I would never buy a car where shutting off the engine is holding a button for 3 secs.

[capsulecorpjx]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35347348/ns/business-autos/

Basic car functions are getting unnecessarily complicated.

1) Lexus and some models, to shut off the engine you hold the start button for 3 seconds. Not something I would have thought off when careening uncontrollably down the street.

2) In some cars, the accelerator is not mechanical trigger, but electronic (called fly by wire). So if there is any problem, software wise or just the spring that keeps it up fails, the car will keep accelerating.

[honeybee]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35347348/ns/business-autos/

Basic car functions are getting unnecessarily complicated.

1) Lexus and some models, to shut off the engine you hold the start button for 3 seconds. Not something I would have thought off when careening uncontrollably down the street.

2) In some cars, the accelerator is not mechanical trigger, but electronic (called fly by wire). So if there is any problem, software wise or just the spring that keeps it up fails, the car will keep accelerating.

Can you top this one:

The Mahindra Scorpio, one of the hottest MUV/SUV whatever you wanna call it, now comes with an auto engine shut off if you idle it for more than two seconds. Who ever thought of this??? And to top it all, the driver has an override function to disable this two second cut off!!!

As if the driver couldn't switch off the engine by himself if he wanted to save on fuel...

.

[JuggaloBrotha]

So you stop at a red light and the engine shuts off for you, that makes sense how??

[Shaggy Hiker]

There's nothing new about that, I used to have a car that did shut off whenever I stopped at a stoplight. Don't remember it being advertised as a feature, though.

[visualAd]

I have an 11 year old Fiesta. I drive in the comforting knowledge that if there is a nuclear explosion nearby, I will still be able to operate my car afterwards.

[homer13j]

Solution: Build your own car.

[homer13j]

I have an 11 year old Fiesta. I drive in the comforting knowledge that if there is a nuclear explosion nearby, I will still be able to operate my car afterwards.

That is both sad and reassuring at the same time.

[Shaggy Hiker]

Solution: Build your own car.

They have a GREAT motto, or whatever you call the bit about "When projects become projectiles."

[Shaggy Hiker]

I have an 11 year old Fiesta. I drive in the comforting knowledge that if there is a nuclear explosion nearby, I will still be able to operate my car afterwards.

You never actually stated that the car runs. Therefore, I take this to mean that you will be able to operate your car after a nuclear explosion as well as you are able to operate it now, which I would assume to be: Not at all.

[penagate]

2) In some cars, the accelerator is not mechanical trigger, but electronic (called fly by wire). So if there is any problem, software wise or just the spring that keeps it up fails, the car will keep accelerating.

The problem can be easily solved... just don't drive a Prius!

[penagate]

What's this all about?

But the inability of drivers to stop cars in emergencies shows the importance of simple, familiar controls such as [...] radio knobs that adhere to the age-old convention of having a large volume and power knob on the left side of the radio face and a large tuning knob on the right side.

What's the radio got to do with emergency stopping? Isn't it possible to avoid an accident without having your favourite Tupac song playing?

[Shaggy Hiker]

Certainly not. Hollywood has clearly demonstrated that crisis situations require the right kind of music. Suppose you were headed towards a cliff and all you could get on the radio was heavy metal. Obviously you would have to just keep accelerating.

Worse yet, if you got some kind of languid, melodic, string music, you'd almost manage to stop, but not quite, thereby falling slowly to your death.

Of course, if you had talk radio playing, you'd just keep right on driving, without ever noticing either the cliff or the curve of the earth until you exited the atmosphere entirely. That wouldn't be a real change, though, as there's no air in talk radio, either.

[honeybee]

What's this all about?



What's the radio got to do with emergency stopping? Isn't it possible to avoid an accident without having your favourite Tupac song playing?

On a serious note, I get pssed off every time I have to fumble around with the stereo to either skip a currently playing song, or change to a different channel on the FM. God only knows who designs these interfaces. Again, with people doubting the existence of God, I don't know who else may know these things. But such tiny buttons and multi-function buttons?? Drives me crazy!

.

[honeybee]

So you stop at a red light and the engine shuts off for you, that makes sense how??

I don't know about the US, but in Mumbai and around, the lights stay red for more than a minute at a few places. That's not what bothers me. What bothers me is what do you do when you are in bumper to bumper traffic and every two seconds you wait behind a car, your engine switches off?

And do you really require assistance switching off the engine???

.

[penagate]

Is there anything on the net that describes this "FuelSmart" system in detail? I read a few pages, but they were quite vague.

A conventional combustion engine doesn't "start seamlessly", so I'm wondering if there's more to this system than would make it less awkward than it sounds. It's apparently a hybrid, for a start. I know other hybrids (like the Prius...) can cut in and out of combustion on the fly so perhaps this system isn't that ridiculous.

[wossname]

This auto-shut off feature is brilliant actually.

There's a variant of the Ford Transit van that has it (I'm not sure if it's in production in the UK or not). When you stop at the lights, it kills the engine, BUT as soon as you touch the gas pedal again, the (special) starter motor drives the crankshaft while the driver is re-engaging the clutch. So for a short time (1 second maybe) the starter motor is hauling the van along.

Then the engine re-ignites and the exploding fossils take over again.

Very simple and very clever.

But since when did "White-van man" care about the environment? Never, that's when.

[si_the_geek]

"White-van man" generally doesn't... but "big multinational corporation" likes to do their part, even if cynics think it is just to keep the protesters away.

[akhileshbc]

Chevrolet Cruze ..

Special Features in Chevrolet Cruze

There are special features which are

1)Quick Thinking LAN Bus - 500kbps a Microprocessor Chip-Set which connects to the Engine and Whole vehicle with fast performance and with a Safety Actions

2)Cruise Control - Controls the speed which can be set and maintain the speed in constant way and even no need to keep your leg on the accelerator.

3)Passive Entry Passive Start (PEPS) - Key-less entry with Key-less Start without any key just keeping the remote control with maintaining 1M, With a simple touch on Door handle and opens center locking, A small button appears on the left-side of the steering which Start/Stop the engine without any key a simple touch makes it more convenient to the people.

4)Emergency Exit - In the case of sudden lockup of the doors there is an emergency exit behind the rear seat which can be opened after folding the rear seat.

[dilettante]

Is there anything on the net that describes this "FuelSmart" system in detail? I read a few pages, but they were quite vague.

A conventional combustion engine doesn't "start seamlessly", so I'm wondering if there's more to this system than would make it less awkward than it sounds. It's apparently a hybrid, for a start. I know other hybrids (like the Prius...) can cut in and out of combustion on the fly so perhaps this system isn't that ridiculous.

Auto-stop is common in hybrids.

The engine is usually restarted when you let up on the clutch or brake (manual transmission vs. CVT), and the restart is done using the electric motor of the hybrid drivetrain rather than a conventional starter motor.

Some hybrids don't even have a conventional starter motor, though in some makes and models one is present along with a conventional 12 volt battery and acts as a backup system if the hybrid system ever failed. Then the car can be driven as a somewhat underpowered vehicle on just the gasoline engine, in a sort of "limp home" mode.

This came in handy on mine once in 8 years. Stuck in a traffic jam for 90 minutes (bleh) the high-voltage battery pack got depleted to the point where the hybrid system went to sleep. After getting clear of this mess though it came back up after about 2 miles of smoother driving. Don't try this with a Prius however! No backup systems on those things.

Auto-stop is usually pretty smart. It doesn't engage every time one stops because frequent restarting is pointless and just wastes more fuel.

There are other features as well, like cylinder shutdown during cruising and sequenced ignition using two plugs per cylinder.


Some of these questions make me wonder though. What kind of 1950s technology are you guys driving yet anyway?

[honeybee]

Emergency exit?? With five occupants trapped inside a car that's flooded, do you really think they will be able to fold down the rear seat, open the emergency exit behind it and escape through it??

The problem with some cars is there's no manual override option for features such as central locking or power windows. Specially power windows. In case the battery dies, or something goes wrong with the electric circuitry or the motor assembly, you are left with no option but leave the window as it is.

With central locking, some of the less "luxury" cars still do have a manual unlocking/locking option, which can be a lifesaver in floods and other emergencies.

.

[AsmIscool]

Some of these questions make me wonder though. What kind of 1950s technology are you guys driving yet anyway?

1950's Citroens had a start button. And a key to turn it off. And a crank in case your starter motor died.