Drive mode craze hits new heights

Drive mode

We’ve begun an update of our Ford dashboard symbols page, and drive more additions immediately took center stage.

We have 12 models to cover, and we take it in alphabetical order and this all we’ve looked at is the Bronco. It was soon clear that I would have to add no less than nine new (to Ford) drive modes.

Then there is the Rapter version — not to mention the Bronco Sport that we have yet to even open — which will include four exhaust modes, seven G.O.A.T modes, four steering modes, three suspension modes, and a My mode, where some arrangement of the previous modes are saved as a preference.

That’s 21 new symbols to add to Ford from a single model! We expect two or three from a model, but 21? And 3/4 of these will be brand new to our Special Modes Page.

Additions to the page aside, when did owning a car shift to requiring a week’s worth of study??

And G.O.A.T. mode? That’s Goes Over Any-type of Terrain mode, clearly nothing more than an attempt to be more clever the competition. We’re not sure “who encourages this”, “who benefits from this”, or “who”, if anyone, actually “likes this”. We left out “who requires this” because clearly no one does!

Drive mode changes generally occur via a button on the steering wheel or on the center console. The issue is the number of times drivers accidently change a driver mode, which can sometimes cause operating issues. Accidentally hitting a mode that involves all four wheels can actually cause damage to a vehicles drive train.

And this ignores the panic drivers feel if and when a vehicle is not behaving as expected.

At some point it the proliferation of drive modes has to stop. Is Mud/Sand mode really that different from other off road modes? And do the pictographs do this justice? Here, do the pictures really speak loader than words??

Cars are changing, and among those changes is the growing number of symbols and indicators that will invariably show up on your dashboard or instrument panel. Every year, new features are added to vehicles, each of which is accompanied by a new symbol or symbols and likely a new acronym.

At DashboardSymbols.com, our aim is to help you understand what is happening to your vehicle at the first sign of trouble – a new warning light illuminated on your instrument panel. Its all here on this website. Our first intention is to bring the latest technologies down to earth and understandable for everyday drivers.

Our Special Drive Mode page is here — and set to grow significantly over the next few days.

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Remember that only proper service and repair procedures will ensure the safe and reliable operation of your car. In addition, proper safety procedures and precautions, such as the use of safety goggles, the right tools and the equipment should be followed at all times to eliminate the possibility of personal injury or improper service which could damage the vehicle or compromise its safety.

These posts are for information sharing purposes only, and should not be used in lieu of an OEM service manual or factory authorized service procedure. We are not in the auto repair business nor do we publish automotive service manuals. Nothing we include on these pages and posts has been reviewed, approved or authorized by any vehicle manufacturer.

Technology is always changing and what is current and accurate today may be literally out-of-date and inaccurate tomorrow. And when it comes to the current state of flux in the auto industry, nothing could be more true.