OT - Car Specifications

[Tim Streater]

No, it's a pain in the arse, at least as implemented in my C4. I don't give a monkey's about whether the temperature I want is 22C or whatever. When I get in the car, if I'm cold I want to get hot ASAP, so I set temp to max. Once I'm warm enough, air at a somewhat lower temp is what I want. So I turn the temp down from, say 27 to say 22. But what actually happens is that instead of getting air at 22 I get air

*much* colder than that, because the car thinks I want the entire ambient temp to get to 22 ASAP.

What I want is a simple slider or dial, such that I get air out of it at a temp that exactly relates to the dial/slider position.

[Roger Mills]

I'm not sure which low end cars you have in mind, but thinks like power steering, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, etc. - which were at one time only available on luxury cars - are now available either by default or as factory fit options on pretty much everything.

[Huge]

[16 lines snipped]

Ah, there's your problem.

[Roger Mills]

Ta! [Ignore the questions in my previous post, which I wrote before reading this.]

When in speed limiter mode, do you still need your foot on your throttle

- so that you control the speed (subject to the limit) - or does it work without pressing the throttle, like a conventional cruise control?

[Bob Eager]

It certainly takes input from the satnav, but primarily (I think, based on observation) it uses the front camera to recognise speed limit signs. It puts the current limit (and other signs such as 'no overtaking') up on the dashboard.

[Roger Mills]

Why should that be? I've only ever driven one auto with cruise control - and that was a hire car in Australia. That behaved in a very peculiar and erratic way. If you started to go up a hill, it would open the throttle to try to maintain speed - often resulting in kicking down to the next gear, whereupon it would accelerate rapidly - exceeding the set speed - and then promptly shut the throttle and change up again - only for the same gear hunting process to keep repeating.

At least with a manual, *you* choose the gear and the cruise control only has one parameter to control. Obviously, if it can't maintain the chosen speed in the current gear even by using full throttle, you'll need to give it a bit of help - but that's preferable to having an auto thrashing the gears willy nilly!

[Bob Eager]

You need your foot on the throttle. There is separate cruise control (and no, I've not tried to see if you can combine them!)

[tim...]

we were talking parking sensors and cruise

try finding a low end car which offers you both (either standard fit or a manufacturer option), finding one or the other is hard enough.

The annoying thing is that these are much easier to make as an after market modification than ABS, Air Con and Power Steering would be, but see my previous comment re insurance

tim

[Harry Bloomfield]

Tim Streater a écrit :

Mine makes its temperature changes much more gently, imperceptably. It doesn't run the blower when trying to warm the interior, until there is some warmth in the coolant.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Tim+ a écrit :

No I mean it holds the set speed much more accurately, at least until I touch the brake or clutch.

[Harry Bloomfield]

+1 - that is exactly what I found with an auto. I use cruise much more now with a manual because all that varies is the throttle/ power.

[Harry Bloomfield]

Roger Mills a écrit :

Maybe they distrust the ability of the driver to cope with cruise, but I remember my cars handbook says something along those lines.

[Davey]

Correct.

[Tim+]

From the sound of it that is a particularly poor implementation of cruise control. These days of "fly by wire" there's no overshoot. It's not typical of autos with cruise control in my experience (across about half a dozen different autos).

A manual car cannot maintain a constant speed up a steep hill without user input, an auto can (within limits of course).

Tim

[Tim+]

And on a hill...?

Tim

[Harry Bloomfield]

Well it would have to be a serious hill, but I would change down and re-engage cruise.

[Tim+]

So, it can't maintain the set speed without intervention. Something an auto can do. I rest my case. ;-)

Tim

[The Natural Philosopher]

Its the wife and thermostat problem.

In my Jag I left it on 19C in the summer and 21C in the winter. It would blast hot or cold air at me till it got there.

But it had proper (Indian?) software in it, not froggy crap.

[The Natural Philosopher]

AIUI - I dont have it - its like a rev limiter.

Either cruise control OR speed limit.

Speed limit is manual throttle but with 'thats as fast as I am going unless you go for maximum rabbit'.

[Harry Bloomfield]

In exceptional circumstances, no. Its a diesel, with massive torque, so only rarely do I find it necessary on an open road to change down even when towing. More often I have to disengage cruise, due to bends and traffic.