I know a lot of cars have them, but that thing that pops up on the dash when the car decides its time for you to change gear, drives me nuts. If I changed every time it told me to I'd never ever make it up a hill because it tells me to stick it in fifth at about 45mph. What happened to the good old days when people actually knew when it would be a good time to change gear?
I think change lights were a bit of a swindle for emissions regs a few years ago.
The turbo. Its been dead since March. Car SORN.
With an engine that has 110,000 miles on it the accelerator pedal seems quite pointless on any uphill
As for the most pointless thing in my car...
My car has a "Sports Screen" if you press the right button it will display boost pressure, Power output, Oil Temp, Water Temp and, most hilariously of all... a G Meter.
Like you might get in something like a Nissan GTR.
It's not only a bit pointless in a Diesel Skoda, it's especially pointless as there isn't a logging feature, so if you decide you want to see what sort of G you can pull in a corner, you need to be watching it when you do so.
Me
DRLs that only work on front lights, not the rear, pointless and unsafe.
I've got some out of date alcohol testing kits for my last trip to France in 2019.
The speedometer.*
.
*making progress since 1977.
I had the upshift display coded out a few years ago, it still shows it on the LCD display (old style green backlight) but the bright light that accompanied it no longer lights up. So much better!
The most pointless thing I have now is the 'Speed Limiter' feature. You set it to a speed and instead of stopping you accelerating at that speed it lets you get 5mph over then makes a beep every 5 seconds until you drop back below the set speed. Tried to stick to it on the car's first trip to the Alps but after 5 minutes I gave up and switched it off.
Cornering lights !! Yes I know they light up the apex on a corner but **** me really !!!!!!
the stop/start function in my Tiguan, annoyed the hell out me so coded it out
My car has a “Sports Screen” if you press the right button it will display boost pressure, Power output,
Similar thing in my BM. Apparently teenagers and caravan owners like it.
The wifi it’s about 5mb per second.
DRLs that only work on front lights, not the rear, pointless and unsafe.
if i'm driving backwards towards an obsticle, there's lights on the rear of my car that light up..
The most pointless thing I have now is the ‘Speed Limiter’ feature. You set it to a speed and instead of stopping you accelerating at that speed it lets you get 5mph over then makes a beep every 5 seconds until you drop back below the set speed. Tried to stick to it on the car’s first trip to the Alps but after 5 minutes I gave up and switched it off.
this normally happens if you floor it (at some point on the pedal there might be a clicker, maybe not) you're able to bypass the limit (but it may beep), if you drive gently it will hold you back (which is a sensible adjustment)
What happened to the good old days when people actually knew when it would be a good time to change gear?
given the number of people on here ignoring change gear lights, thus producing more emissions, it seems likely those days didn't exist. fwiw I had a 1982 volvo with the same thing (based on, I think, a vacuum sensor)
if i’m driving backwards towards an obsticle, there’s lights on the rear of my car that light up..
What about the folks behind you in the dark when you have no lights on? At this time of year I see folk every day who clearly think their lights are on, as their dash is lit up.
If you only need lights for reversing, what's the point in rear lights at all?
What about the folks behind you in the dark when you have no lights on? At this time of year I see folk every day who clearly think their lights are on, as their dash is lit up.
If you only need lights for reversing, what’s the point in rear lights at all?
i put my lights on in the dark. drls are for daylight, hense the name.
People using cars badly has happened for a long time. As things become automated (like automatic lights), people doing that will become less of an issue. DRLs reduce accidents by ~6%, even if the only benefit was my insurance going down by 6% (lets ignore the lives saved), that's a good thing.
the stop/start function in my Tiguan, annoyed the hell out me so coded it out
I assume you’ve notified the DVLA so that the correct emissions category is applied to your car? People who disable start/stop are the car equivalent of Brexit voters “taking back control”.
European roadmap and electronic French toll tag!
My van has a rear view mirror but the tailgate is all metal, no glass.
Eco mode. It makes it drive like I've filled it with water not petrol.
As things become automated (like automatic lights), people doing that will become less of an issue
Cool, so we're about where Sweden was in the seventies, magic, go us.
Seeing as I've drove way less than 2000 miles this year I imagine my disabling of start/stop means the grand sum of ****-all when it comes to emissions, I see the point of it in a built up area or town/city but where I live in galloway its pointless.
The air freshener that's been in there for at least 9 months. It's now a piece of dry board on a string.
Me
the nut that holds the steering wheel 🙂
I had a merc GLE on hire last week. Don’t know where to start with pointlessness really. I liked the bit where you adjust the mirrors so they suit your driving position .... and when you select reverse it helpfully, automatically adjusts so that they’re useless.
the name of the song you’re listen to on a heads up display was obviously mission critical though
My car has a little puck attached to the scuttle that ‘enhances’ the engine sound, VW call it a soundaktor . It is supposed to make it sound ‘sporty’ because the exhaust note is a bit quiet. Hateful thing, luckily it can be turned down.
Literally just discovered today that when Previous Owner In Britain fitted the cheap and rubbish rear parking sensors, the rear crash bar got in the way so he just removed it... So the sensors get double pointless points from me, because they're bad at being reversing sensors and they've also made the car much less durable in a crash.
It also has one of those japanese pop-up parking poles from Previous Owner In Japan, which is totally totally pointless but I still love it.
Worst thing I've added is a plushie nitrous bottle.
My van has a rear view mirror but the tailgate is all metal, no glass.
a friend had mark 1 panda.
the dead basic model had no lid on the glovebox. Going up through the options you’d get a glovebox door and the top spec the glovebox had a lock on it. Hers was one above the base model. No door on the glovebox, but it had hinges.
Things I have never used;
Dual zone climate
Front fog lights
Trip counter
Buttons to turn off ESP and other crash avoiding features
Things I thought were pointless but are in fact amazing;
Self opening/closing hatch - this is in fact the greatest invention ever
What about the folks behind you in the dark when you have no lights on?
Just like all lights.
The wiring on my camper has had many many (poor) versions.
There is a very heavy duty switch screwed onto the dash that disappears into the loom somehow. Cannot fathom its purpose (definitely not OEM) and does nothing. I've spent a lot of time investigating that
CD player. Even more pointless than the USB slot which is purely for MP3 files and won't charge a phone.
Indicator stalk...
Self opening/closing hatch – this is in fact the greatest invention ever
I had a Passat that apparently did that. Spent weeks impotently waggling my foot under the bumper thinking "maybe this time the stupid thing will actually open" before discovering one day that this feature was, in fact, optional.
Our motorhome has an aftermarket button on the dash with an led above it that sometimes flashes red, sometimes green. I’ve no idea what it’s for and pressing it when stationary doesn’t seem to do anything. I’m too scared to press it when we are moving...
My clutch. It's lubricated with oil so one must plan ahead.
On the Seat, the arm rest which blocks the handbrake.
The Volvo it would be the AGM battery and extra faffage of the start-stop system that I suspect costs as much environmentally to construct and maintain as it saves in mpg.
a friend had mark 1 panda.
the dead basic model had no lid on the glovebox. Going up through the options you’d get a glovebox door and the top spec the glovebox had a lock on it. Hers was one above the base model. No door on the glovebox, but it had hinges.
I think you'll find the mk 1 didn't have a glove box at all. It had a pole all the way across with what can best be described as a hammock that ran the full width of the car. Fantastic setup you could get loads of stuff in.
Fantastic car in general actually nothing pointless at all just the basics who needs synchromesh on third when you can push your car back up the hill on your own to have another go at a jump start.
my BM
Indicators wholly superfluous
Flappy paddles if I’d wanted to change gear I’d have bought a manual.
Sunglasses case under the rear view mirror - too small for midget glasses
In my old 95 Aero, 'night mode' that turns off illumination and function for everything except the Speedo.
Everyone seems to think it's brilliant, because of the Saab cult, and it's different. It is, yes, but it's also pointless. It really is.
On my toy car, the 'beeeep' buzzer when you get near the Rev limiter to warn you, supposedly installed because the engine is so smooth people were forgetting to change gear. Can't hear it over the sound of the engine though.
In my new to me V70, strangely nothing. It's a genuine marvel to me.
And yes, turning off stop/start is daft. There will be way more occasions where is beneficial than you realise. Every little helps. And don't give me that 'extra wear and tear' nonsense. I know a fair few people who work in powertrain dev and the MTBF of the individual components is huuuge.
It also has one of those japanese pop-up parking poles from Previous Owner In Japan, which is totally totally pointless but I still love it.
Amazing! They're not pointless at all! Scraaaaaape! 😀
When I got mine from the importer I opened the door and a lady shouted at me angrily in japanese from behind the dash.
Something to do with the turbo timer (also file under useless) but still can't fathom what.
Flappy paddles if I’d wanted to change gear I’d have bought a manual.
This in my Passat. Used them twice for "fun" when I bought the car, but when the car does it for you, there is no point in them at all. And the "gear" stick can be pushed to the left into manual mode. What a bloody stupid idea, especially if, like me, you've knocked it into manual without realising it.
Yup. With you on the manual change for auto. I totally want to drive in a sporty manner in my vast diesel Volvo estate.
I’ve got some out of date alcohol testing kits for my last trip to France in 2019
Snap! 🙂
The very back seat armrest in my old touran one side had a pointless little lidded cubby proper tiny... So pointless the other side didn't get one.
