Car functionality.

[ThomasG]

Originally Posted by I Feel Old

Yip me too, but I don't particularly blame it on either; poor self levelling, brighter xenons, brighter LEDs, poor Audi auto dipping, poor adjustment, forgetful drivers, or my eyes not adjusting as quickly as I get older.

I suspect it's a combination, I won't suggest which is has the greater influence on seeing less in oncoming traffic, however I'd hazard a guess my eyes are not far behind any other single reason.

I have to admit that i was under quite different impression..

until few minutes ago i`ve seen you as "win no matter what argument is about, by any means"

I was only expecting words like "immature" "uninformed" and maybe even "stupid" to be thrown at me any minute.

Glad it isnt so

[Dippydog]

So 9 pages in and IFO still hasn't got an answer to his original question Mind you I can't provide the answer either

[I Feel Old]

Originally Posted by Dippydog

Mind you I can't provide the answer either

I have come up with some technology I consider unnecessary though.

Heated seats and heated steering wheel…SWMBO disagrees!

[ThomasG]

Kinda like heated seats

Its the ones that impair on safety that make me uneasy

[I Feel Old]

Originally Posted by ThomasG

I have to admit that i was under quite different impression..

Really? Remember the bit about me playing Devil's Advocate too?

Originally Posted by ThomasG

until few minutes ago i`ve seen you as "win no matter what argument is about, by any means"

Nah, just some internet banter. I bloody hate oncoming traffic, especially when it's on 'my' side of the road (cue usefulness of dash cam technology discussion). In fact I hate all traffic! Even if it has properly adjusted halogen headlights on dipped beam.

Originally Posted by ThomasG

I was only expecting words like "immature" "uninformed" and maybe even "stupid" to be thrown at me any minute.

Sorry to disappoint, didn't think I had to tell you, I thought you already knew that. Bit naughty of you to be bating me though.

Kinda like heated seats

Somehow I thought you would!

[ThomasG]

(NOT continuing the argument)

IAM handbook states that "advanced driver is always in control of the car"

how does that relate to inability to correct lights? If observed aiming too high, that is.

I can bet that theres many (but not all) drivers who would correct it if they could. (i think there even was article in news/newspapers about it few years ago)

but with that particular control stripped..

Is it an "improvement"?

[ThomasG]

Originally Posted by I Feel Old

Somehow I thought you would!

You try popping out of home at 6am, temperature around 0Celcius or below.. and happily go to work
actually.. anything below 10 degrees and i will have seat heater on.

[ThomasG]

Originally Posted by I Feel Old

Sorry to disappoint, didn't think I had to tell you, I thought you already knew that. Bit naughty of you to be bating me though.

will not rise to the bait.. will not rise to the bait...

[I Feel Old]

Originally Posted by ThomasG

... anything below 10 degrees and i will have seat heater on.

Bet you have winter tyres too?

Originally Posted by ThomasG

You try popping out of home at 6am, temperature around 0Celcius or below.. and happily go to work

No problem if I had to. Couple of minutes and the seat soon warms up. Lot of engineering to save a couple of minutes of what IMO doesn't even warrant being seen as discomfort. Could be dangerous too, being all sleepy early on a dark cold morning and getting in to a warm seat. Must at least double your chance of falling asleep.

Much safer to have a cold seat help bring you round.

[ThomasG]

Originally Posted by I Feel Old

Bet you have winter tyres too?

as it happens- I do

Originally Posted by ThomasG

Well.. Maybe not exactly "today"...

I set off 5:45 yesterday. Tank full.

8:10 Chunnel, boarded, moving.

11.30 , Near Düsseldorf, replaced exploded (!) Osram night breaker.

Now, that's bulb longevity! Whole 18 hours from fitting!

Hanover area- fill up for 50 euros. Just to get me across border, fuel will be much much cheaper there.

19:00-21:00 stuck for 2 hours on motorway near Berlin.

3 wrecks.. One on UK plates, one Polish, one German.

Was that kids jacket hung on the door of one of them?

I hope not..

22:00 Polish border. Finally decent ride. Maybe Germany is famous for " no speed limit", but in practice its "no limit-120kmh-80kmh-no limit".. Repeat every 4 miles or so.
Now this.. Official speed limit is 87mph/140kph, but no one will even raise an eyebrow if you're flying 100/160.. Constantly. For hundreds of miles..

20 miles from border fill up. Tank full.

15 minutes nap near Lodz, its half midnight, been going nearly constantly for over 18 hours now.

And set off.. Warsaw passed , keep east/northeast.

7 am local (6amuk) target reached.

Unload. Stick car in garage. Sleep..

I woke up an hour ago.


1289 miles, or, if one wants, 2074km, covered in 24 hours including stops, naps, sandwiches and wreckages..

A bit slow.. Need to be better next time.


Merry Christmas everyone!

Originally Posted by ThomasG

I'll plug myself in to this thread..

First of all: congratulations.

There's no fun without clutch (I say so even if I drive automatic)

Anyway..

Whilst I passed my test on manual (therefore being able to drive both), for quite a while now i was thinking of improving my skills.

Especially managing skids.

No, I'm not to become some mad drifter, I'm way too old for that (weeelll.. maybe sometimes, off road, I would). What I'm thinking is the time I had just few days ago, on A2 between Warsaw and Poznan. It was snowing. Heavily. With mere 50mph (speed limit 87mph) I did feel car drifting slightly to the sides. And yet other cars were wheezing by..

Frankly (and don't act surprised, these things happen), this was my first time driving in such conditions.
Maybe panicked isn't the right word, but stressed and tense I definitely was.

So I'm thinking of some course.

I just read trough IAM Roadsmart website, while it does sound interesting, and I may go for it for different reasons, it doesn't seem to have that training where they fit shop trolley wheels to the rear axle and set you off onto training ground.

Does anyone know where to find that?

Thanks in advance.