dim and return to normal. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
Agree-with the auto dimmer in my Avensis it works a treat. One of those things I thought was over-hyped, but having had it-nice and easy on the eyes.
Now the next car I get must have auto-dimming door mirrors too!
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Another useful feature that's not been mentioned is the ability to first close all open windows (and sunroof if fitted) with a twist of the key in the front doors or boot lid and then lock the car with the remote control's key. Particularly handy in summer.
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Or in the case of the Audi the ability to open or close all the windows using the remote. I saw this as a gimmick, but during the summer opening the windows before getting in was very useful. Auto wipers on Audi very good, hardly ever turn them off, auto lights useful at this time of year as I drive round with lights on most the time anyway during winter.
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I turned my automatic lights off, I found as I drove under bridges they would come on. Being tight fisted, I didn't want to wear the bulbs out.
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My Mondeo has global opening/closing, can poke the remote key at the front window 5 mins before getting in the car on a hot day and open all windows and sun roof, likewise any open windows/sunroof can be closed from the remote when locking the car.
I have driven various cars with auto wipers and would rather have variable intermitent any day, likewise I am capable of deciding when to switch my lights on or off.
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Variable intermittent and auto function - Renault gives you both.
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Variable intermittent and auto function - Renault gives you both.
Yes but it is either / or, you cannot vary the delay yourself when it is on auto.
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When the intermittent function cuts in when the water on the sensor reduces, you can vary the interval. If you then pass a lorry for example and get sprayed, they go onto auto full time until the rain clears. Then back to intermittent where you can vary it, then when the screen is dry they stop completely.
Is this the same as yours?
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Is this the same as yours?
My Mondeo does not have rain sensing wipers, I take care of that alonf with changing gear and turning corners. However cars that I have driven with auto and variable intermitent, Peugeot, Renault, Jeep and BMW IIRC have either been on fully auto or if you want to vary the delay yourself you have switch to intermitent wipe.
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>>Variable intermittent and auto function - Renault gives you both.>>
A point I made earlier about VW models. But I've always used the auto mode as it is so effective.
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I can unlock my Peugeot from the six floors up. That?s further than I can see.
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I'll bet that was a fun day finding that out Dave.
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My brother in law could only do four floors with his Vectra. It was a day of celebration I can tell ya.
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I remember having a hire car that was one of the first Vectras, late 1995, the remote worked best part of half a mile away, I then got a Vectra co car a few months later, a 2.0 SRi, and was disapointed that it's remote only worked over a hundred yards or so.
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When there is a key fob olympic team, I?ll be on it.
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I used to be able to do it from teh living room. It was great flashing the lights at our unsuspecting next door neighbour every time she walked past.
Now I have to press the key furiously at a distance no more than 2 metres away to get it to work.
I can say the head trick doesn't work.
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I used to be able to do it from teh living room. It was great flashing the lights at our unsuspecting next door neighbour every time she walked past.
somebody needs to get out more ...
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Do you favour the "remote against side of head and mouth open" technique Dave?
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Running at the car whilst humming at a frequency of 673.29hz allows for optimum unlocking.
You need to be runnign at at least 3 mph though for it to work.
I'mn sure an old hand such as Dave will eb able to tell you more.
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The precariously leaning out the window technique with team mate holding ankles.
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>>It was great flashing the lights at our unsuspecting next door neighbour every time she walked past.>>
Hasn't anybody told you, if you fancy the neighbour just talk to her.
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Might be in with chance there
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Another old boot then Adam?
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It's been a quiet few months.
Im not fussy.
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Adam if you like this girl, go for it. Don?t let happen to you what happened to me.
I lived next door to a babe called Alice for twenty four years. Twenty four years, just waiting for a chance to tell her how I felt and maybe get a second glance but now I've gotta get used to not living next door to Alice. I don't know why she's leaving, or where she's gonna go,
I guess she's got her reasons but I just don't wanna know.
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dont tell me Dave
you rushed to the window and looked outside
But could hardly believe your eyes
As a big limousine rolled up into Alice's drive
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Did you grow up together, two kids in the park?
Carving your initials deep in the bark?
You and Alice?
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And Sally called back and asked how I felt,
And she said: "I know how to help - Alice is living up North ..
Now I gotta get used to Alice living next door to Adam...
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Who the X is Alice?
Adam's neighbour, clearly
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You were keen enough to find out how old she was...:-)
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"....Wipers don't work like that, you still have to switch them on...." - No, you can leave them on auto and that's it. Likewise the lights can be left, and this gives you the "leaving home" and "coming home" functions. Found the autolights useful on continental motorways with lots of tunnels; also lift-off wipers to prevent icing-up at night.
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My car has automatic wipers ... so they wipe like crazy when in the spray of a vehicle ahead. Or a single wipe when it starts to rain and the windscreen is mildy damp, thus requiring me to operate the washer to clean the smeared windscreen.
As far as I am concerned they are a waste of money, do not know why manufacurers spend the funds in designing in the technology. Then if the windscreen needs to be replaced, it is a special item, more expensive, so the poor insurance company has a bigger bill, and will charge a higher premium.
Also got an automatic dipping rear view mirror, another waste of time. It is for ever darkening and lighting, often I am dazzled by the vehicle behind until the light sensor is activated. More wasted money.
Better to spend the funds on something useful, potentially life saving like Electonic Stability. Less sexy, perhaps less 'popular' but much more sensible.
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>>Less sexy, perhaps less 'popular' but much more sensible.>>
Presmuably it depends on the manufacuturer.
My VW Bora's automatic wipers react only as necessary according to the circumstances.
Exactly the same with the automatic darkening rear view mirror. If a car comes up behind with its headlights on it dims almost instantly - no following vehicle and it's quickly back to the status quo.
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Forgot to mention the lights - I have always liked the Volvo set up, dipped headlamps whenever the engine is running, so usually put mine on... day and night. I do not have auto lights, if I did I'd probably tape over the light sensor.... then my lights would opeate like a Volvo!!
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Have to agree. Can see no need for automatic wipers, or lights.
If you cant operate these basic features a trip to BSM is called for.
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>>If you cant operate these basic features a trip to BSM is called for.>>
I thought BSM passed away some time ago...?
I find automatic wipers a superb feature. No more trying to get the wipe sequence that is required whilst weather conditions vary from minute to minute or volume of other traffic throwing up spray.
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I posted about this on Technical last week but the auto wipers on my Vectra are painful. They don't come on when they're needed and even when they eventually get going the interval is too long (even on maximum "sensitivity") So I constantly have to manually flick wipe the screen in spray or showery conditions. To add insult to injury there is no option of a normal intermittent function.
Auto dipping rear view mirror is another "feature" I could quite happily do without. On unlit roads you cannot see who/what is behind you - only a pair of dim headlights.
Problem is that most decent spec cars come with these features these days so you have to have them.
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Auto dipping rear view mirror is another "feature" I could quite happily do without. On unlit roads you cannot see who/what is behind you - only a pair of dim headlights.
The only time my auto dip mirror in my Vectra misbehaves is when in a street lit area. The sensor on the back of the mirror picks up the light from the streetlights, thinks it's daylight, and no longer dips when a car is dazzling from behind. I have to put the interior light on to force the mirror to darken. No problems with it otherwise.
Occasional glitch with the auto wipers, but it soon gets over its strop and settles down again.
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Dave - re the mirror, I don't think it's a case of it misbehaving just working too effectively ie on an unlit road it's permanently dipped (with no way of "undipping" it) so you don't know who is zooming up behind you.
The wipers I just cannot get on with
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Dave - re the mirror, I don't think it's a case of it misbehaving just working too effectively ie on an unlit road it's permanently dipped (with no way of "undipping" it) so you don't know who is zooming up behind you.
Mine is fine on unlit roads. The only time it dips (or polarises to give it the correct terminology) is when I get dazzled from behind. When a car is behind with their lights set correctly then it's fine and behaves just like a normal mirror.
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This lot you mean?
www.bsm.co.uk/
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>>This lot you mean?>>
Thanks for that information.
I had the thought in the back of my mind that BSM had been taken over a while back but, for some reason, by the AA...:-)
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Renault Family you are only saying that because yours is broken and you can?t play with it. I?m the same with my dollies. As soon as you have a shiny new one with all the kit you?ll be all lovey dovey auto window wipery again. Grumpy!
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TOSH
I am perfectly happy with my basic Ford Focus.....
< grumble >
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Re Auto Lights and Wipers.
On my Scenic, I have both and I like them. However, some issues are:
Wipers - in the morning, like today, when the car was covered in condensation the wipers were going bananas, obviously the sensor was being kept wet by the tiny condensation beads.
Lights - these will not come on automatically in heavy rain or fog etc whic is annoying. However they do come on at dusk especially when you are driving into a low sun!!!
Re the wipers and ice, when you start the engine you need to switch the wipers off and back on to go onto auto mode, so therefore they won't start straight away and risk breaking on the ice.
A negative especially on the lights is when you get used to them coming on automatically, then when you experience heavy rain or fog, you sometimes forget to manually switch them on.
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With VW if autowipers are on longer than 10 secs. autolights come on.
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My Avensis auto dim rear view mirror can be switched off, and the sensor is on the inside bottom of the mirror so only picks up light from the rear. Looks like they solve two of theissues mentioned above!
But I agree on the condensation issue-it can confuse the wipers and keep them going longer than necessary.
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Rented Hyundai Trajet had these in Israel last week. The lights worked fine and the wipers were good alos, but only after the first hour, as it hadn't rained for months so the screen needed a good clean before the squeaking and juddering stopped. Afterwasrds, for the remainder of the one rainy day they were great and a great advantage.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
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