Bad designs on cars

[[TW]Fox]

Not strictly a bad design though, you are hardly forced to use it

And to think I got flamed for suggesting that about the BMW climate control vent heat adjustment wheel

Autos with manual override are not pointless - it costs virtually nothing to do as its software based, and as Clarkey says you dont have to use it if you dont wish.

 

[Fett]

Intercooler spray button on STi's. Worst position ever for a novelty. Don't get me started on the dipstick marker...

 

[Clarkey]

changed on the newage then? My mates classic has a good dipstick real easy to read. The 300zx on the other hand has a hopeless dipstick, you'd do just as well taking a guess.

Actually that reminds me of another niggle on the colt. There is no engine bay under-tray, whilst this may or may not be an aerodynamics nightmare, it allows crap to be flicked up into the engine bay off the road including salty water which can rust out the dipstick tube. Not something which I can say has affected mine, but apparently has happened. I'd think that seeing as the tube runs between the exhaust manifold branches, if water got up there it would steam up like crazy

 

[Fett]

changed on the newage then? My mates classic has a good dipstick real easy to read. The 300zx on the other hand has a hopeless dipstick, you'd do just as well taking a guess.

To get an accurate reading on a newage involves a straw, couple of rags and total privacy.

 

[West]

The switches in the Mini... they put the Window switches on either side and in the middle the Fog and ASC switches.. kinda annoying if you end up flicking the wrong switches.

 

[Begbie]

Stupit beebing in the astra when the keys are left in the ignition and the doors are open!

Eh duh I know there in there because I don't have my keys on me!

 

[Jonny69]

Another one I've just remembered. There's no dipstick on the autobox in Renaults. Who thought that was a good idea? The most vital part of keeping an autobox healthy is making sure it's got the right amount of fluid and that it's in good condition, without it the box dies very quickly. So they take off the dipstick and you can't tell how much fluid is in it and you can't top it up. With autoboxes by the time something goes wrong it's normally too late because it has consumed itself through lack of fluid.

A round of applause please.

 

[Third Opinion]

one thing that always annoys me is "executive cars" with semi-autos. Like on the Crysler 300c. Does anybody ever on a car like that change gear manually?

(i don't mean proper semi-autos, i mean auto's where you can change gear sequentionaly using the gearstick by putting it into +- or similar positon)

Agreed totally pointless. If you want a manual why not just buy one?

My wife has it on her Merc and I have never bothered. In all honestly decent modern auto's are so good you should not really need to do it manually.

 

[4T5]

No sump plug on a Smart car
You have to suck the old oil out

 

[Jonny69]

Same on new Vespas. No sucker here though, I tipped the bike upside down and poured the oil out

 

[4T5]

^^That is what i suggested to do with a mates Smartcar

 

[Matt82]

the breather design on vag 1.9 tdi engines. coats the entire intake system in oil. clogs the 3mm id vac hoses. coats the intercooler. when you get to the inlet manifold you find an EGR valve, which adds soot to the oil which makes gunk. this eventually blocks the EGR valve and actually narrows down the bore of the inlet manifold.

pretty smart lol

 

[Vix]

No sump plug on a Smart car
You have to suck the old oil out

No you have to take it to the dealers. Like when the washer fluid needs filling up or the headlamp bulb needs replacing. Seriously there is nothing you can do yourself easily on one of those things, they do it on purpose

/Bitter ex-Smart owner.

 

[4T5]

^^ There is an After market sump cover available with a sump plug in it
Sucking them out is not as hard as it sounds either. I would hate to work on one though.

 

[Jez]

Couple from cars which i have owned:

1) Seat leon's require you to pull the door handles twice to open the door, once to unlock the door, once to open it. Why doesnt it unlock and open in one action?

2) BMW E46 window switch placement, my OCD retard disorder means that i cant only have one window open, thus i always want to open both front windows, or all 4 windows, on normal cars where the switches are grouped you can do this with one action with a finger on each button, on the E46 they are too far apart to reach. Same applies to my old omega too with similar window switch placement.

3) MR2 flippy headlights created loads of wind noise at >100mph

4) S-class folding mirrors, you have to hold the button, wtf :/

5) S-class manual gear selection, whats the point, never use it.

6) S-class heated seats, they gradually cool down to the lowest setting, which means if i want to be roasting hot, i have to turn them completely off, and then on again to select full heat again, rinse and repeat constantly throughout long journey.

7) S-class no-where to put your right foot, so it ends up either hovering above the pedals, or on the floor infront of them in a rubbish position. Why the hell didnt they put a foot rest to the right of the accelerator?

 

[ajgoodfellow]

I've got the same problem with the headlight stalk on my MG mentioned earlier

You pull it back to both flash your lights and switch on full beam permanently. I've often switched on my lights to find that they come on with full beam because I've accidentally set this when flashing my lights earlier!

I agree with Jez about the Seat Leon doors - very very irritating.

 

[Jonnycoupe]

Filling up a Mk1 Focus is a bit of a joke.

You need keys to open and then close it, and the fuel cap has no where to go even though it has a tether strap.

 

[Will]

Headlight bulbs on Smart cars....changing one is akin to sticking your hand through a letterbox, and then reaching around a corner to release the clip by touch alone, whilst barely being able to reach it. Oh and if you drop the bulb you will *never* retrieve it again.

Polos from around 2002 onwards and many modern VAG cars that use a standard H7/477 bulb have a crap rotatable clip to hold the bulb in place which once released is stupidly difficult to replace as its difficult to twist it hard enough. Old style conventional 'bent-wire' clips for the win.

Any car where access to change front bulbs on is gained through a hatch in the front wheelarch. Fiddly, means you get messy, and you have sod all way of seeing what you're doing. Mazda RX-8 worst I've ever done.

Battery location on many modern cars, which precludes easy replacement of the battery without removing vast quantities of brittle plastic trim, rubber seals, or even occasionally windscreen wiper mechanisms! Audi A4 and Passat diesels are especially bad...

And uess who works at halfords doing this sort of crap day in day out?

 

[Baz]

Another headlight problem, Mazda 6 headlights are accessable through the wheel-well, and you need a screwdriver and a lot of patience, they are a nightmare to change! Plus they are not that bright...


I did hear that the Jag XK8/R headlights required the dropping of the engine in order to change them, not sure if it were true or not....


Other things I don't like is where they stick the fuel filter on the Focus, between the fuel tank and spare wheel well, about 1/2inch to move and remove it...

 

[dalin80]

I did hear that the Jag XK8/R headlights required the dropping of the engine in order to change them, not sure if it were true or not....


.

no, you just need to dislocate you fingers and give them a few breaks.

the VAGS that require your to remove the front end in order to change the fanbelts.