I date back to the days when the floor board had a hatch... from whence to drop cherry bombs ;-) ...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Cranky Old Git With Engineering Mind Faster Than a Speeding Prissy
Don't blame the engineers - usually this crap comes from focus groups and marketing men who haven't thought it through. New USP whoopee!!!
Of the hitech toys on mine I reckon automatic rearview mirror dimming at night when following car headlights hit it and parking radar are two of the best.
Yes, seen it, and the equally alarming situation where diesel gets into the crankcase and blows the engine to pieces. Lots of fragments of cast iron and very lethal...
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| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Cranky Old Git With Engineering Mind Faster Than a Speeding Prissy
The only new feature in modern cars I really appreciated was the compass in a Suburban which digitally displayed the heading in the rearview mirror. Very practical. Got me through parts of Colorado without having to look at maps too much.
All the rest, I'd rather go without. My car is now about 12 years old, no electric windows, no power lock, no butt heaters, not electric seat adjust, only the minimum in electronics required by emissions controls, IOW plain vanilla.
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Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/
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I can remember it being so cold in Massachusetts that your balls hurt when you got into your car. Here, in AZ, you haven't lived until you've experienced butt COOLERS ;-)
My wife gets into car, pushes button #1, seats and mirrors go to her settings (she's only 5' tall). I get in, push button #2 (note the ranking ;-), seats and mirrors fit me... what's not to like ?:-)
Update on run-away car issues:
Q45 "key" can be turned to ACC position, killing engine _without_ locking steering wheel... but losing power assisted steering and brakes. ACC is between LOCK and RUN.
Daughter's Lexus (apparently, we're double checking) requires tapping START button twice to accomplish same thing. ...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Cranky Old Git With Engineering Mind Faster Than a Speeding Prissy
--
| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Cranky Old Git With Engineering Mind Faster Than a Speeding Prissy
Yeah, the repair bills when something goes ka-clunk.
That's when my wife had her comeuppance with an all electric this, that and the other thing company car: Everything just froze up. They had to tow it into a "warm-up room". Very normal with that type of car, the tow truck driver commented.
Takes me > only the minimum in electronics required by emissions controls,
Properly designed, like in the good old days. Power steering and brake isn't electric, needs engine, that's almost normal and seasoned drivers would be prepared to "muscle it on".
That does require training and/or an emergency checklist. This ain't the time to reach for the glove compartment and retrieve the owners manual.
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/
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Use another domain or send PM.
The place I worked for had redundant neutral for years. A switch in the range selector disconnected power to clutch solenoids, effectively preventing a wayward control from engaging the transmission. Hopefully cars these days allow shifting to neutral when the car is moving. Most if not all engine controls have over speed protection so the engine may rev up and sound horrid, but it will keep running.
I routinely turn the key one notch towards off, and let the car coast, engine off into the garage, parking space, etc. With the key in first notch the engine dies, the steering and brakes work, the latter for 2 or 3 applications. Keep my foot lightly on the brake an modulate as required to stop, and don=92t do this when much steering is required. Somehow this feels better than having the car trying to pull its self along when you want to stop. When the teenage nephew saw the key thing he about croaked, apparently they tell them in drivers ed to never turn the key off while the car is moving. Telling them the key has more than one =93off=94 position must be too complicated.
Software glitches that occur at long term random intervals can be hard to reproduce and test for. The customer ends up being the ultimate tester. I=92ve seen a couple cases of this. The customer said the transmission was clunking every day or so, the software guys say it can=92t happen until you prove it. Ok, the proof is to have an energized solenoid in the test fixture, hold a strip of steel, when the glitch occurs the metal fells off. The software guys never had the logic analyzer look for something like that long enough to find it. Another time a OEM was having reliability problems for year or so. They eventually recorded a faulty range change that required hundreds of trials under specific conditions to reproduce.
With all the software in cars these days, there has to be glitches that go into production, fortunately most of them are benign. Haven forbid MS from doing any vehicle control software.
There usually is. First thing I tried on my car, mainly to get a feel how fast it's gone and how hard it'll be to stop the car after an engine failure. As the boy scouts say, be prepared.
As for steering I used to drive a heavy Audi station without power steering so that presents no serious issues.
On a stick-shift car there is a huge advantage: You can leave it in gear and the engine will keep turning.
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/
"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
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I didn't try the brakes, but I'm sure vacuum is there for awhile. Steering isn't difficult, either, as long as you're rolling. ...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Cranky Old Git With Engineering Mind Faster Than a Speeding Prissy
Try it, in a safe area. As Lasse said it's usually gone after the 2nd pedal push, sometimes after the 1st. You are experienced enough of a driver so you won't panic (like someone else did when I was in the passenger seat ...) but it never hurts to try and see how the brake feels with the vacuum gone.
--
Regards, Joerg
http://www.analogconsultants.com/
"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.
I am so calm... have been all my life. Taking my driver's test at age
16 in a BIG '56 Mercury station wagon... backing into the parallel parking test, the power steering quit... I still got it properly into the slot ;-)
I have been known to scream, "Hang on!", then take accident evading action thru the dirt and back onto the highway... really makes people sweat ;-)
The youngest son got forced into the wall by a semi while west-bound around the Broadway Curve. He evaded the truck but banged the wall, spun around once, straightened it out, then stopped in the break-down lane.
Cop asked, "Howja do that?" Duane simply responded, "Bondurant Driving School" (which I gave to him as a gift one Christmas ;-)
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One of his tracks is just south of here. ...Jim Thompson
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| James E.Thompson, CTO | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC\'s and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |
Cranky Old Git With Engineering Mind Faster Than a Speeding Prissy
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