Too much technology

[notflyingscot]

I use all my gadgets regularly. And actually find the Skoda lacking compared to my Audi (internet services for Google Earth overlays and sending sat nav destinations from my phone/PC being the main missing bits).

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For the techno uninitiated from the third world can you please explain the function of "internet services for Google Earth overlays"?

[ednmra]

 For example after owning 5 cars in row with auto headlights how many of us will enter a tunnel in a car without auto headlights and then search frantically for the switch. 

I think that the danger is only taken out when ALL cars are fitted with the same "auto" stuff.

 

 

 

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Yes, this came home to me after having reversing clearance  beeping on my own car for ages, then having rental cars (in the USA) which did not have this function. I made sure to remind myself I wasn't driving my own car! However, the reverse beep is one of the tech'. functions I do like and find useful.

[JoseDB]

For the techno uninitiated from the third world can you please explain the function of "internet services for Google Earth overlays"?

The sat nav in my Audi's use data from Google Earth so you have actual satellite imagery on the maps (looks amazing - everyone comments when they see it).

It also uses street view so the final instruction to your destination also includes a photo of the street/house you are looking for (no more crawling up the road reading house numbers).

It also allows you to send destinations to the car from Google maps on your PC or phone (no more fiddling around putting postcodes in, only to find they actually take you 300yards from where you want to be on the wrong road - drop a pin on Google maps and send it to the car).

It also uses online traffic info which is far more accurate than the radio based TMC. Each major road is highlighted in green/amber/red depending on the traffic flow (shows both directions independently by highlighting either side of the road). Looks just look Google maps when you ask it for directions on the PC/Phone with traffic turned on. It also uses the data to re-route you accordingly (which other sat nags do via TMC, but less effectively - in fact driving in convoy with my MiL bringing her new A1 home, hers was TMC only and drove her straight into a traffic jam saying it couldn't find an alternative route, mine turned me off the M3 early and I got home 2 hours earlier).

I can look up ANYTHING in the car using Google search, it will give me the address, phone number, a review (if its say a hotel or restaurant). I use this a lot of out for the day and looking for lunch.

I can find local fuel station prices (if you are bothered by saving a few pence), check the weather.

The car also acts as a wifi hot spot, so passengers can surf the net. I use this often when colleagues are with me, they work en route.

I think that's about it! It's very cool and very handy. I severely miss it in the Skoda!

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[Redboy]

The sat nav in my Audi's use data from Google Earth so you have actual satellite imagery on the maps (looks amazing - everyone comments when they see it)..... It also uses the data to re-route you accordingly (which other sat nags do via TMC, but less effectively - in fact driving in convoy with my MiL bringing her new A1 home, hers was TMC only and drove her straight into a traffic jam saying it couldn't find an alternative route, mine turned me off the M3 early and I got home 2 hours earlier).

This intuitive system sounds great, covert instructions which abandon MiL and give you extra Sky Sports viewing time....

[Gromle]

The sat nav in my Audi's use data from Google Earth so you have actual satellite imagery on the maps (looks amazing - everyone comments when they see it).

It also uses street view so the final instruction to your destination also includes a photo of the street/house you are looking for (no more crawling up the road reading house numbers).

It also allows you to send destinations to the car from Google maps on your PC or phone (no more fiddling around putting postcodes in, only to find they actually take you 300yards from where you want to be on the wrong road - drop a pin on Google maps and send it to the car).

It also uses online traffic info which is far more accurate than the radio based TMC. Each major road is highlighted in green/amber/red depending on the traffic flow (shows both directions independently by highlighting either side of the road). Looks just look Google maps when you ask it for directions on the PC/Phone with traffic turned on. It also uses the data to re-route you accordingly (which other sat nags do via TMC, but less effectively - in fact driving in convoy with my MiL bringing her new A1 home, hers was TMC only and drove her straight into a traffic jam saying it couldn't find an alternative route, mine turned me off the M3 early and I got home 2 hours earlier).

I can look up ANYTHING in the car using Google search, it will give me the address, phone number, a review (if its say a hotel or restaurant). I use this a lot of out for the day and looking for lunch.

I can find local fuel station prices (if you are bothered by saving a few pence), check the weather.

The car also acts as a wifi hot spot, so passengers can surf the net. I use this often when colleagues are with me, they work en route.

I think that's about it! It's very cool and very handy. I severely miss it in the Skoda!

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Sounds nifty!

But how much does that cost after the initial free period?

Free roaming cant be free forever.

[JoseDB]

The Audi system you put your own SIM in the dash. I pay £6 a month on a sharer contract using my Wife's 10Gb of data on her contract.

The equivalent BMW system is free for 3 years, then £120/year. They have the GSM module embedded so no option to add your own SIM.

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[ednmra]

H'mm..................I'd sooner buy petrol...........

[ednmra]

Found another odd read out. I usually have the display set on "range" i.e. roughly how many miles left in the fuel tank. Sometimes I go one click down to "average consumption", which I assume is from new, mine showing 35.8, reasonable as most of my drives so far have been short hops around town.

 

But today I moved down one more click of the control, to "consumption", which seems to tell what mpg you are getting right then. 

The figure changed roughly every half second, and in the course of a very short time showed anything from 22 mpg to 100 mpg, apparently depending on where your foot is on the throttle at that exact millisecond, whether the road is level, or on a grade, and just about any one of a hundred other tiny variables.

I think that is just daft.

[Cznski]

I do love a gadget but I'm finding myself more and more enjoying using my old 1.0 Yaris for commuting and running to the shops.  I strangely like the fact that it has manual windows, no power steering and no central locking (ok that last one's a bit annoying but I also like the fact I can just not bother locking it and know that nothing's going to happen) and the fact you can just throw it around without a care in the world and not care where you park it.

 

I also find that you can 'win' a lot of arguments against BMW's / Audi's etc on the roads - if anyone tries to squeeze me out I just hold my ground and more often then not they'll yield once they realise that I don't give a damn if I get hit, after all my whole car probably cost less than one monthly payment on theirs.

 

I do still love the Octavia and driving it at the weekends after a week of commuting in the Yaris it feels like I'm getting into a Rolls Royce!

[LiamONeill]

The "average consumption" has three memories, one is long term, one is on the current journey (it allows a 2 hour stop in the same "journey") and the third is since the last refuel which means no need to remember to reset everything as you pull out of the petrol station. Alas, it over-estimates by about 3MPG. You can switch between the three with the button on the bottom of the stalk or see all of them on the touchscreen.

My old E30 BMW (and older ones) have had that instantaneous readout and I agree, it doesn't seem any more useful now than it did then.

 

I love the touch screen. It was a key factor in buying the car. Even without steering-wheel buttons I can do what I need to do quickly on the screen without needing to look away from the road (change radio, change to SD card, phone home) You can get all that on the MFD on the dash too - I use the dash display when changing songs from the SD card for example. 

 

I'd love the new mobile integration with the screen too. Being able to load and update apps via the phone and wi-fi and then run them in the car is a way better system than relying on the dealer to provide updates. It also frees things up for lots of other apps to be made available. I'm going to connect my phone to the car anyway, and the phone is a much better piece of kit than the car's system so why not make use of that?

 

I bought second hand so didn't get any of the "auto driving" aids. The only one I would have wanted is the City Safe one that stops you running into the back of the car ahead. I can see that being useful at a roundabout when the guy ahead hasn't moved into that oh-so-obvious gap and I don't see that as I'm looking at cars on the roundabout. I've not hit anyone doing that yet, but never say never, The rest I could leave, including cruise control.  

[gwm97e]

what's the point of heated mirrors ?

They don't save me any significant time, as if there is frost/condensation I'll me cleaning the screen and windows anyway

They make sure that 50 miles worth of traffic film and salt is properly baked on to the mirrors every day, and make cleaning the mirrors while the engine is running pretty near impossible as they just cause the crud to evaporate out again, unless you have gallons of water with you

 

Oh, and of course, if you try and clean them when the engine is off and they are cold, of course they'll be folded in

 

A solution I didn't want to a problem I haven't got that just creates more work !

[JoseDB]

what's the point of heated mirrors ?

They don't save me any significant time, as if there is frost/condensation I'll me cleaning the screen and windows anyway

They make sure that 50 miles worth of traffic film and salt is properly baked on to the mirrors every day, and make cleaning the mirrors while the engine is running pretty near impossible as they just cause the crud to evaporate out again, unless you have gallons of water with you

 

Oh, and of course, if you try and clean them when the engine is off and they are cold, of course they'll be folded in

 

A solution I didn't want to a problem I haven't got that just creates more work !

 

Combined with heated windscreen, I sit in the car for about 30 seconds before reversing off the drive rather than getting my fingers frost bitten scraping it all off

[fordfan]

 The tech in the S is near non existent and I'm not sure what tech was used on damping the vRS..maybe lumps of iron.

Non existent?  There's not one control that you operate on the car without technology being involved.  Press the accelerator pedal which will tell the ECU what you want and it'll open the throttle for you, turn the steering wheel and the EPAS will work out what assistance you require and what corrections to make, press the brake pedal and the brake force will be calculated and applied, the wheels will be monitored for speed, press the clutch pedal and the ECU will want to know so that it can supply fuel if coming off the over run.

 

The drivetrain computers are networked, constantly sharing, prioritising and distributing information.  For example the road speed signal will be sent from its sensor to the engine control unit, where it will be distributed to the ABS, steering and SRS ECUs, it'll then get transferred to a lower speed communications system where it will got to the convenience and infotainment systems, just so that you can have radio volume that automatically increases with speed and doors thalock themselves at 10mph.

 

I dare say that the manufacturers are capable of making cars with steer by wire and brake by wire systems which will do away with any mechanical link to the controls.

[JoseDB]

Steer by wire already exists, BMW had to assure people a few years ago that if it failed it would fall back to a 'traditional linkage'.

[TomLux]

what's the point of heated mirrors ?

I have to disagree. I have a very narrow drive-way to get to the garage. After driving in the rain (and especially in the dark) I have severe problems getting in as I have a lot of reflection on the droplets on the mirrors. Just switching on the heating in the mirrors 1 minute before getting home, means I get into my garage without scratching the side of the car, or getting out to clean them.

But that's just me.

[ajw1100]

I dare say that the manufacturers are capable of making cars with steer by wire and brake by wire systems which will do away with any mechanical link to the controls.

 

 

Nothing new, my 1934 Austin 10 had 'brake by wire' to all four wheels. Nothing else, just pedal and wire...... stopping distance was a mystery.

[Gabbo]

I have to disagree. I have a very narrow drive-way to get to the garage. After driving in the rain (and especially in the dark) I have severe problems getting in as I have a lot of reflection on the droplets on the mirrors. Just switching on the heating in the mirrors 1 minute before getting home, means I get into my garage without scratching the side of the car, or getting out to clean them.

But that's just me.

 

+1

I find the heated mirrors greatly improves visibility during the rainy/snowy trips home.

When linked with the heated screen (as JoseDB said) & heated seats it makes cleaning the frost of the car very comfortable

[ednmra]

+1

I find the heated mirrors greatly improves visibility during the rainy/snowy trips home.

When linked with the heated screen (as JoseDB said) & heated seats it makes cleaning the frost of the car very comfortable

+2

Yes, I like my heated mirrors - work quickly too.

[themanwithnoaim]

Does it do that even with ESC sport activated?  :|

Yep, turn the traction control off and you get warning about the crew protection, had it sideways just to prove it to myself too, thanks for the tip not quite sure what its gonna do for my front tyre wear though !!!

Edited 28 January, 2015 by themanwithnoaim

[Matt Pez]

Quite a bit of snow on the roads in South Yorkshire today, managed to get out OK at 7am this morning with 3" of snow on the ground and by the time I got past M1,J29 on my way to Nottm,the fields were green again. However, my kids school was closed mid morning after SWMBO had done the drop and legged it to Leics, so it fell to me to head back home! Decided to avoid the M1 as heard reports of gridlock so headed for Mansfield and Clowne. No snow in Mansfield but as soon as I hit the Clowne road, suddenly found myself in over 6" of snow and in the middle of a blizzard! On one of the dips a couple of cars were stuck so I turned round to head back to Mansfield only to get stuck again as the snow was really coming down thick. Anyway, decided to head back to the first blockage and the Octy did really well. Thankfully I'd had trouble the other week with the Traction Control cutting the revs on the snow and ice which caused it to stall so this time I disabled the TCS and selected 2nd gear and the revs it brings up when you release the clutch was just enough to keep the car rolling up the hill past about 3 cars that had got stuck, so the point is, driving in thick snow is a case in point that sometimes too much technology is not a good thing!

Edited 29 January, 2015 by Matt Pez

[drum]

And since I'm the guy that started this thread off, perhaps I should have the final word. I'm not against technology per se but against technology simply because cars have so much inbuilt computing power that manufacturers seem bent on shoving stuff in that doesn't increase driving enjoyment, reliability or indeed fixability when things go wrong. Do we really need CANBUS  to connect so many things together that a simple fault becomes a diagnostic and expensive nightmare ?. Fine if its a £300 laptop - you can bite the bullet and get another but a £25000 car - well your'e kind of trapped  aren't you ?. Engine management ,ASR,ABS,Haldex  -fine I can go along with all that sort of  stuff  because of emissions,economy and safety etc but all these options for lighting, wipers , mirrors, windows,infotainment (for gods whats that all about ?) etc etc -- what does any of that add to your driving ability , awareness or concentration, more likely to increase your chances of being distracted and having an accident in my opinion. And looking ahead -- what on earth is going to happen a few years down the line when a simple problem is going to render an otherwise sound car beyond economic repair ?. How do we reconcile that with environmental concerns ?

[andyvee]

Google are building a car just for you @drum

[ednmra]

The way electronics came down in price, ever since the first calculators and digital watches were invented, that I'd have thought eventually when any electronic fault shows up they will just chuck the whole ECU (or whatever the component is) in the dustbin and plug a new one in, costing £2.40    (+ 3000% VAT........)

[London Les]

I love the technology - and I'm in the lucky place of being able to buy a new car every three years or so. I've not ended up on the road side since my Ford Focus lost its key code in 1998. The reliability achievable with modern diagnostic systems is very impressive - sure there's a lot to go wrong, but for the most part the car will get you home and not leave you trying to dry out the distributor cap in the rain as my 1980's cars used to!

[fabdavrav]

I hate all the tech..............try to spec some of the tech out....................

 

 

 

 

 

....................BUT having VCDS means that I can at least conquer some of it!...........