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.

Polestar EV Body Repair Frustrations and Resolutions

Second extimate

EV Body Repair Frustrations So here’s a post I never expected or ever wanted to make. I did what is seen to the right to my Polestar 2. Yes it actually was my fault. And as bad as it looks thankfully its all cosmetic and no one got hurt. The post is not about my …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2023/01/polestar-ev-body-repair-frustrations-and-resolutions/

Can Your Car Windows Open on Their Own??

Windows down

Why Are My Windows Open? If you’ve ever walked out to your car and found all the windows open, this is our subject.  We’re going to discuss a feature found in cars from a number of manufacturers that catches people with their pants down. Or their windows down. This is not about a fault or …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2019/09/can-your-car-windows-open-on-their-own/

Poor Service Communication, Part II

Truck bed liner

Communication Sets the Tone A few weeks ago (April 2019), we focused on how poorly service personnel often communicate with their customers, using examples that in the end lead to several customers being underserved. Two weeks later the tables turned, and so we want to pass along how it can often be necessary to translate …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2019/04/poor-service-communication-part-ii/

Poor Communication Makes for Poor Service

Tire plug

Communication is Key As a result of two 2019 incidents involving two different individuals and two very different issues, we want to talk about service, from both sides of the counter. The bottom line in both is very poor communication. And the fault, for better or worse, lies with the service personnel. What Battery Problem? …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2019/02/poor-communication-makes-for-poor-service/

Alfa Romeo Adds to Auto Symbol Overload

Dusk sensor

Too Many Symbols! We recently took our first look at an Alfa Romeo. In the last two years they have new, more mainstream models, the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV, which boosted overall sales and begged for coverage. First up we created our usual back-up open and start pages for push button start, since these …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2019/01/alfa-romeo-adds-to-auto-symbol-overload/

Does Your Owner’s Manual Have a Troubleshooting Guide?

Mazda chapter

How Deep Is Your Owner’s Manual? We’ve done a couple of owner’s manual rants and got to thinking about where the average driver might look in their respective manual if they ran into trouble, specifically with dead or dying key fobs. So, we examined a sampling of owner’s manuals from BMW and Mini, Fiat Chrysler, …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2018/12/does-your-owners-manual-have-a-troubleshooting-guide/

Its Time for the Industry to Adopt Over the Air Updates

Tesla screen

OTA Updates Ever since Tesla introduced the idea of over the air (OTA) software updates with its Model S sedan, the rest of the industry has been scrambling to catch up. Ford and GM will reportedly be ready with the 2020 model year, and the last 6 weeks or so have truly provided the evidence …

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Permanent link to this article: https://dashboardsymbols.com/2018/11/its-time-for-the-industry-to-adopt-over-the-air-updates/