Car Chat

Started by FoMoJo, August 26, 2014, 05:59:31 AM

AutobahnSHO

Quote from: Galaxy on July 07, 2020, 09:28:46 PM
I have always wanted to try one of those 1980s GM touchscreens.

http://youtu.be/pq2PSLdc8rA?t=189

That really is pretty cool- I can't see it working very well while driving, the "buttons" look too small.

That's something the iPhone/ iPad got right- big large buttons laid out logically.
Will

shp4man

The only aftermarket parts the Miata had were a K&N air filter and KYB shocks/struts on the rear.
I was under the car changing the gear lube in the differential and notice some pretty severe inner tire wear on the rear tires.
My guess is the incompetent jackass that changed the struts fucked up the alignment. 
I live with the consequences of morons every day. :facepalm:
Make sure your mechanic isn't one of them.

MX793

Quote from: shp4man on July 08, 2020, 09:24:59 AM
The only aftermarket parts the Miata had were a K&N air filter and KYB shocks/struts on the rear.
I was under the car changing the gear lube in the differential and notice some pretty severe inner tire wear on the rear tires.
My guess is the incompetent jackass that changed the struts fucked up the alignment. 
I live with the consequences of morons every day. :facepalm:
Make sure your mechanic isn't one of them.


Do you think it's toe or too much negative camber?
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

shp4man

Quote from: MX793 on July 08, 2020, 09:43:39 AM
Do you think it's toe or too much negative camber?

The alignment machine will tell all.  :lol: This car has a completely adjustable rear axle. Tow change likely.

Morris Minor

Quote from: MX793 on July 07, 2020, 02:26:29 PM
Is it possible the tray snagged an ABS sensor wire?  That would also explain the warning lights.
I went under the car this morning - did not see any wires in the area.
It was the aluminum engine splash guard: it had come loose when I was on the highway, dropping to the road surface and abrading to the extent that a piece broke off. This is almost certainly the result of the technician, who did the 30k service in mid-May, not having replaced many of the fasteners that hold the guard in place. It worked loose over the weeks, and finally dropped.
I've wired it back in place as best I can. Coat hanger wire - like it's 1982 and I'm an East German fixing a Wartburg.
Stern note to dealer.
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

CaminoRacer

Techs rarely put all the fasteners back on those things... They'll have 10 screws and after an oil change they're down to 3.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

MX793

Quote from: CaminoRacer on July 08, 2020, 12:22:02 PM
Techs rarely put all the fasteners back on those things... They'll have 10 screws and after an oil change they're down to 3.

Up here in ye olde rust belt, they end up breaking all of the fasteners because the corrode and fuse with the nuts.  My Mazda had a big hole sawz-alled through the tray so techs could get at the oil filter because there was no way to non-destructively remove the tray.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

Eye of the Tiger

Quote from: CaminoRacer on July 08, 2020, 12:22:02 PM
Techs rarely put all the fasteners back on those things... They'll have 10 screws and after an oil change they're down to 3.

I never have left over fasteners after a job. :praise:








:mask:
2008 TUNDRA (Truck Ultra-wideband Never-say-die Daddy Rottweiler Awesome)

MX793

Quote from: Eye of the Tiger on July 08, 2020, 12:29:03 PM
I never have left over fasteners after a job. :praise:








:mask:

My feeling is that if you have left over parts after you take something apart and put it back together, you reassembled it more efficiently than the OEM built it in the first place.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

Morris Minor

It was interesting to see the exhaust system. Single pipe to the back then a 90˚ split for the left & right mufflers & tail pipes. Like a padded bra - cosmetic value only.
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

AutobahnSHO

Quote from: MX793 on July 08, 2020, 12:36:32 PM
My feeling is that if you have left over parts after you take something apart and put it back together, you reassembled it more efficiently than the OEM built it in the first place.

:thumbsup:
Will

AutobahnSHO

Quote from: Morris Minor on July 08, 2020, 01:20:16 PM
It was interesting to see the exhaust system. Single pipe to the back then a 90˚ split for the left & right mufflers & tail pipes. Like a padded bra - cosmetic value only.

So silly. Although the Taurus SHO was one of the earlier examples of that- dual exhaust means mohr powher
Will

SJ_GTI

Quote from: Morris Minor on July 08, 2020, 01:20:16 PM
It was interesting to see the exhaust system. Single pipe to the back then a 90˚ split for the left & right mufflers & tail pipes. Like a padded bra - cosmetic value only.

I know it is super popular now but I agree it is dumb. If there is no functional benefit it is a waste of money and space.

From a styling point of view, I liked the few cars that went with a single exhaust at the center rear of the car. I know the Golf R did this at one point and I think Mini's do it as well.

MX793

Quote from: Morris Minor on July 08, 2020, 01:20:16 PM
It was interesting to see the exhaust system. Single pipe to the back then a 90˚ split for the left & right mufflers & tail pipes. Like a padded bra - cosmetic value only.

There may be noise control reasons for this, or backpressure concerns.  Assuming each pipe after the split is as large as the main pipe, you double the cross sectional area and significantly slow the speed at which the exhaust gasses flow, which may influence muffler design.

Some years ago, Honda introduced a split pipe and twin mufflers to their single cylinder, off-road race bikes.  Each muffler was much smaller than the old single muffler.  Supposedly done to improve weight distribution while still meeting noise limits.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

AutobahnSHO

Quote from: SJ_GTI on July 08, 2020, 01:35:00 PM
I know it is super popular now but I agree it is dumb. If there is no functional benefit it is a waste of money and space.

From a styling point of view, I liked the few cars that went with a single exhaust at the center rear of the car. I know the Golf R did this at one point and I think Mini's do it as well.

Then you can't mount a hitch. Even if you don't tow with them, they're handy for bike racks or cargo shelves.
Will

r0tor

Quote from: AutobahnSHO on July 08, 2020, 01:55:48 PM
Then you can't mount a hitch. Even if you don't tow with them, they're handy for bike racks or cargo shelves.
and horses
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee No Speed -- 2004 Mazda RX8 6 speed -- 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia All Speed

cawimmer430

A short preview of just some of the new features of MBUX in the new S-Class. By comparison, the first-generation MBUX in my A-Class already appears to be "outdated".  :tounge:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRLf80VttXM
-2018 Mercedes-Benz A250 AMG Line (W177)



WIMMER FOTOGRAFIE - Professional Automotive Photography based in Munich, Germany
www.wimmerfotografie.de
www.facebook.com/wimmerfotografie

MX793

Breaking news:  Online auto news writer/YouTuber, and  Hyundai themselves, don't know automotive history.  Also, Hyundai releases new 2-pedal, "clutchless" manual gearbox.

https://www.torquenews.com/10987/hyundai-creates-first-manual-transmission-without-clutch

If this sounds familiar, it's because VW did something functionally similar back in 1968 called AutoStick, that was in production for almost a decade.  The big difference is that VW used a torque converter along with a servo-actuated clutch because of technological limitations of the era, whereas Hyundai's system only has an automatic, servo-actuated clutch.  So for that, they could probably argue some element of what they've done is a "first".  I also expect the mechanism Hyundai uses to detect a shift and open/close the clutch is a little more sophisticated than VW's.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5

Soup DeVille

Quote from: MX793 on July 09, 2020, 07:06:30 AM
Breaking news:  Online auto news writer/YouTuber, and  Hyundai themselves, don't know automotive history.  Also, Hyundai releases new 2-pedal, "clutchless" manual gearbox.

https://www.torquenews.com/10987/hyundai-creates-first-manual-transmission-without-clutch

If this sounds familiar, it's because VW did something functionally similar back in 1968 called AutoStick, that was in production for almost a decade.  The big difference is that VW used a torque converter along with a servo-actuated clutch because of technological limitations of the era, whereas Hyundai's system only has an automatic, servo-actuated clutch.  So for that, they could probably argue some element of what they've done is a "first".  I also expect the mechanism Hyundai uses to detect a shift and open/close the clutch is a little more sophisticated than VW's.

Also the Sinclair gearbox, the Powerflow, the manumatic, and the newtondrive gearboxes which date back to the '50s.

I honestly don't see the point at this point.

People either want to drive, or they want to be conveyed in something.  This makes neither happy.
Maybe we need to start off small. I mean, they don't let you fuck the glumpers at Glumpees without a level 4 FuckPass, do they?

1975 Honda CB750, 1986 Rebel Rascal (sailing dinghy), 2015 Mini Cooper, 2020 Winnebago 31H (E450), 2021 Toyota 4Runner, 2022 Lincoln Aviator

FoMoJo

Quote from: MX793 on July 09, 2020, 07:06:30 AM
Breaking news:  Online auto news writer/YouTuber, and  Hyundai themselves, don't know automotive history.  Also, Hyundai releases new 2-pedal, "clutchless" manual gearbox.

https://www.torquenews.com/10987/hyundai-creates-first-manual-transmission-without-clutch

If this sounds familiar, it's because VW did something functionally similar back in 1968 called AutoStick, that was in production for almost a decade.  The big difference is that VW used a torque converter along with a servo-actuated clutch because of technological limitations of the era, whereas Hyundai's system only has an automatic, servo-actuated clutch.  So for that, they could probably argue some element of what they've done is a "first".  I also expect the mechanism Hyundai uses to detect a shift and open/close the clutch is a little more sophisticated than VW's.
This makes no sense to me.  If you want an involved driving experience get an old car without all the doodads.  Preferably a roadster from the '50s.
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." ~ Albert Einstein
"As the saying goes, when you mix science and politics, you get politics."

MrH

The 50s?!  They still thought making cars safe meant steel dashboard and making the frame and body as rigid as possible.  You don't need to go back 70 years to get a more analog driving experience.
2023 Ford Lightning Lariat ER
2019 Acura RDX SH-AWD
2023 BRZ Limited

Previous: '02 Mazda Protege5, '08 Mazda Miata, '05 Toyota Tacoma, '09 Honda Element, '13 Subaru BRZ, '14 Hyundai Genesis R-Spec 5.0, '15 Toyota 4Runner SR5, '18 Honda Accord EX-L 2.0t, '01 Honda S2000, '20 Subaru Outback XT, '23 Chevy Bolt EUV

Morris Minor

Quote from: cawimmer430 on July 08, 2020, 05:34:26 PM
A short preview of just some of the new features of MBUX in the new S-Class. By comparison, the first-generation MBUX in my A-Class already appears to be "outdated".  :tounge:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRLf80VttXM
My takeaway from this, is what a huge influence Tesla has had with driver interfaces. We now see other manufacturers picking up the ball and running with it. This will trickle down to the lowliest Mercedes and we'll see something like it from everybody.  My hunch though is that 95% of drivers will want to be shielded from the complexity.

       
  • Get in the car.
  • Push a button.
  • Get to the destination.
  • Don't bother me with the details.
  • Don't try to waste my time with distractions, toys and fripperies.
⏤  '10 G37 | '21 CX-5 GT Reserve  ⏤

FoMoJo

Quote from: MrH on July 09, 2020, 08:48:02 AM
The 50s?!  They still thought making cars safe meant steel dashboard and making the frame and body as rigid as possible.  You don't need to go back 70 years to get a more analog driving experience.
That would be my choice for a really connected driving experience.  I'm thinking in terms of British roadsters where every nuance of the driving experience was transmitted to the driver.  An even more connected feel would be a Lotus Super 7, even an Elan of the '60s.

Certainly there are several options for more refined experiences.
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." ~ Albert Einstein
"As the saying goes, when you mix science and politics, you get politics."

CaminoRacer

Quote from: Morris Minor on July 09, 2020, 08:53:28 AM
   
  • Don't try to waste my time with distractions, toys and fripperies.

Teslas have games on their touchscreens. You can play asteroids, centipede, backgammon, etc. I agree with your first few points but not that one!
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

CaminoRacer

Quote from: FoMoJo on July 09, 2020, 09:03:40 AM
That would be my choice for a really connected driving experience.  I'm thinking in terms of British roadsters where every nuance of the driving experience was transmitted to the driver.  An even more connected feel would be a Lotus Super 7, even an Elan of the '60s.

Certainly there are several options for more refined experiences.

While I do agree that sports cars from the 50s and 60s have the raw feeling that you want, I think modern versions are much better and safer. Like an Ariel Atom or those type of vehicles. There's been a lot of suspension and tire improvements since the 60s. The Pro Touring crowd has done a good job of updating muscle cars from that era, and I'd like a 2 seat sports car with similar upgrades.
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

FoMoJo

Quote from: CaminoRacer on July 09, 2020, 09:48:16 AM
While I do agree that sports cars from the 50s and 60s have the raw feeling that you want, I think modern versions are much better and safer. Like an Ariel Atom or those type of vehicles. There's been a lot of suspension and tire improvements since the 60s. The Pro Touring crowd has done a good job of updating muscle cars from that era, and I'd like a 2 seat sports car with similar upgrades.
It would be interesting to drive roadsters/sports cars from different eras and compare which ones are the most fun, that is, the most exciting driving experience.  I've often wanted to drive an old Bentley Blower, circa 1929 just to get a sense of what it must have been like to keep it on the road.  Modern cars make us feel cosseted, no so with cars of previous eras where you had to be far more engaged and not fiddling with the sound system or other distractions.
"The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." ~ Albert Einstein
"As the saying goes, when you mix science and politics, you get politics."

cawimmer430

Quote from: Morris Minor on July 09, 2020, 08:53:28 AM
My takeaway from this, is what a huge influence Tesla has had with driver interfaces. We now see other manufacturers picking up the ball and running with it. This will trickle down to the lowliest Mercedes and we'll see something like it from everybody.  My hunch though is that 95% of drivers will want to be shielded from the complexity.

       
  • Get in the car.
  • Push a button.
  • Get to the destination.
  • Don't bother me with the details.
  • Don't try to waste my time with distractions, toys and fripperies.

Actually at Mercedes' it was the other way around: this stuff trickled up from the lower-end models. The current W177 A-Class was the first car to have MBUX and it's only now trickling up to the S-Class.

The system is not really distracting, especially when you get to know it. I can now operate it blindly by touchscreen or mousepad or voice command. Works great - very fast and it understands all my commands. It's even stopped responding when I say the word "Mercedes" in a certain tonal range, like if I am having a conversation with someone and then say that word. The system will respond when I say "Mercedes" in a louder, more serious tonal range.

So for the S-Class, I truly expect MBUX to be on a whole new level. It's very useful for me, especially weather reports and finding the cheapest gas station in the area etc. :lol:
-2018 Mercedes-Benz A250 AMG Line (W177)



WIMMER FOTOGRAFIE - Professional Automotive Photography based in Munich, Germany
www.wimmerfotografie.de
www.facebook.com/wimmerfotografie

SJ_GTI

Everytime I read MBUX I think it sounds more like a currency for a video game than an infotainment system.

CaminoRacer

Quote from: SJ_GTI on July 09, 2020, 11:11:03 AM
Everytime I read MBUX I think it sounds more like a currency for a video game than an infotainment system.

:lol: +1
2020 BMW 330i, 1969 El Camino, 2017 Bolt EV

MX793

Quote from: SJ_GTI on July 09, 2020, 11:11:03 AM
Everytime I read MBUX I think it sounds more like a currency for a video game than an infotainment system.

Sounds like a Mercedes points/rewards program.
Needs more Jiggawatts

2016 Ford Mustang GTPP / 2011 Toyota Rav4 Base AWD / 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 1000 ABS
1992 Nissan 240SX Fastback / 2004 Mazda Mazda3s / 2011 Ford Mustang V6 Premium / 2007 Suzuki GSF1250SA Bandit / 2006 VW Jetta 2.5