Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: STEMO on 13 October 2019, 20:27:45
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.....when it's dark and raining. Just got back from the monthly backgammon trip for the lad, and it seems like ages since I was driving in the dark. Not just me, either, judging by some of the driving I saw.
Only six months till Spring. :(
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Don't remind me, I'm back to an hour's trip each way to work, 95% of it in the dark.
Still, this time last year it was 90mins each way. :y
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Don't remind me, I'm back to an hour's trip each way to work, 95% of it in the dark.
Still, this time last year it was 90mins each way. :y
You don't realise just how crap your wipers actually are till it's dark and wet. Job for this week.
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Yes, 17000 miles in and mine are not much cop. However I'm holding out until its service in about 6 weeks' time when the lease company pays for some more for me.
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I buy new each year. They go hard in the sun/heat or even fuse to the screen. For a while I had spare blades for the summer and then good ones for the winter.
You need active cruise control for your night driving. Set the gap to maximum. Simplesszs.
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I had the "pleasure" of using the M62 westbound three times last week , dreadful >:(
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.whose being playing with the worm filter ;D.. typical weekend motorist moaning, just get out of my bloody way, ...
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Very rarely drive on motorways at night now just don't like it anymore, years ago would always travel in the early hours to avoid traffic, my 35 minute journey home from work after a late shift is enough for me now.
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I buy new each year. They go hard in the sun/heat or even fuse to the screen. For a while I had spare blades for the summer and then good ones for the winter.
You need active cruise control for your night driving. Set the gap to maximum. Simplesszs.
Active cruise control for M62 or M1? You're having a laugh.
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Had a terrifying drive the other week in the dark, with headlamps with zero range as it was my first night drive in the car I had no idea what the lamps were like - upon arrival I realised the levelling switch was set to maximum dip! Return journey was lots nicer.
(though I'll be the first to add to this thread my annoyance of the state of about 30% of cars lamps are dreadful - either set wonky so they dazzle you, or drivers dozily cruising around with main beam on, dazzling everyone. >:(
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I buy new each year. They go hard in the sun/heat or even fuse to the screen. For a while I had spare blades for the summer and then good ones for the winter.
You need active cruise control for your night driving. Set the gap to maximum. Simplesszs.
Active cruise control for M62 or M1? You're having a laugh.
I used to use mine in the Skoda most commutes to & from work - rush hour on the M1 & M25.. I don't in the RRS, though - it's a much older generation of system and doesn't work half as well.
Had a terrifying drive the other week in the dark, with headlamps with zero range as it was my first night drive in the car I had no idea what the lamps were like - upon arrival I realised the levelling switch was set to maximum dip! Return journey was lots nicer.
The fiancés (still getting used to that ;D) MINI is like that, although they are pointing roughly in the right direction (little high, maybe) the offside lamp has bugger all output despite genuine Night Breaker bulbs (which were an improvement over whatever was in there before!). You'd thing a big round lamp like that would work well.. nearside is fine, though, so maybe the offside has 'cooked' the reflector off over time.
Eventually I'll pick up a set of replacement lights .. but at £400 a pair for aftermarket upgrades or £1000 for genuine same as she has, tis a little pricey! Then again, so is stacking it in the dark, so.. ;D
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I buy new each year. They go hard in the sun/heat or even fuse to the screen. For a while I had spare blades for the summer and then good ones for the winter.
You need active cruise control for your night driving. Set the gap to maximum. Simplesszs.
Active cruise control for M62 or M1? You're having a laugh.
Depends on the system I guess. I probably use it for 90% of my motorway driving in the milk float, particularly in stop/start traffic. Given that it's an auto (or rather has no gears to select), it will go all the way down to zero and back up to speed no problem. The only input required, other than steering :D is a dab of throttle to start it off again if it's been stationary for more than a few seconds.
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I like to make 'progress' on the motorway, out side lane and 'get out of my way'. It saves having to deal with all the airheads who slow down at every gantry thinking the cameras will get them, when I know the smart motorway doesn't give a toss unless a human tells it to.
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I like to make 'progress' drive right up the arse of the car in front on the motorway, out side lane and 'get out of my way' bully them out of the way. It saves having to deal with all the airheads who slow down at every gantry thinking the cameras will get them, when I know the smart motorway doesn't give a toss unless a human tells it to.
Translated? :P
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I like to make 'progress' drive right up the arse of the car in front on the motorway, out side lane and 'get out of my way' bully them out of the way. It saves having to deal with all the airheads who slow down at every gantry thinking the cameras will get them, when I know the smart motorway doesn't give a toss unless a human tells it to.
Translated? :P
Not quite. I like to get along, but am wise enough to drive considerately and defensively, even at speed. I don't consider ending up in a mangled wreck as 'good progress'. ;D
The secret is to assume that every car inside of you is going to pull out in front of you, with a cursory blink of an indicator. Or that the car in front of you, who pulled out to overtake the middle lane hogger, is going to bottle it at 85 and want back in. Plus, always keeping an eye in the rear view mirror, because there are others who like to make even better progress than you do. ;D
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Don't remind me, I'm back to two half hour trips* each way to work, 95% of it in the dark.
*with a pause to top up the lights :D
Still, this time last year it was 90mins each way. :y
An impending job change will see my start time move from mid afternoon to 8pm, so no daylight for me until Easter :D
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I like to make 'progress' drive right up the arse of the car in front on the motorway, out side lane and 'get out of my way' bully them out of the way. It saves having to deal with all the airheads who slow down at every gantry thinking the cameras will get them, when I know the smart motorway doesn't give a toss unless a human tells it to.
Translated? :P
Not quite. I like to get along, but am wise enough to drive considerately and defensively, even at speed. I don't consider ending up in a mangled wreck as 'good progress'. ;D
The secret is to assume that every car inside of you is going to pull out in front of you, with a cursory blink of an indicator. Or that the car in front of you, who pulled out to overtake the middle lane hogger, is going to bottle it at 85 and want back in. Plus, always keeping an eye in the rear view mirror, because there are others who like to make even better progress than you do. ;D
you also need a plan for when one of them actually does those things. Thoughtlessly slamming on the brakes is probably the single biggest cause of multi-car crashes.
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Its probably the first week of commuting home in the dark, and it takes most drivers an eon to remember that they do actually have to clean the glass, inside and out. Plus put in stronger than neat water screenwash and replace wiper blades.
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Switching their lights one would be a good start for many. I've seen loads of cars recently with just their front DRLs on ... completely oblivious of the fact!
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Switching their lights one would be a good start for many. I've seen loads of cars recently with just their front DRLs on ... completely oblivious of the fact!
"but they're on automatic, init?"
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Switching their lights one would be a good start for many. I've seen loads of cars recently with just their front DRLs on ... completely oblivious of the fact!
"but they're on automatic, init?"
That's the problem init .... Same problem when it's foggy as there's enough ambient light that the lights won't auto switch on
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Switching their lights one would be a good start for many. I've seen loads of cars recently with just their front DRLs on ... completely oblivious of the fact!
"but they're on automatic, init?"
That's the problem init .... Same problem when it's foggy as there's enough ambient light that the lights won't auto switch on
Or pissing it down with rain on a dark grey day. My astra switches auto lights on when you put the wipers on constant.
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My astra switches auto lights on when you put the wipers on constant.
That's a good idea :y
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Switching their lights one would be a good start for many. I've seen loads of cars recently with just their front DRLs on ... completely oblivious of the fact!
"but they're on automatic, init?"
That's the problem init .... Same problem when it's foggy as there's enough ambient light that the lights won't auto switch on
Or pissing it down with rain on a dark grey day. My astra switches auto lights on when you put the wipers on constant.
Its the law here in Spain and speed limits automatically reduced by about ten mph uk
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Its the law here in Spain and speed limits automatically reduced by about ten mph uk
Isn't that the same in France too :-\
Incredible that you need to legislate for what should be common sense
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Just different approaches.
In both countries you still get dumbheads without lights on.Here you might get prosecuted except like in the UK , you never see a traffic cop.
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Just different approaches.
In both countries you still get dumbheads without lights on.Here you might get prosecuted except like in the UK , you never see a traffic cop.
That's because our police don't earn anything from the tickets...
Not saying that your Policia/Les Gendarmes are corrupt, but there's a reason we cannot pay tickets in cash :-X
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:y
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Don't remind me, I'm back to two half hour trips* each way to work, 95% of it in the dark.
*with a pause to top up the lights :D
Still, this time last year it was 90mins each way. :y
An impending job change will see my start time move from mid afternoon to 8pm, so no daylight for me until Easter :D
You've got headlights, so not a problem. :y
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Switching their lights one would be a good start for many. I've seen loads of cars recently with just their front DRLs on ... completely oblivious of the fact!
I had the opposite observation this morning - it's dark, so apparently the new thing is you switch ALL your lights on? Headlights, front fogs, rear fogs, even when it's clear visibility.. it wasn't just one or two cars, either >:(
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Its the law here in Spain and speed limits automatically reduced by about ten mph uk
Isn't that the same in France too :-\
Incredible that you need to legislate for what should be common sense
On a French AutoRoute (motorway) its generally
110Kph (68 MPH) when wet
130Kph (81 MPH) otherwise.
So the French 'wet' limit is basically the same as the UK every-day limit of 70MPH.
Given the modern electronics in todays cars I think they should automagically be speed restricted to 40MPH when the driver turns the rear fog lights on. If viz is bad enough to require rear fog lights then you shouldn't be doing more than 40MPH anyway.
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Unless you have the "magic eyes" of BMW drivers, which enable them to plough on regardless of weather or visibility issues! ;D
Ron.
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Given the modern electronics in todays cars I think they should automagically be speed restricted to 40MPH when the driver turns the rear fog lights on. If viz is bad enough to require rear fog lights then you shouldn't be doing more than 40MPH anyway.
agreed.
But just to reduce oppswittery even further, the rear(hell, lets include the fronts as well) foglight warning lamp should be another foglight adjusted to shine directly into the driver's eyes.
I've averaged about 30,000miles a year over the last thirty years, and I have more digits than the times I've needed foglights.
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Yes Nick; I think I would need to refer to the handbook to check where the foglight switcher were. The best vehicle ever for driving in fog was my Panther motorbike with sidecar - I could see over the top of the handlebar fairing clearly....
Ron.
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Yes Nick; I think I would need to refer to the handbook to check where the foglight switcher were. The best vehicle ever for driving in fog was my Panther motorbike with sidecar - I could see over the top of the handlebar fairing clearly....
Ron.
being a wimp, I gave up motorbikes on 11th July 1988......
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I want to get back on them again, but today's traffic is a lot less friendly. The first time I rode my m/c combination, nobody told me what would happen to the sidecar when I turned left - that was a fresh underwear moment! :o :o
Ron.
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I've averaged about 30,000miles a year over the last thirty years, and I have more digits than the times I've needed foglights.
Surely you needed them when there was a little early morning ground mist despite visibility being 3 miles .... ::) ::)
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I buy new each year. They go hard in the sun/heat or even fuse to the screen. For a while I had spare blades for the summer and then good ones for the winter.
You need active cruise control for your night driving. Set the gap to maximum. Simplesszs.
Active cruise control for M62 or M1? You're having a laugh.
I used to use mine in the Skoda most commutes to & from work - rush hour on the M1 & M25.. I don't in the RRS, though - it's a much older generation of system and doesn't work half as well.
Had a terrifying drive the other week in the dark, with headlamps with zero range as it was my first night drive in the car I had no idea what the lamps were like - upon arrival I realised the levelling switch was set to maximum dip! Return journey was lots nicer.
The fiancés (still getting used to that ;D) MINI is like that, although they are pointing roughly in the right direction (little high, maybe) the offside lamp has bugger all output despite genuine Night Breaker bulbs (which were an improvement over whatever was in there before!). You'd thing a big round lamp like that would work well.. nearside is fine, though, so maybe the offside has 'cooked' the reflector off over time.
Eventually I'll pick up a set of replacement lights .. but at £400 a pair for aftermarket upgrades or £1000 for genuine same as she has, tis a little pricey! Then again, so is stacking it in the dark, so.. ;D
Projector lights I expect,My Touareg has the same and they are shockingly poor,main beam is conventional and good,dipping the lights is like turning them off :-\
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Projector lights I expect,My Touareg has the same and they are shockingly poor,main beam is conventional and good,dipping the lights is like turning them off :-\
Nope - they didn't move to projector lamps until the facelift and/or the HID models.. this is old fashioned Halogen with a lamp that looks a lot like the old 7" Lucas units on the kit car, just in a fancier housing..
These:
(https://i.ibb.co/2s7ZF4g/image.png) (https://ibb.co/RBpjgwz)
In fact, the aftermarket projector "update" lights are meant to be much better:
(https://i.ibb.co/Dzwsxj9/image.png) (https://ibb.co/RYQZxJ3)
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Or pissing it down with rain on a dark grey day. My astra switches auto lights on when you put the wipers on constant.
I think the Shag does, and also if the rain sensor has activated the wipers more than a set number of times in the previous 2 minutes.... ….which means if I try to intimidate any old grandad into doing above half the speed limit, and he uses his screen washer to show his annoyance, I automatically flash him, which makes him cross :P
Don't ask how I know this.
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I have more digits than the times I've needed foglights.
Mine get turned on every year...
...the day before the MOT
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I've averaged about 30,000miles a year over the last thirty years, and I have more digits than the times I've needed foglights.
Surely you needed them when there was a little early morning ground mist despite visibility being 3 miles .... ::) ::)
So I shouldn't turn them off when there is a car close behind me? ;D
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This reminds me, I must find out if Airfix 1 has fog lights, and if so, where they switch on and off, before the MOT next month. My tester always allocates the job of switching everything on/ off to me. A bit embarrassing if I don't know where things are in my own car.
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Probably on the light stalk ::)
The presence of fronts will be obvious from looking at it :P
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Well it'll definitely have at least 1 rear fog .. y'know, on account of those being mandatory since .. 1960-something?
Fronts, only if you're lucky ;D
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To be fair to Albs, all Mercedes of a certain age* have front fogs in the headlight units regardless of spec, the bumper ones being 'driving lamps'...
*certainly everything except the W107 SL including my Trolley :o
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Fronts, only if you're lucky ;D
My supposed range topping XJ Portfolio is unlucky. Not even an option. Which suits me fine, as I only use them to retaliate to others with idiot lights on. And I'm more calm now, being a reformed character.
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I take on board your comments, but I haven't actually studied the stalk or even the front of the car to find out yet. The front of the car has a badge on it that reminds me of its country of origin, so I try to avoid looking anywhere, but out of the windscreen after I jump in and start the bloody thing.
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Good job it hasnt got a Bavarian badge on the front. You would have to grow a moustache and wear brown clothes.
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Good job it hasnt got a Bavarian badge on the front. You would have to grow a moustache and wear brown trousers.
Fixed
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When I was younger, I had a maxim “ never trust anyone wearing brown”
Hmm must clear out part of my wardrobe. ;D
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It's ok if you didn't buy them in brown - we all get scared sometimes! :-[ :-X
Ron.
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Fronts, only if you're lucky ;D
My supposed range topping XJ Portfolio is unlucky. Not even an option. Which suits me fine, as I only use them to retaliate to others with idiot lights on. And I'm more calm now, being a reformed character.
Ditto my XE. Can't say I miss them. The main beam lights the place up like it's daylight so they tend to get the hint pretty soon, ::) and I can't recall front fogs ever helping even in fog.
Plus that fact that, being a modern car, they'd have been tempted to make one of them light up every time you turn the steering wheel off centre, which looks pants.
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Well it'll definitely have at least 1 rear fog .. y'know, on account of those being mandatory since .. 1960-something?
Fronts, only if you're lucky ;D
late '70s is more likely. Which was a mistake, as they're as useless and unnecessary as front foglights.
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Well it'll definitely have at least 1 rear fog .. y'know, on account of those being mandatory since .. 1960-something?
Fronts, only if you're lucky ;D
late '70s is more likely. Which was a mistake, as they're as useless and unnecessary as front foglights.
Yeah, you're probably right there - don't think my 78 Allegro had fog lamps .. or a nearside mirror, for that matter ;D
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I looked it up (MOT manual) - "required to be fitted to the centre or offside of vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980"
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I looked it up (MOT manual) - "required to be fitted to the centre or offside of vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980"
it was probably first mooted in the sixties.
Which means we've uncovered the Brexit negotiators work experience and strategy!
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I looked it up (MOT manual) - "required to be fitted to the centre or offside of vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980"
and of course on both sides as per an Omega :y
Though Mercedes claim the world will come to an end if they're fitted to both sides because they consider us all too stupid to differentiate 2 rear fogs lights from 2 brake/stop lights ::)
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I looked it up (MOT manual) - "required to be fitted to the centre or offside of vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980"
and of course on both sides as per an Omega :y
Though Mercedes claim the world will come to an end if they're fitted to both sides because they consider us all too stupid to differentiate 2 rear fogs lights from 2 brake/stop lights ::)
are they wrong?
Travelling on motorways will prove that many drivers are unable to differentiate between 3 drops of rain and fog or falling snow when visibility is less than 100metres.
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Hmm I thought fog lights were designed to enable people to continue at normal speeds in fog . Just try and keep the two red lights in sight!
Being serious for a mo, I have wondered the sense in one rear fog light. I suspect the motor manufacturers agreed it to save money.?
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I've got, 4 fog lights on the back of my trailer, but we're only allowed to have 2 that work, only time they get switched on is mot once a year, If people can't see the back of a trailer that 13'9 high, has 5 lights across the top, 5 across the back, plus two double sets each side, well they should be culled.
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If they don't see that they deserve the impending death... At least it will be swift. ;D
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Yes. I think we can safely say that HGV drivers are the safest and most considerate drivers on the motorway ::)
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Yes. I think we can safely say that HGV drivers are the safest and most considerate drivers on the motorway ::)
Almost as safe and considerate as old people and motorbicyclists in fact... ::)
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Yes. I think we can safely say that HGV drivers are the safest and most considerate drivers on the motorway ::)
that accolade has to go to the reps in their base spec 316s. They must be the safest drivers because they can also be on their laptop and the phone whilst driving.