Auto lights and wipers a year on
in [UK Drivers]
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From: Mike Barnes on 8 Jul 2010 04:47 Adrian <toomany2cvs(a)gmail.com>: >Chelsea Tractor Man <mr.c.tractor(a)hotmail.co.uk> gurgled happily, sounding >much like they were saying: > >>>>> How little attention does switching the wipers on require? > >>>> matching to the rain the way auto ones do would take quite a lot. > >>> Do you find it difficult not to stare, transfixed, at the wipers >>> themselves as they go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth? > >> no, do you? > >I'm not the one who finds extending a digit distracting. Oddly, it seems necessary to point out that it's not the extension of the finger that's distracting, it's the decision of whether and when to do it. We all know that accidents, near misses, and simple poor driving often occur due to a combination of factors rather than anything in isolation. A small distraction can tip the balance. I also like the fact that my radio retunes itself as I move round the country. That it adjusts its volume according to my speed and the ambient noise level. That my wipers give an extra "mop up" sweep a few seconds after I wash the screen. That my the doors lock themselves when I move off. That my gearbox selects an appropriate gear. That my indicators cancel themselves after a turn. I could (and used to) do all of these things myself, but if they happens automatically, that's fewer things for me to think about, and more attention left for what gong on outside the car. -- Mike Barnes
From: Adrian on 8 Jul 2010 07:42 Mike Barnes <mikebarnes(a)bluebottle.com> gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying: >>>>>> How little attention does switching the wipers on require? >>>>> matching to the rain the way auto ones do would take quite a lot. >>>> Do you find it difficult not to stare, transfixed, at the wipers >>>> themselves as they go back and forth, back and forth, back and forth? >>> no, do you? >>I'm not the one who finds extending a digit distracting. > Oddly, it seems necessary to point out that it's not the extension of > the finger that's distracting, it's the decision of whether and when to > do it. You need to think about it? At the most basic level, if the presence of water on the screen becomes noticable, it's a reflex to do something with the wipers. If it isn't, then it's not an issue.
From: Elder on 8 Jul 2010 09:13 In article <e929efb6-ad0e-4c9a-8f16- 1d7f39e7be4c(a)k39g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>, hairycatpuss(a)gmail.com says... > My car has a switch. I turn it on when I want the lights on, and off > when I want the lights off. Simple really. I don't see what all the > fuss about auto lights is.. > I bet you still have filament lamps too don't you. Luddite. -- Carl Robson Get cashback on your purchases Topcashback http://www.TopCashBack.co.uk/skraggy_uk/ref/index.htm Greasypalm http://www.greasypalm.co.uk/r/?l=1006553
From: Albert T Cone on 8 Jul 2010 09:35 Dave Plowman wrote: > In article <K6WdnQNwC8RIta7RnZ2dnUVZ7rmdnZ2d(a)brightview.co.uk>, > Mortimer <me(a)privacy.net> wrote: >> My old Pug 306 had auto wipers. If I left the switch in the auto >> position, it wouldn't operate the wipers if the screen was previously >> dry and then it began to rain. However once it began to rain and I >> flicked the switch into Off and then Auto, it would operate the wipers >> intermittently (or even continuously) at a suitable rate to keep the >> screen clear without wiping when the screen was dry. > > They're all like that. Prevents inadvertent operation in say a car wash. > You have to reset them each time you switch on. Hmm. The ones in our old ('97) 306 were just left on auto pretty much permanently - they certainly weren't reset on every trip. It could be a more modern refinement, although I never had a problem with just turning them off on the rare occasions I would use a car-wash.
From: Harry Bloomfield on 11 Jul 2010 05:24
It happens that Mortimer formulated : > My old Pug 306 had auto wipers. If I left the switch in the auto position, it > wouldn't operate the wipers if the screen was previously dry and then it > began to rain. However once it began to rain and I flicked the switch into > Off and then Auto, it would operate the wipers intermittently (or even > continuously) at a suitable rate to keep the screen clear without wiping when > the screen was dry. The Rover 75 works like that too. If you leave them on as you turn the ignition off, you have to actively reselect them when you restart the engine. Sensible really - in case the blades are frozen to the screen when you next start the engine. > I've never missed not having auto lights. I can see much less benefit than > for auto wipers which adjust their intermittent rate to the amount of rain. Quite true. The amount of rain coming down and the need for wipers can vary from second to second taking up a lot of your attention. Lights only need your attention very infrequently and nothing like so urgently. -- Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L) http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk |