Auto question

[Kevin Wood]

Do these newfangled cars have a "just let me drive the effing thing!" button?

Yes, but it's about fifteen layers down in a random sub menu which apparently also controls the amount of time the boot light remains on after closing and what temperature you wish the passenger front door ashtray to maintain

So it's about as much fun as the rather windows machine I have to use every day, then?

They will prise the keys to my kit car out of my rigor mortised fingers!

[Doctor Gollum]

Do these newfangled cars have a "just let me drive the effing thing!" button?

Yes, but it's about fifteen layers down in a random sub menu which apparently also controls the amount of time the boot light remains on after closing and what temperature you wish the passenger front door ashtray to maintain

So if the firstowner didn't specify the Smoker Pack, then Kevin won't get his button... Of course if it isn't fitted with the £3,000 tft sat nav display, sorry user interface, then he will only get the radio presets anyway...

Don't be silly.




New cars don't come with an ashtray! 

(No, really, optional extra on the Skoda, as standard you get a storage cubby)

[Kevin Wood]

Darn! Forgot to steal the smoker pack out of my hired Hyundai in South Africa. (ashtray that fits in cup holder).

The MIL's new i10 self-perambulating ashtray will probably need emptying soon.

[X30XE]

Whether an auto box holds on a hill actually has nothing to do with how good the box is!

The box is sitting there with 1st gear engaged waiting for you to drive off, just as a manual gearbox would be in the same situation. The reason that there is any creep or "holding" capability on a hill is because there is some torque coupling through the torque converter to the input of the auto box at idle speed. Unlike a clutch, a torque converter cannot completely disengage. If it happens that enough torque is transferred to hold you on the hill it's an unintended side-effect of how your torque converter works, not a driver aid or a sure sign that you have a "better" gearbox. Go to another hill and you might be creeping forwards or rolling back because the torque converter doesn't "know" how steep the hill is.

Another car will have different weight, rolling friction, idle speed, torque converter characteristics and 1st gear ratio, so it would be very unlikely to behave the same way.

Alright Mr Pedant  xyz cars all have torque converters that actually transfer energy from the engine to the gearbox unlike every AR35 I've ever driven which just heats fluid below lock up speed.

[TheBoy]

The Omega auto does seem to have more slip than more modern autoboxes.  Not sure if this is because its a 30yr old design, or because virtually all of them have well over 100k on them, and are all 14yrs old.

I suspect a bit of both, though I do recall other autos in the 1990s needed an awful lot of throttle to get them rolling...

[2boxerdogs]

No hills round here so don't know about the Merc.😂😂

[Kevin Wood]

The Omega auto does seem to have more slip than more modern autoboxes.  Not sure if this is because its a 30yr old design, or because virtually all of them have well over 100k on them, and are all 14yrs old.

I suspect a bit of both, though I do recall other autos in the 1990s needed an awful lot of throttle to get them rolling...

Probably because most modern auto boxes have more ratios, so can have a lower 1st gear and a lower lockup speed on the torque converter.

[Andy H]

The Omega auto does seem to have more slip than more modern autoboxes.  Not sure if this is because its a 30yr old design, or because virtually all of them have well over 100k on them, and are all 14yrs old.

I suspect a bit of both, though I do recall other autos in the 1990s needed an awful lot of throttle to get them rolling...

I suspect it is by design, old school 3 speed boxes needed lots of slip to bridge the gap between the ratios, the Omega has 4 ratios so doesn't need quite as much slip.

Some modern cars have 7 or 8 ratios so very little slip is required (particularly as they are bolted to diseasal engines that have no desire to get up and go and much prefer to keep bonking away at tick over munching gearboxes).

[STEMO]

Even wifey's French craptur has hill hold. Lasts about two seconds, just enough to get from brake to clutch.

[Andy B]

...., just enough to get from brake to clutch.

What's  a clutch? 

[STEMO]

...., just enough to get from brake to clutch.

What's  a clutch? 

Something that people who know how to drive use. If you can drive using a clutch, you get a full driving licence. If you cannot use a clutch, you get a kind of 'junior' driving licence. 
A bit like the diffence between a proper car and a dodgem car. 

[Andy B]

If you can drive using a clutch,

I can ..... just choose not too. I can be in control with 2 pedals as I can with 3

you get a full driving licence.

Got one thanks & for a bike

[Shackeng]

There have been some interesting points made here and I have certainly learnt something.

[Lazydocker]

Darn! Forgot to steal the smoker pack out of my hired Hyundai in South Africa. (ashtray that fits in cup holder).

The MIL's new i10 self-perambulating ashtray will probably need emptying soon.

Do you want one? Sure I've got a couple knocking about somewhere

[Kevin Wood]

Darn! Forgot to steal the smoker pack out of my hired Hyundai in South Africa. (ashtray that fits in cup holder).

The MIL's new i10 self-perambulating ashtray will probably need emptying soon.

Do you want one? Sure I've got a couple knocking about somewhere

I'll double check, as she may have sorted it, but that might be handy. Thanks.