Automatic gearboxes

After a couple more days I'm starting to get the hang of the auto gearbox. I've worked out how to reverse by turning off the auto hold and how not to let the engine switch off at every junction. All in all it's very good - the only problem is that as it runs in a bit it's becoming rather speedy - much more so than the Octavia that preceded it, though they both have the same power. I've also discovered that it has these cornering lights - as I turned into the drive it lit up next door's magnolia. 

Swivelling lights-one of those gadgets you scoff at and then you change your car and realise they were really effective and you quite miss them actually.

My favourite gizmo on the Volvo is a heated steering wheel. I have Raynauds syndrome so get very cold and numb hands often and a cold steering wheel has always been a real trigger. I cannot tell you how brilliant it is to have warm hands driving. My home visit patients agree too!

Bruce

Funny how we scoff at certain gadgets in cars until we get to use them, then we can't do without them. I really like adaptive cruise control, and on my frequent drives up to the Lake District from Suffolk the thing's almost permanently engaged. I've had some hairy moments in my wife's car, equipped with the standard version, when I've come up behind something & been waiting for the car to slow itself down.

We have adaptive cruise control - could you tell me what it does? We also have something whereby if the car in front suddenly slows down you get a loud beep and a picture of a car appears on the dashboard. 

Different makers call systems different things. I would expect adaptive cruise control to slow down or speed up the car whilst maintaining a set distance. As well as accelerating if necessary, Helen's car will brake so as not to exceed the set speed. But it takes no account of other vehicles around it. This might be what some makers call "adaptive". 

Thanks! I've had a look on the web and it seems the car has a radar sensor that detects what the car in front is doing, and will brake or accelerate within a defined speed range. It can even stop the car if needs be. I shall have to get the manual out and have a play. 

Hi HH,  I test drove one when I was contemplating my new car,  its a bit unnerving pushing up to get deliberately close to a vehicle in front.  I liked it.  But while it was no deal on the VW,  I was hoping my eventual BMW choice had the same,  but no.   Whatever I really like the BMW cruise control,  it has a simple to operate lever control on the steering column. .  Its so easy I'm using it a lot in town,  it has a braking function that prevents over speeding on 30mph downhill sections & very handy for the 20mph stuff we have everywhere.

When I went to order my X3 it wasn't immediately apparent that adaptive cruise was an option: it was part of a safety-something-or-other package. SWMBO won't use it for some reason.

I use the cruise control on Mrs D's C Class, especially in towns and speed restricted areas to help ensure I don't inadvertently exceed the speed limits.

On the CRV, it helps maintain a good steady speed on the long drives from Vernon to Canmore along Highway No1, again without having to keep a watchful eye for the RCMP.

Today, in the rain, I had to switch the auto-lights to "On". They seem to get caught out in overcast conditions...........sometimes on, sometimes off !

Automatic boxes are the standard around here. After all, with your coffee in one hand and your cellphone in the other, who has a spare hand for changing gears (or signalling)?

winkyincanada posted:

Automatic boxes are the standard around here. After all, with your coffee in one hand and your cellphone in the other, who has a spare hand for changing gears (or signalling)?

 on the observation Winky. I detest distracted drivers as much as you do. 

winkyincanada posted:

Automatic boxes are the standard around here. After all, with your coffee in one hand and your cellphone in the other, who has a spare hand for changing gears (or signalling)?

Good to know this isn't one of those totally California problems. Out on my bicycle and got cut rather close the other day. Driver was texting to beat the band. Passed another car this past Tuesday and he was eating cereal behind the wheel. Could not believe it. 80 mph and cereal. Maybe automatics should be outlawed!

In UK we get prosecuted for eating while driving,  the latest to hit the headlines is eating a banana while in stationary traffic.  The driver got 3 points & £145   (12 points gets you a driving ban)

Problem is we don't seem to have that many cops on the road these days so the text'ers, phone users, munchers, make-up, shaving & other toilet jobs all get away with it most of the time

Mike-B posted:

Hi HH,  I test drove one when I was contemplating my new car,  its a bit unnerving pushing up to get deliberately close to a vehicle in front.  I liked it.  But while it was no deal on the VW,  I was hoping my eventual BMW choice had the same,  but no.   Whatever I really like the BMW cruise control,  it has a simple to operate lever control on the steering column. .  Its so easy I'm using it a lot in town,  it has a braking function that prevents over speeding on 30mph downhill sections & very handy for the 20mph stuff we have everywhere.

On new BMW models the lever is now gone (lament). Cruise control switches have been moved to the left side of the steering wheel. I am on my second BMW with that system and cannot seem to remember which button does what... A lever was simple.... 

But the automatic is great - M-division tuned 8-speed monster 

You'll soon get used Nigel.  Mrs DayJay used to have an automatic and after a while I just jumped from mine to hers without really thinking about it much at all.  I had more trouble remembering that her indicators where on the opposite side to mine whihc was a right pain and something I never got used to until I sold my car and replaced it with a different model

Adam Zielinski posted:    On new BMW models the lever is now gone (lament)

 

  ............  shame,   why change something that simply & elegantly works.  Maybe another example of bean counters with Value Engineering objectives running the design dept.. 

Indeed Mike - they also killed those programmable buttons on the steering wheel (the diamond and a star shaped one).. Sometimes progress is an enemy of good and useful solutions.

The Mercs still have a "lever" to control the cruise control. (Well Mrs D's has. Perhaps the newer ones have been changed to push-buttons on the steering wheel)

It always takes me a day or two to get used to the push-buttons on the CRV.

But when we get back here, I don't seem to have much trouble getting used to the lever again.

Hungryhalibut posted:

We have adaptive cruise control - could you tell me what it does? We also have something whereby if the car in front suddenly slows down you get a loud beep and a picture of a car appears on the dashboard. 

It's a very good system and also safety feature. I've got a mk7 golf gtd. I've driven from my house in Devon all the way to Bristol without touching the accelerator or brake pedal. The damn thing also brakes on its own if you race up behind another car a bit too quick. Didn't Jeremy Clarkson test the system out by actually driving up to a parked car and not applying the brake pedal?  

Drewy posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

We have adaptive cruise control - could you tell me what it does? We also have something whereby if the car in front suddenly slows down you get a loud beep and a picture of a car appears on the dashboard. 

It's a very good system and also safety feature. I've got a mk7 golf gtd. I've driven from my house in Devon all the way to Bristol without touching the accelerator or brake pedal. The damn thing also brakes on its own if you race up behind another car a bit too quick. Didn't Jeremy Clarkson test the system out by actually driving up to a parked car and not applying the brake pedal?  

I tried this in my Golf and smashed the front of mine and the rear of my wife's parked car.  It was only then that I checked the handbook... mine's a mark 6,  not a mark 7 Golf.

Ah yes that eternal male trademark of not reading the instructions!

I bet you were thankful only your cars were involved!

rjstaines posted:

Drewy posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

We have adaptive cruise control - could you tell me what it does? We also have something whereby if the car in front suddenly slows down you get a loud beep and a picture of a car appears on the dashboard. 

It's a very good system and also safety feature. I've got a mk7 golf gtd. I've driven from my house in Devon all the way to Bristol without touching the accelerator or brake pedal. The damn thing also brakes on its own if you race up behind another car a bit too quick. Didn't Jeremy Clarkson test the system out by actually driving up to a parked car and not applying the brake pedal?  

I tried this in my Golf and smashed the front of mine and the rear of my wife's parked car.  It was only then that I checked the handbook... mine's a mark 6,  not a mark 7 Golf.

Bet you both had a jolly good laugh rj!

Personally I rather like the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel; had this on my previous Honda CRV & Range Rover. SWMBO's Merc has the lever type, so does our SL, but I dislike lots of lever. It's a personal thing.

Going onto beefs with new cars, one of my bugbears are the manuals, which I think are abominable. They seem to be mostly stuffed with lots of warning messages and more often than not don't actually explain how to work things in easy steps. I reckon they're written by committees.

tonym posted:

rjstaines posted:

Drewy posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

We have adaptive cruise control - could you tell me what it does? We also have something whereby if the car in front suddenly slows down you get a loud beep and a picture of a car appears on the dashboard. 

It's a very good system and also safety feature. I've got a mk7 golf gtd. I've driven from my house in Devon all the way to Bristol without touching the accelerator or brake pedal. The damn thing also brakes on its own if you race up behind another car a bit too quick. Didn't Jeremy Clarkson test the system out by actually driving up to a parked car and not applying the brake pedal?  

I tried this in my Golf and smashed the front of mine and the rear of my wife's parked car.  It was only then that I checked the handbook... mine's a mark 6,  not a mark 7 Golf.

Bet you both had a jolly good laugh rj!

Personally I rather like the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel; had this on my previous Honda CRV & Range Rover. SWMBO's Merc has the lever type, so does our SL, but I dislike lots of lever. It's a personal thing.

 

Going onto beefs with new cars, one of my bugbears are the manuals, which I think are abominable. They seem to be mostly stuffed with lots of warning messages and more often than not don't actually explain how to work things in easy steps.I reckon they're written by committees.

Yep, most likely the Safety Committee..........

Hungryhalibut posted:

No BMW for me - it's a humble Golf SV..... Hopefully the VW boxes have improved since 1996! It's fine when I'm pootling along and when I want to overtake, but it seems very slow pulling onto a roundabout, almost like it's considering what to do. It's only done 200 miles though, and the garage told me that it would perk up as it runs in. I'm sure I read somewhere that the 7 speed DSG is one of the best automatic boxes around.....

HH I also have the Borg-Warner 7 speed dry-clutch DSG, and yes it's a superb unit, but the one problem is where you are slowing down consistently for several seconds, drop below the minimum speed for 3rd then want rapid acceleration before stopping.  If you drive consistently, it does 'learn' though, and it's not programmed to allow for people who are too mechanically sensitive!

I know what's happening, but I've not got the concentration to explain at the moment (my ANS is a bit messed up, post procedure).  I'll try again later

My wife's had several Audis with the DSG box & it works an absolute treat.