No Top Marks for Cars With basics on a Touchscreen

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fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
and don't get me started on removing indicator stalks like Tesla have, what a ridiculous decision!

It's OK, most BMW and Audi's don't have working indicator stalks. :whistle:
 
OP
OP
presta

presta

Guru
I've simply never owned an unreliable car.

I've never owned anything I'd describe as a load of trouble, but without stats I'd not be in any position to tell whether a car was above or below average just from a sample of one.
 

figbat

Slippery scientist
Sticking throttles and runaway cruise control are common. There was one in MK, a poor bloke in a 3 litre Volvo with the cruise failing to disengage. He couldn't kill the ignition and risk losing steering and brakes so just hung on for dear life until he finally crashed. I expect it was an auto. Happened to my step brother years back in his XJ6, and it refused to go into N on the move. It even happens to lorries.

This isn't anything new, just Daily Mail driven hysteria now e cars are starting to do similar.

I'm always sceptical about such stories. "Risk losing steering and brakes" - you don't "lose" them if you switch off the ignition, they simply become harder; besides if the engine is still on the over-run by the car's momentum then the brake servo and power steering would still work (assuming hydraulic and not electric power steering). And any "risk" associated with turning the ignition off must surely outweigh the risk associated with ploughing into something or someone at speed.

I can get that people panic and either can't think or forget what to do, but to rationally decide against an obvious course of action seems a bit too suspicious to me.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
I'm always sceptical about such stories. "Risk losing steering and brakes" - you don't "lose" them if you switch off the ignition, they simply become harder; besides if the engine is still on the over-run by the car's momentum then the brake servo and power steering would still work (assuming hydraulic and not electric power steering). And any "risk" associated with turning the ignition off must surely outweigh the risk associated with ploughing into something or someone at speed.

I can get that people panic and either can't think or forget what to do, but to rationally decide against an obvious course of action seems a bit too suspicious to me.

You try steering a 2000kg Volvo at 120+ MPH around Milton Keynes with no steering assistance, or stopping from that speed with no brake servo. That's why official dibble advice (yes, it surprised me too - they have clearly come across it enough to issue sage words or wisdom) is not to shut down the motor unless its a straight road and traffic conditions are very light, and for the love of God don't take the key out ir the steering lock will come on and youre borked.

Manuals you can de clutch, come to a stop then shut down. Autos it's a harder proposition as many won't go into N if the car is moving.

Most people aren't trained professionals and aren't likely to behave rationally or without panic in such a situation, so what you or I cleverly think we'd do os a bit dubious at the best of times.

Anyway, the whole point is thus - cars were running away with us long before electric cars came along.
 
Maybe modern cars should come with a big red Panic Button that will bring the car to a safe halt using some non electronic means.
 

dicko

Guru
Location
Derbyshire
No touch screen on our old Ka thankfully

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