Car Tech: What do you hate most about car technology?
- 7/11/07 4:24 PM
lock nuts
by Quemannn - 7/14/07 6:26 PM In reply to: I Hate Tech People Who Think They Understand Cars by qprizeWhy do automakers invent lock nuts that are good for nothing. I have a 2000 Toyoa Sienna XLE. The four wheels have got one lock nuts for each, and I am supposed to keep a key to unlock the lock nuts either in a glove compartment or somewhere.
Everytime I change tires, I need to take extra care to tell the mechanic where the key for the locknuts is. For the first two years, I did manage well. The situation changed and I took my van to another tire shop for tire change. I did not forget to tell the order taker where the key was, and my vehicle was brought into the garage around 9 am for pickup at 4 pm. I picked up the vehicle later in the day, and it was one year later at another tire shop when I found the lock nuts for the two front wheels were terribly botched up. Apparently, they failed to use the key but used other tools to pull the lock nuts out and put them back into place later.
Years later, I had to change tires at another tire shop, but this time the mechanic lost the key and put his screwdriver instead of the locknut key in my glove copartment, which I found one week later.
One year later, I changed four tires at another tire shop, and this time the mechanic failed to put one locknut into the right front wheel.I found it later since my vehicle was delivered to my home after three hours.
This is not to complain about all those mechanics' poor workmanship, but to complain about the lack of fool-proof devices for the locknuts and the key.In other words, automaker's negligence in ergonomic appraoches to the locknuts.
I am 60 years old, and have droven vehicles in four different countries as a long-term resident, but have rarely seen vehicle tires stolen. I wonder why automakers bothered to make locknuts but could not see the consumer side of technology. The locknuts must have been a great invention in the auto labs, but to me it is the idiotic invention that causes a lot of consumer nuisance. Do they still make locknuts and put them into wheels? They are really nuts!
Ideal car tech
by cyberDJ-2038765336053745013836 - 7/13/07 6:39 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
I have several gripes:
The iPud is not the only media player on the market. I want to see a head unit that synchronizes with most of the other, better players on the market.
I'd like to see solid-state storage utilized more in cars. Hard drives are too fragile to place in a vibrating, bouncing, shifting vehicle.
Not enough head units support CD-Text.
Head units that support files need to support them all. Not just WMA or MP3 and, occasionally AAC.
The Audi A3 had the right idea with a head unit that had 2 SD card slots. Current head units should support all storage formats.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ideally, one shouldn't need to have a CD or media player in the car. All one needs is a storage device.
Warning lights
by dkniskern - 7/13/07 8:23 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
I hate the prevaricating warning lights. They come on to tell me I have problems with tire pressure, or the oil needs to be changed, or the airbags are not working, etc, etc. However, when I take the car in to be fixed, it's always "just a computer malfunction" that I don't need to be concerned about. I'd rather not have them.
Media Player
by prince10bee - 7/13/07 8:43 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
How about a media player that can connect to your computer thru the internet and download all your media files (well video could be a little dangerous). Anyway i think its a great idea for music.
Check out Sync
by tbird635 - 7/13/07 9:49 PM In reply to: Media Player by prince10beeSee my post about the 2008 Focus and Microsoft's Sync technology. I saw a video where someone discovered that the device will actually stream and download music from a bluetooth enabled cell phone.
The next thing.....
by tbird635 - 7/13/07 9:47 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
Check out the Ford/Microsoft collaboration on the 2008 Focus. This alone may be the deciding factor for my next vehicle purchase.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/2008focus/articlelist/?tag=Sync
ALL ABOUT THE MOBILITY: SYNC™ PUTS YOUR LIFESTYLE ON THE ROAD
Hands-free calling, Voice-to-text, MP3 capability
It’s all in a name. So when that name conjures up never-before seen levels of connection, control, simplicity and personalization for your electronic devices, well, sometimes the only word for it is: Sync. In the ’08 Focus, enjoy a fully integrated, voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment system dynamo that’s all about delivering the mobile lifestyle you’ve become accustomed to.
Hands-free calling
Want to chat hands-free? No problem. Just press the “Push to Talk” button located right on your steering wheel to connect to the numbers in your phone book. Answer incoming calls the same exact way. You also have the option to speak the number you want to dial or use presets on the radio console to speed dial whoever, whenever.
Voice-to-text capabilities
What about hearing instead of reading those incoming texts while you’re driving? Sure thing. Pushing the telephone button on the steering wheel makes your texts instantly audible, even if the message includes an LOL or 
. Better still, Sync is quite the polyglot and offers voice activation in English, French and Spanish. !Ay caramba!
Voice-activated music control
But what about music? Get access to each and every song on your portable music player, phone or USB drive. Browse your collection easily by genre, album, artist and song title with easy voice commands like “Play genre: Alternative” or “Play: Podcast.”
Compatibility
Sync is ridiculously compatible too. Whether you’re using an iPod, USB drive, MP3-player or any “Plays for Sure,” it’s all a go with Sync. Oh, and because Sync is USB compatible, you’ll never run out of juice on an extended road trip.
T's about ime for a fresh look at...
by sauna6 - 7/14/07 2:58 AM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
1. power outlet (that ridiculous cigarette lighter socket)
2. data ports [USB, BT, Wifi (car2car mesh systems)]
3. bumpers (now painted plastic; gets scratched just by looking at it hard)
4. seats (most are bad and non-heated, non-ventilated)
5. diagnostic ports (compatibility standard missing)
6. trash bins (mostly missing)
7. theft protection (mostly missing)
8. lights (Xenon really is not more expensive to make)
A new car needs to be innovated. It may use a simple compressed air engine, helped with solar cells and small electric motors. Cells charge the batteries and keep the car cool when parked (like my Audi does). The French are at it again, power to them. Perhaps India or China will take it from there.
Car Tech Gripes
by germaname - 7/14/07 10:11 AM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
The stupidest,most useless,and irritating product ever installed on modern day automobiles is D.L.R.'s [daylight running lights].
Totally agree
by chaibacca - 7/16/07 12:37 PM In reply to: Car Tech Gripes by germanameAnd, I'm reminded of this every time I rent a car (I always disable them on my own car). In a lot of GM cars, the headlight switch doesn't even turn off the headlights when you have it on the "parking lights" setting, totally defeating the purpose. I guess they figured no one uses them anyway, but if you try to use the setting to flash your headlights at another driver without blinding them by using the brights, you're out of luck. I wonder why they even still have the switch on the dashboard. I guess it's for the same reason that the toy dashboard/steering wheel unit that you get for your 3-year-old in the back seat has one.
I totally disagree
by mxsumich - 7/17/07 2:26 PM In reply to: Car Tech Gripes by germanameI wish the US, Like Canada has done already, would make these mandatory. I can't count the number of times I see people who don't have any lighting on in the fog or other low light conditions. I don't see a problem.
storks lighting wipers ect
by STOREYFORPAWS2 - 7/14/07 10:58 AM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
one law should be passed is that indicator,,lighting storks and wiper storks shoul have a dedicated positiond on the steering colume how would we feel if manufacturers placed footbrake,,accererator.. clutch.. pedals any place they fancied all the storks should be on the same position ref the clock 9 or 3 life would be much safer
Manufactures applying untested technologies.
by hortnut - 7/14/07 3:37 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
Hi,
The 2007 Chev Impala and other Models in the GM line are using a common Coaxial cable that runs through, in part, through the rocker panel, that measures the tire pressure and operates 2 things 1. Remote Start and 2. Door Unlocking.
My understanding is that they use different 'frequencies' to separate the signals, or so that is the theory. For a time they had no fix and were working on the hardware and software upgrades to get these things to work properly. I do not know if they ever got this straightened out. Most of the complaints came from back east during the cold months of last year.
Also on the Traction Controlled vehicles and AWD vehicles - the sensors seem to go bad on a regular basis, especially in areas where there is a lot of road corrosion and cold weather,
And out of warranty, these are expensive repairs.
So what do I hate the most - the cost of repairing the electronics, once out of warranty and even in warranty - having to fight with the shop personnell about appropriate repairs.
Car technology
by zitajean - 7/14/07 4:18 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
The repair bill for installing a new regulator on all 4 windows before warranty is out and then again after that.
The Dashboard Is No Place for Technology.
by benoddo - 7/14/07 10:16 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
I would like to see technology implemented to eliminate the need for fossil fuels altogether. Instead technology is being deployed to as entertainment or a poor replacement for the basic skills necessary to operate a car in a safe and responsible manner. Each time I get on to the highway, my life is not only in my hands, it's in the hands of every driver to my left, right, in front and behind me. The last thing I want next to me is a brain dead driver, either blabbing on a cell phone, playing with a GPS receiver or fumbling to change a CD. The technology being installed today is what the consumer demands, but not what is needed to keep our roads safe. In an effort to boost profits, the roads are getting more dangerous. As deaths due to drunk driving have dropped, overall fatalities have not dropped by the same margin. Meaning that people are dying on our roads for other reasons. Despite all the technology and safety features packed into a car today, the most important safety feature overlooked is the skill set of the person driving. Drivers are becoming more reliant on technology as a substitute for driving skills and until such time when cars can drive themselves, the roads will become increasingly dangerous.
I have a short drive to work daily and a week can not go by with at least one rear end collision causing a traffic jam. There's no excuse for one car to slam into the rear end of the car in front. But it happens when you follow too close, and for that split second when traffic slows and your focus is on the LCD screen or changing a tune on your iPod, that you customize your front end and some poor guy's trunk.
Forget the toys and drive as though your life depends on your abilities; because it does.
Car design in pre-historia
by Eduardo, Generare Ltd. - 7/15/07 10:50 PM In reply to: What do you hate most about car technology? by wcunning
I'm a car designer and user interface developer, worked in Italy 11 years and now I'm a product development chief in Finland for already further 15 years. No doubt that if car industry would have followed the same speed of electronic devices we see today, we would likely be flying and not using roads, water would replace gasoline and no one would be at the driving seat.
"No one on the driving seat" -that is why a lot of electronics, specially the entertaining gadgetry category, can't get into a car just like that-, there's a huge user interface problem and driving-related issues that still are not that well developed so that safety and liability is in good waters for both producers and car users.
I've seen fantastic automotive patent applications and huge attempts for loops into the future that just had to be frozen (or scrapped completely) simply because to drive a car, a real person with a human brain is required. For instance, the wind-shield cleaner is a excellent and simple device, but it has been proven to seduce driver's eyes off from crucial road elements, distracting and causing accidents "just because that little dust spot is not coming off".
One will say so that the driver should focus its fun navigating the car indeed, and the passengers should keep enjoying the ride with all gadgetry possible. User interface and machine interaction, added to regulations and liability, together with massive road tests in extreme conditions does make of a car -still- a very conservative product development item.
I specially love gadgets, design and own them as much as the market and my profession allows me to do so, and I believe that something between Google's artificial intelligence and Apple's iPhone is going to inspire the car industry, maybe not as "them" making electronics, but a wise cooperation between firms applying skills indeed on their core and expertise.
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
|
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
