Driving pet hates...

[PaulCa]

Interesting because I when I bought my last car went for Ac as opposed to climate.
My last 3 or 4 cars have had climate in them and annoyed me. I never found just set to x gave me what I wanted. I would still get steam ups, mini was a nightmare as it would drop fan speed really low on climate till engine warmed up if cold outside, it did crazy things, like deciding the engine was warm enough and as it was cooler inside then temp i had set would go to 80% fan etc

All of these things make sense. If the engine is cold then the CC cannot produce heat, so why would it want to blow cold air at you? So it will wait until air of the correct temp is available and then turn the fan up high to warm the car (often turning the recirc on), then as the temp starts to come up it will back the fan down. All of these things you would be doing yourself manually. The defog setting is usually a separate manual setting which sets the fan to 90% and up the screen.

Also, not sure about the mini, but in my car (GT86) I can manually override every setting just by modifying it myself.

 

[TallPaul_S]

My Dad's Insignia Country tourer has an annoying feature with the CC - if the CC is set to say 21 but it's 25 outside, literally as soon as you start the car on a cold engine it will start the fans on maximum, it doesn't take into account the engine temperature and that the aircon/heating cannot physically cool/warm the car yet.

So 8 times out of 10, unless the ambient temp is close to what the CC is set to, you get in the car, start it and you're greeted with a 50mph gale in your face!

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

All of these things make sense. If the engine is cold then the CC cannot produce heat, so why would it want to blow cold air at you? So it will wait until air of the correct temp is available and then turn the fan up high to warm the car (often turning the recirc on), then as the temp starts to come up it will back the fan down. All of these things you would be doing yourself manually. The defog setting is usually a separate manual setting which sets the fan to 90% and up the screen.

Also, not sure about the mini, but in my car (GT86) I can manually override every setting just by modifying it myself.

You can on the mini as well, in fact all cars I have had you can, but it kind of defeats the purpose Unless of course you absolutely want to be at 21 degrees no matter what.

The point of the low fan is indeed to stop it blowing cold air at you, however when 2 wet people get in, AC on or not with 10% fan it steams up before it goes into hurricane mode. I always, and I mean every single trip when getting into car not dry, had to increase the fan speed in the winter as the climate wouldn't cope, ideally not pressing the defog setting as I valued my hearing How would it, its doing the most frequent thing which means it will get it wrong so many percent of the time.

Honestly after like 15 years of climate going back to manuals is bliss. You just need to understand how to use them without being an idiot. So climate for idiots, manual for non idiots

 

[TallPaul_S]

Nah, for me the vague red and blue 'somewhere between arctic cold and hot as hell' heating dial can go the way of the manual choke as far as I'm concerned!

Also it's interesting to notice how we all get used to the little bits of technology that when taken away are missed. Like cruise control, in every modern car you can set it to an exact figure, then raise and lower by 1mph. Perfect for the 50mph average speed zones near me, set to 52mph and relax.

My (soon to be) new (used) can is an older generation and only has a big green 'SET' led when it's been activated, no speed indicator other than the (analogue) speedo... Am I doing 50mph, or 52, or even 54? Who the hell knows!! Arrrrrgh!!

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Nah, for me the vague red and blue 'somewhere between arctic cold and hot as hell' heating dial can go the way of the manual choke as far as I'm concerned!

Also it's interesting to notice how we all get used to the little bits of technology that when taken away are missed. Like cruise control, in every modern car you can set it to an exact figure, then raise and lower by 1mph. Perfect for the 50mph average speed zones near me, set to 52mph and relax.

My (soon to be) new (used) can is an older generation and only has a big green 'SET' led when it's been activated, no speed indicator other than the (analogue) speedo... Am I doing 50mph, or 52, or even 54? Who the hell knows!! Arrrrrgh!!

Its true its what you get used to.
My new car is keyless, when I first got it I kept getting in with keys still in my hand, then they are a problem. You drop then on the seat by you, or the special place to park your key in the centre console etc
Once your used to it you dont get it holding the key, press start and go

Now I am so used to that, in a normal car I keep pressing the unlock and leaving the keys in my pocket. I get in and am like doh now I need to wriggle around to get the keys out so I can plug it in.

Amazing how what your used to dictates how you feel about simple tasks.

Some just work better than others, I put auto choke, auto lights, keyless entry into the no going back category, better in every way
I put auto wipers, and climate in the "meh" category, only a minor improvement on manual, and often infuriating by getting it very wrong

I guess I am getting too old

 

[PaulCa]

The "blower" / "defog" button does more than deafen you with the fan. AC dries the air. Cold air is dryer than warm air. So it delibrately blasts cold AC'd air up the screen. Just using the fan and the air routing set to up the screen doesn't quite do the same thing.

Also, wet people getting into the car aside, leaving the aircon on all the time in the car will, even in winter cycle it on and off, drying the air in the car. You will often see a puppy trail of pee/water out the bottom of the car which is the water outlet from the AC dumping the water on the road. That water, when it stays in the car is what cause the windows to fog up.

The last 4 winters I haven't had to use the blower, except, as you mention, when people get in with wet coats.

Look I know some people just don't get along with it, but I think often it knows more about how to do CC right than those people do, they just refuse to accept it.

Some just work better than others, I put auto choke, auto lights, keyless entry into the no going back category, better in every way
I put auto wipers, and climate in the "meh" category, only a minor improvement on manual, and often infuriating by getting it very wrong

I am keeping "Electronic Handbrake" in the "Over my dead body" category. I mean it. A saleman might have my dream car at a shockingly good price but unless he can fit a physically handbrake to it, I don't want it.

 

[Resident]

I am keeping "Electronic Handbrake" in the "Over my dead body" category. I mean it. A saleman might have my dream car at a shockingly good price but unless he can fit a physically handbrake to it, I don't want it.

There are advantages such as hill-assist & auto on when engine turns off but as it stands too many disadvantages. Neighbour is a driving instructor and had one. During a lesson a pupil stopped to give way at a major roundabout and the handbrake applied then refused to disengage. Police had to close all three lanes so the HIAB could recover it as the handbook states it should not be towed under any circumstances. The car was 3 months old.

 

[PaulCa]

Yea, I just hear.

"I'm sorry Dave, I can't let you do that."

Also... Disc brakes are very low efficiency compared to drum brakes. That is why they require hydraulics and (often) vacuum servo assistance. However most electronic handbrakes are nothing more than an electric motor pushing a simple metal pin against the disc!

(Of course drum brakes have other issues which makes discs with hyrdaulics and servo's preferential).

 

[jpaul]

Potential upcoming increase in fuel duty ? but this is probably a vehement , not a pet hate.
- maybe the cost increase can be offset by turning off the CC (climate not cruise)

[ Is he allowed to differentiate petrol and diesel ? ]

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

I am keeping "Electronic Handbrake" in the "Over my dead body" category. I mean it. A saleman might have my dream car at a shockingly good price but unless he can fit a physically handbrake to it, I don't want it.

Oh thats funny as I would have added to the great list, the hill start it adds is great. even though I leave plenty of gap to cars in front where I work I still have manual luddites rolling back towards me daily. Some managing half a car length before they manage to get the car moving forwards.

The "blower" / "defog" button does more than deafen you with the fan. AC dries the air. Cold air is dryer than warm air. So it delibrately blasts cold AC'd air up the screen. Just using the fan and the air routing set to up the screen doesn't quite do the same thing.

Also, wet people getting into the car aside, leaving the aircon on all the time in the car will, even in winter cycle it on and off, drying the air in the car. You will often see a puppy trail of pee/water out the bottom of the car which is the water outlet from the AC dumping the water on the road. That water, when it stays in the car is what cause the windows to fog up.

The last 4 winters I haven't had to use the blower, except, as you mention, when people get in with wet coats.

Look I know some people just don't get along with it, but I think often it knows more about how to do CC right than those people do, they just refuse to accept it.

I know what the AC does, my first car to have it was in 1990 lol. (Celica). Although in those days you could watch the fuel guage go down when using it. although jesus was it cold. proper AC back then. Was something like a £1500 option back then.

Shock horror as I keep mine switched on as well. Its recommened to use it regularly as it keeps the motors/pumps lubricated which is often why they fail when people only use them for summer months.

This morning I got to car, windscreen was wet as was passenger side window, inside of windscreen also "foggy" as sun was on it. I pressed start, pressed down on passenger window, flicked the windscreen wiper down once to clear the screen, clicked the fan up a couple of notches, clicked the temp up a couple as it was much colder today. Windscreen cleared in about 10 seconds, enough to press brake, and EBC, press up on passnegre window, engage first and wait for the car coming behind me to pass then i went. I would have basically done exactly the same with climate, maybe I would have pressed the hurricane button instead of normal fan etc. However I didn't touch the fan nor the heater for the rest of 20 miles to work, where as if I had of overridden climate I would have needed to. I guess some people cope with complicated things like heater controls better than others

 

[Resident]

I love my car in winter. I just stick the key in, turn on and everything does it's thing for me.

Both heated screens/mirrors turn on, climate engages demist settings. Climate will run in demist for 3 mins then resume previous settings by which time it's perfectly clear and I can drive off.

Not bad for a 2006 Mondeo.

 

[vanpeebles]

People who swing out to the right or middle of the road to take a standard left turn into a street. Usually seen on housing estates in very small cars.

 

[TallPaul_S]

People who swing out to the right or middle of the road to take a standard left turn into a street. Usually seen on housing estates in very small cars.

Yes. See this quite often, they seem to think they're in an arctic or a bus and need to swing out

Also people (normally 'older' drivers in brand new volvos or mercs) who have no idea of their cars width and will go at 4mph between parked cars on one side and traffic queuing on the other, with 2ft of space either side... Now if it's a bit tight and there's a risk of kerbing alloys then I'll wait for a proper gap but it's not that hard to judge wing mirror width!

 

[PaulCa]

This morning I got to car, windscreen was wet as was passenger side window, inside of windscreen also "foggy" as sun was on it. I pressed start, pressed down on passenger window, flicked the windscreen wiper down once to clear the screen, clicked the fan up a couple of notches, clicked the temp up a couple as it was much colder today. Windscreen cleared in about 10 seconds, enough to press brake, and EBC, press up on passnegre window, engage first and wait for the car coming behind me to pass then i went. I would have basically done exactly the same with climate, maybe I would have pressed the hurricane button instead of normal fan etc. However I didn't touch the fan nor the heater for the rest of 20 miles to work, where as if I had of overridden climate I would have needed to. I guess some people cope with complicated things like heater controls better than others

I got into the car this morning, pressed the clutch, hit the START button and didn't touch the CC once. No fogging anywhere. I only wound my window down a few times as I wanted to vape and not upset my passenger.

When I picked up my friend and he turned his side of the car's temp down to 17*C for 10 minutes to cool him after his walk, then set it back up to 22. My side stayed at 22.

 

[smilertoo]

I dont have to worry about temperature zones and such stuff, my car has none of it, no AC.

 

[jpaul]

This morning I got to car, windscreen was wet as was passenger side window, inside of windscreen also "foggy" as sun was on it. I pressed start, pressed down on passenger window, flicked the windscreen wiper down once to clear the screen, clicked the fan up a couple of notches, clicked the temp up a couple as it was much colder today. Windscreen cleared in about 10 seconds, enough to press brake, and EBC, press up on passnegre window, engage first and wait for the car coming behind me to pass then i went. I would have basically done exactly the same with climate

any car clearing internal fog in 10s sounds impressive and it was pre climate too ? but not the celica ?

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

I got into the car this morning, pressed the clutch, hit the START button and didn't touch the CC once. No fogging anywhere. I only wound my window down a few times as I wanted to vape and not upset my passenger.

When I picked up my friend and he turned his side of the car's temp down to 17*C for 10 minutes to cool him after his walk, then set it back up to 22. My side stayed at 22.

Well thats nicely irrelevant, as you clearly didnt have an already fogged up screen, or dew covered windscreen and passenger window (oh and rear screen). Happens to all the cars where we park, its damp (its by trees and grass) and the sun is perfectly aliigned to the windscreens around 7am.
Annoyingly it happens later in the spring when it would have been handy to melt the frost, doesn't hit then till around 8.30 and I leave an hour earlier.

I am slightly bemused why you are so insistent on trying to make out like CC is best in all circumstances, when its clearly not. Why not mention what Tall Pall also said about his dads insignia?

Edit, oh just realised, its cos I posted about your bad observation skills. Now it makes sense.
I can see why you need the help now, heater controls probably are too complicated

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

any car clearing internal fog in 10s sounds impressive and it was pre climate too ? but not the celica ?

Sorry not sure I follow

The screen cleared really quickly, not 100%, but what was needed in the main area, but really quickly. The car wasn't badly steamed up, it was a reaction to the fact the outside screen was cold and covered in dew, the sun was full out onto the front windscreen, so any moisture inside was being attracted there. As soon as i cleared the outside the sun itself was removing the inside anyway, nothing like when you get damp inside thats steaming up as you drive in the cold of winter. If Ihad of left 10 mins or so later I suspect it would have been completely clear inside and out, was about 8 degress and sun was on car.

Not the celica, i sold that when I bought my scoob (AC was also an option on them back then, something like £1400 from memory, terrible without, lots of glass!)

 

[squerble]

Also I find I dont really care what the temperature is inside the car, I want to feel comfortable. 21 in the summer if the sun is on me is too hot, 21 in the winter if its proper cold outside is too cold as the heat is being sucked out of the window.

To be fair, most cars have a sun-load sensor, so if the sun is blaring into the car, it'll push out colder air to compensate/add comfort.

 

[jpaul]

Sorry not sure I follow

you seemed to say "inside of windscreen also "foggy"" and it cleared in 10s