David Jenkins
|
 posted on 3/12/18 at 08:05 AM |
|
|
Automatic wipers and lights
My Nissan Leaf has automatic wipers and lights, and over the past couple of months I've driven a number of other newish cars with the same
functions... and I've come to he conclusion that auto wipers and lights are rubbish!
The headlights come on when I drive under a bridge, and go off shortly after - to oncoming traffic it must look like I'm flashing them. Also,
if the weather's a bit gloomy, the car will decide to put the headlights on, then off, then on again, etc. I can't turn them totally off
either - it's "auto", "sidelights" or "headlights", no "off" position. All the other cars
I've driven recently were equally poor. My Leaf has the extra novelty of automatic dipping when set to auto and it detects oncoming traffic -
but the high beam doesn't come back on until about 10 seconds after the other car has passed, leaving me driving on dark roads with insufficient
lighting.
As for the wipers - I can turn them fully off, but there's no longer an intermittent wipe position - it's "auto" only. Works
OK (mostly) but there are often times where the screen is covered with drops of water and the wipers don't operate, and on other occasions the
wipers are working on a dry screen and making a rubbing noise. Quite often I end up using the single wipe at regular intervals, rather than the auto
setting. I had no problem using the traditional intermittent wipe in the past.
To me, these seem like gadgets for the sake of having gadgets. I wouldn't call them "safety features", as I consider them to be
annoying and needless distractions. Am I alone in this? Do other people like them, or hate them?
|
|
|
|
|
Doctor Derek Doctors
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 08:32 AM |
|
|
My 12 year old SAAB has both of those features as did most of the Peugeots from the late 90's early 00's that I owned.
They aren't modern gadgets. Just sounds like Nissan aren't very good at making them.
Designer and Supplier of the T89 Designs - Single Seater Locost. Build you own Single Seater Racecar for ~£5k.
Plans and Drawings available, U2U or e-mail for details.
Available Now: The Sports Racer Add-On pack, Build a full bodied Sports Racer for Trackdays, Sprints and Racing.
www.t89.co.uk
www.racecarwings.co.uk
callan@t89.co.uk
|
NOTE:This user is registered as a LocostBuilders trader and may offer commercial services to other users
|
Charlie C
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 09:09 AM |
|
|
I've got both on my 10year old Mondeo and both work fine and the light don’t flash on/off driving under bridges. It sounds light Nissans
switching parameters need tweaking
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 09:20 AM |
|
|
I recently drove a Vauxhall SUV thing (instantly forgettable model name*) and that was just as bad. Also, in the past, I had a Ford Focus that also
drove me nuts with its lights and wipers.
Maybe it's just me - but would be so hard to put an off position on the light switch, and an old-fashioned intermittent position on the
wipers?
* Just looked it up - it was called the " Vauxhall Crossland X". No wonder I forgot it! Amazing amount of power out of a turbo 1200cc
petrol engine though.
|
|
|
nick205
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 10:00 AM |
|
|
David,
You already gave the Vauxhall SUV name -I was thinking of the equally forgettable "Mokka".
|
|
|
rusty nuts
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 10:40 AM |
|
|
Electric parking brakes, stop/start engines, self locking doors and having to put your foot on the clutch to start are just a few of my pet hates, ask
anyone who works on cars especially if they are using a two post lift.
|
|
|
Daf
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 10:41 AM |
|
|
You're not alone - I have a 3 series with these features and they are great, I also had a Mondeo with them and again never an issue. However the
turd of an Alfa I had before that would put it's wipers on full tilt on a lovely dry sunny day for no reason and yet you could be hurtling down
the motorway in the rain and they'd be doing nothing. The lights were equally unpredictable!
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 10:58 AM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
Electric parking brakes, stop/start engines, self locking doors and having to put your foot on the clutch to start are just a few of my pet hates, ask
anyone who works on cars especially if they are using a two post lift.
Ah yes - stop/start - another pet hate! Thankfully that's not an issue on my electric Leaf. I like the electric handbrake, but I probably
wouldn't like to service it in the future.
|
|
|
nick205
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 01:37 PM |
|
|
Central locking that activates as you pull off really annoys me to the point I've had main dealer disable the feature on several cars now.
|
|
|
nero1701
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 02:53 PM |
|
|
I have this feature on my BMW,
It works well for the most part...
Being a BMW...not a clue how the indicators work.....
|
|
|
overdriver
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 05:14 PM |
|
|
With Jaguar automatics (and probably other marques), having to press the brake to engage/disengage gears when in stop/start crawling traffic (e.g.
most of the M6/M5 from Merseyside to Worcester!) whilst grappling with a rotating selector knob and a 'flip switch' for a handbrake!
Michael.
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 3/12/18 at 05:33 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Central locking that activates as you pull off really annoys me to the point I've had main dealer disable the feature on several cars now.
I turned that on in my car! (it was off by default).
|
|
|
nick205
|
| posted on 4/12/18 at 12:59 PM |
|
|
Seat Leon I had for a while came with it switched on by default. What annoyed me was when I stopped at the rail station to collect my wife the doors
stayed locked unless I fiddled about to unlock them. The Seat dealer told me it was a "security" feature (I presume to stop random people
opening the doors at traffic lights). It just seemed a real annoyance to me personally.
|
|
|
Daf
|
| posted on 4/12/18 at 01:23 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Seat Leon I had for a while came with it switched on by default. What annoyed me was when I stopped at the rail station to collect my wife the doors
stayed locked unless I fiddled about to unlock them. The Seat dealer told me it was a "security" feature (I presume to stop random people
opening the doors at traffic lights). It just seemed a real annoyance to me personally.
Surely keeping the wife locked out is a good thing?
|
|
|
SJ
|
| posted on 4/12/18 at 01:55 PM |
|
|
My Mazda has all those and they generally work great except the stop start which is flawless EXCEPT when I drive into a car park, pull up and want to
listen to the radio without the engine running for 5 mins.
For whatever reason it will not stop the engine in this scenario. I'm doing exactly the same as on a road - footbrake on, in neutral, clutch up,
but the engine doesn't stop.
|
|
|
Angel Acevedo
|
| posted on 4/12/18 at 03:43 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Seat Leon I had for a while came with it switched on by default. What annoyed me was when I stopped at the rail station to collect my wife the doors
stayed locked unless I fiddled about to unlock them. The Seat dealer told me it was a "security" feature (I presume to stop random people
opening the doors at traffic lights). It just seemed a real annoyance to me personally.
Minor annoyance...
It is good to have a valet to lock the door when you are fiddling with everything else...
Here in Mexico, I rather have the annoyance every once in a while and be safe the rest of the time...
I also keep my distance -unlike everybody else to have a couple of meters to move the car if someone gets too close to my door...
Beware of what you wish.. for it may come true....
|
|
|
McLannahan
|
| posted on 4/12/18 at 03:51 PM |
|
|
I've found that if you have had the windscreen replaced and not to the same original OEM standards then the auto lights and auto wipers never
work as well as they should!
|
|
|
David Jenkins
|
| posted on 4/12/18 at 04:09 PM |
|
|
I dread to think how much a replacement windscreen would cost on my Leaf - there's all sorts of gubbins peeking through the top of the screen...
quote:
Originally posted by McLannahan
I've found that if you have had the windscreen replaced and not to the same original OEM standards then the auto lights and auto wipers never
work as well as they should!
[Edited on 4/12/18 by David Jenkins]
|
|
|
nick205
|
| posted on 4/12/18 at 05:08 PM |
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by Daf
quote:
Originally posted by nick205
Seat Leon I had for a while came with it switched on by default. What annoyed me was when I stopped at the rail station to collect my wife the doors
stayed locked unless I fiddled about to unlock them. The Seat dealer told me it was a "security" feature (I presume to stop random people
opening the doors at traffic lights). It just seemed a real annoyance to me personally.
Surely keeping the wife locked out is a good thing?
At times it would have it's benefits, but when you've pulled up in the rain and she's trying to get in I find it very annoying (as
does she). Once the "feature" was diabled by the dealer the annoyance was gone and i endured far fewer questions 
|
|
|
.jpg)
