Category: Articles & Commentaries

Discussions on topics of interest to drivers concerning things they may not understand about their vehicles as well as articles on the future of the auto industry.

Push Button Start — A Little Touch Will Do Ya

Push Button Start

So, we recently put together a video about push button or keyless start systems. Why? Well, it may be a bit silly, but its been nagging at us that the results just may be start button failures in the future.

Push ButtonYou see, no matter what the start button in your push button start car looks like, or even if its a lever, a single press is a command to start the car and is all that’s needed. Yet we have seen automotive professionals at all levels from service writers to technicians and from sales people to automotive journalists repeat the same mistake — holding the button down until the vehicle starts! It is a habit left over from key start cars, where the key needs to held in the start position until the engine starts, and is simply not necessary.

The video demonstrates multiple times in multiple vehicles that it is completely unnecessary. A single touch, and you’re off.

We haven’t found anyone who can say for a fact that holding the button actually causes any harm. Although once underway, many manufacturers make a press and hold of the button an emergency shut down procedure. But, since holding the button down until the engine starts is unnecessary, why do
it? Just press and go. Maybe it will save a little maintenance cost down the road.

For more videos and information on push-button start cars and automotive warning lights, check our channel on YouTube or search here at DashboardSymbols.com.

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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 is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2016/02/push-button-start-a-little-touch-will-do-ya/

Designing Safety Systems? Keep Air Bag History in Mind

Safety By Design

Pedestrian Warning Symbol 2

No, aliens have not landed! The image is a Pedestrian Detection Systems indicator symbol. It is associated with a new system now being deployed. What looks for all the world like energy beams emanating from a humanoid’s hands are actually meant to be lane lines the human(oid) is standing in.

But this article is not about the warning light, rather about new auto safety systems in general. We retweeted this item from Retro Report in November. It is a video that traces the history of safety systems in cars, particularly that of air bags. We hope that everyone currently working on new automotive safety systems is well versed in this history. Air bags have saved countless thousands of lives since their introduction in the 1970s, but many others died while the industry worked out a few flaws in their first iterations.

Passenger Air Bag IndicatorSoon after their adoption, the industry discovered that the force of an air bag deployment could and did kill children and small adults. No one thought of this in advance of their use. The result is that we now host young children in the back seats and sensors keep passenger side airbags turned off until enough weight is detected in the passenger seat. A light like the one in the image will appear somewhere on the dashboard.

Air Bag Recalls

Currently a massive recall continues because of flawed air bag inflators. Shrapnel from inflators have killed drivers. Already recalls have been issued to address auto baking systems that were randomly deploying when a collision was not imminent. No one has been hurt or killed by these systems, at least not yet. And now we have pedestrian detection systems being deployed.

New technologies always result in problems before they are truly effective. Anyone who’s ever owned a computer can attest to that. And of course, computers and software are at the heart of today’s safety trends.

Ultimately the plan is for cars to drive themselves, and some can in limited settings, and we’ve already seen drivers do absolutely moronic things with their cars while on autopilot: setting excessive speeds and leaving the driver’s seat completely.

There are very, very smart people working on these systems, but what might not be thought of in advance of deployment is what will come back to haunt us all. We hope that they keep the troubles encountered making air bags work, and keeping them working, in the front of their minds at all times.

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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 is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/12/designing-safety-systems-keep-air-bag-history-in-mind/

BMW’s Display Key Fob Can Be Recharged!

A Rechargeable Key Fob

In an absolute first, as well as a “why didn’t anyone do this before” moment, BMW is making a new key fob that holds a rechargeable battery. With key fobs constantly dying in push button start cars, this is an idea that is long overdue.

Followed by a step back …

Unfortunately, the mechanical key is not integrated into the fob and must be carried separately, however, to unlock the door if a driver misses the need to recharge. I guess the rechargeable battery takes the needed space??

BMW Display KeyThe key fob in question is BMW’s Display Key (right), thus far available only in the 7-Series starting with the 2015 model year. The display offers additional functionality and ‘cool’. The display also deactivates when charge gets low, a useful hint to recharge.

Recharging is accomplished BMW Charge Portwith a micro USB port on the remote (arrow, above), a micro USB cable and a USB port in the center console of the car. The remote has a home it can be slipped into nearby for safekeeping (right).

Our interest of course is primarily in the recharge feature. We will thus take this opportunity to recommend that every manufacturer making push button start cars migrate to this option. USB ports are already standard.

However, please keep a mechanical key inside the fob itself. People are people and they will forget to recharge or simply not get to it in time. There must not be a need to remember where the mechanical key is! We can pretty much promise that there will be confusion as to the need for the extra key, and will get dropped in a drawer and forgotten.

An actual display is an expensive advance that is really not needed. There are other ways a key fob can announce a need for a charge, as is already done.

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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 is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/11/bmws-display-key-fob-can-be-recharged/

Moronic Video Shows Autopiloted Tesla with No Driver

Moron at the Wheel

Just a few weeks ago (2015), we castigated Mercedes marketers for posting a video ad showing one of their vehicles being driven autonomously with the driver in the back seat working. What really got to us was that the ad featured a baby in the driver’s seat, and facing forward! Our argument was that someone out there would be stupid enough to replicate it. That post is here.

The Proof

This week, a truly complete moron recorded his Tesla operating in Autopilot on a Dutch highway. And he did the recording from the back with the driver’s seat empty. Hopefully he can be found and arrested.

The idea behind autonomous vehicles is to make roads and driving safer in the belief that computers and sensors will handle emergencies better than humans. We are a long, long way from that utopia.

We have always needed to protect ourselves from bad drivers, but autonomous operation has produced a totally new class of morons operating vehicles. To be clear, Tesla has done nothing to encourage this type of stunt. But we will use this opportunity to once again to call on marketers to stop encouraging this behavior, as recent ads from Mercedes, Nissan and Infiniti have done.

We originally included a link to the video as proof that we didn’t make this, but its been pulled by the publisher. If you are interested to see it, try searching YouTube.

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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 is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/11/moronic-video-shows-autopiloted-tesla-with-no-driver/

Volvo Throws Down the Self Drive Gauntlet

Volvo Steps Up

Back in July, in an article on recalls of electronic and safety systems, we asked “When your car gets to truly driving itself, will this mean that the manufacturer will then hold accident liability?”

Volvo LogoNow Volvo has stepped up with the answer.

And they stepped up big time.

According to Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars, the U.S. risks losing its leading global position in the development of self-driving cars if it allows a patchwork of varying state laws and regulations.

Full Responsibility?

However, in what almost seems like an afterthought, Samuelsson added that Volvo will accept full liability whenever one if its cars is in autonomous mode. The details remain to be worked out – such as how the insurance industry will view this development and whether the driver will be assigned some liability, but Volvo is urging these and other issues be addressed sooner rather than later.

The company is concerned that legal uncertainties could delay the launch of autonomous vehicles. In a speech at a high level seminar on self-driving cars organized by Volvo Cars and the Embassy of Sweden in Washington DC, he said “the U.S. is currently the most progressive country in the world in autonomous driving, but this position could be eroded if a national framework for regulation and testing is not developed.”

“The absence of one set of rules means car makers cannot conduct credible tests to develop cars that meet all the different guidelines of all 50 U.S. states,” he said. “If we are to ensure a smooth transition to autonomous mobility then together we must create the necessary framework that will support this.” Samuelsson also urged regulators to work closely with car makers to solve outstanding liability issues from autonomous driving as well as from hacking “by a criminal third party”.

Time will tell if Volvo will follow through.

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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 is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/10/volvo-throws-down-the-self-drive-gauntlet/

Reflexes or Programming: Which Would You Choose?

Reflexes or Programming

I recently had a run in with a large delivery truck that started out of a driveway unexpectedly, while a passenger and myself were distracted for a moment. The truck stopped in front of us, and did not make a move forward or back.

Auto Braking Indicator SymbolThere was no accident. We both looked up, let out an audible gasp, and a quick twist of the steering wheel sent us around it.

I wondered immediately a number of things, but first and foremost, what would a collision avoidance system have done? In most cases, it would have braked.

In truth, there are many times that braking may be the best choice for avoiding a problem on the road. And times when it may not! Sometimes steering and braking. Sometimes accelerating! Many times, some combination of all the functions of a vehicle are needed.

Smarter people than me are working very, very hard and developing crazy good technology to keep us all safe on the road. In the situation described above, I believe an auto braking function would have resulted in a crash at low speed. And since the truck had in fact intruded into our path, and while I believe there would have been a collision, at least the driver of the truck would have been faulted!

I believe that my instincts and reaction were correct: there was not time to stop, but there was time to steer! I can prove only the second part, since a collision was avoided. But I am left to wonder if programming can in fact replicate actual human instinct. Of course, development is advancing beyond collision avoidance and moving to full autonomy. And the car would not have been distracted and likely braked before we spotted the truck.

The Proof?

As if in response to my musings, within a few days Automotive News published an article titled “Why autonomous cars should drive the way we do”. Author Krishnan M. Anantharaman nails the problem, stating “As drivers, we’re never as comfortable as when we or someone with the same risk tolerance and driving style is at the wheel.” He is in effect telling his readers that the developers of autonomous cars are going beyond function and taking into account that each of us “must feel comfortable with the decisions those cars make on when to brake, how fast to accelerate, when to pass or how fast to take a turn.”

I hope they succeed…

Without telling him I intended this article, I asked my passenger if he thought there would have been time to stop. He said yes! In effect, we disagreed on the details of the situation: the distance the truck had intruded into the road and the distance between the truck and ourselves. And for the record, he was at greater risk – the truck had entered from the right.

My internal computer opted to steer, which worked. His internal computer would have opted for the brake, which we cannot test.

We wish the developers of autonomous vehicles the very best of luck! Mr. Anantharaman’s essentially concludes that my friend and I will choose very different autonomous vehicles in the future. Assuming there is a choice, I want programming with reflexes!

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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 is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/08/reflexes-or-programming-which-would-you-choose/

Recall Trend Highlights Electronic and Safety Systems

Recall Trend

Pre Collision System OffA disturbing trend appeared in the recalls (2015) we tracked since our last newsletter. Six recalls were issued involving automated electronic systems, including safety systems directly and indirectly. And they simply got more troublesome through the course of the month.

  • First, GM recalled 51,000 Spark, Sonic models for radio, warning glitch. The warning glitch included chimes that would warn of the keys left in the ignition or of a seat belt that is not in use.
  • Next, Nissan recalled 14,595 vehicles for a sticky start/stop button. In hot temperatures, the engine start/stop button in affected vehicles may stick inside the button housing.
  • Ford then recalled 433,000 vehicles for a faulty body control module that can prevent affected vehicles from turning off, even if the key is removed from the ignition or stop/start button has been pressed.
  • Ford followed that up with a 393,623 vehicle recall for electric power steering assist systems that may shut down due to a sensor fault.
  • EyeSight Off Indicator SymbolSubaru then recalled 72,000 cars with its EyeSight active safety system for a brake light switch that can interfere with the software that triggers the automatic braking.
  • And finally, as we were putting this item together, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles issued a recall to address remote hacking of some of its vehicles – after hackers took control of Jeep remotely!

Right now, manufacturers expect drivers to put their safety in their hands in an ever expanding universe of new electronic systems. Over time, car makers fully expect that drivers will eventually agree to cede all control of their cars to the car itself, and thus to its manufacturer.

Power steering that could shut off? Braking that is to rely on the car “seeing” what is ahead? Cars that can’t be shut off or a start/stop button that is stuck? Cars that fall under the control of hackers??

A Call to Action

The industry had better get this right, and while the recalls in these cases are supposed to set things right, things need to be a whole lot righter than they are now. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is actively involved in research into in-vehicle crash avoidance systems, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications that support crash avoidance applications, and self-driving vehicles themselves. We truly hope they have their eye on the ball. These kinds of problems need to be addressed before systems hit the streets – before recalls are needed!

And here’s a question we have not seen asked: When your car gets to truly driving itself, will this mean that the manufacturer will then hold accident liability? Hell, do they now for current automated safety systems? Will we get to cancel our auto policies down the road?

We’ll find out soon enough.

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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 is more true.

Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2015/07/recall-trend-highlights-electronic-and-safety-systems/