It's just occoured to me, whilst driving a borrowed car, how utterly pointless an interior fuel flap release button is.

Or can someone give me a reason why it's better than one that unlocks with the central locking and you flip open with a finger?
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm

make sense in countries/areas where a 'man' does the job for you while you stay in the car, I guess, or where certain models don't come with central locking and they can make them all the same for fuel filler

my wife's beetle has an interior fuel filler cap release but central locking meant beign able to reach all the doors from the drivers seat in 1971…

It's for the wife

When she gets out to fill the car up she can't complain that she doesn't know how to open the filler cap

I simply hit the switch & it's already for her

🙂

Less complicated than a central locking one = one less thing to go wrong?

less pointless than auto sensing wipers – "oh look there is rain on the screen I need to move my finger two inches to a lever".

make sense in countries/areas where a 'man' does the job for you while you stay in the car,

Yeah. I thought of that too. But he can open the flap himself as well. Why do I need a button inside?

😐

I thougt it was for security. Different uselessness I borrowed a Volvo that had huge outsized cup holders all over the place. They could hold those litre soft drink cups favoured by a certain fast food outlet. We worked out you carry about 7 litres in all….

less pointless than auto sensing wipers – "oh look there is rain on the screen I need to move my finger two inches to a lever".

Generally auto wipers are very handy, they adjust to the speed required – they don't just go "its raining – on". They make sure you don't have to even think about the rain starting, they adjust the speed when you pass a wagon and would normally need to up the wiper rate, they turn off when it's dry as no-one seems to be able to turn off the wipers before it goes nicely screachy and scrapes the window.

Less complicated than a central locking one = one less thing to go wrong?

I would say it's probably MORE complicated if anything! Wire into nearest CL feed (Back door)

or

Run wire to front of car, mount in door, add switch…….

I have a friend who thinks keyless ignition is the work of the devil – He says he gets in, starts car, gets to desination, gets out, then can't remember where the key is so spends 2 minutes searching his bag, pockets, jacket etc, so he can find the key to lock the car. With normal ignition you know EXACTLY where the key is – It's in your hand because you've just turned the car off with it! 🙂

It's funny to watch someone who can't find the button to open it. Last week as i pulled up to the pump a Q7 pulled up to the one behind me. In the time it took me to get out of the car, put £35 worth of fuel in, stand in the long queue, pay and walk back to my car the driver still hadn't figured out how to open it.
Just as i was unlocking my door i looked across to him as he hit the boot release button, he saw me chuckling at him as the boot lid popped up, fortunately for me he also saw the funny side….He's prolly still there now

I thougt it was for security

Please explain the thinking on this one. 🙂

I've had plenty of cars (mine and company cars) with them. Not saying that they don't work as such but they do get confused (large single drops of rain on the sensor sending them crazy etc…) and often work at the "wrong" speed but they are still somewhat pointless. Auto sensing lights are much more sensible I think.

I agree, keyless ignition is a strange concept unless it's all integrated (locking, alarming etc). I'd personally much rather have mechanical control over my engine.

El-cheapo peugeot auto wipers never seem to have a problem?

Autosensing lights is a good idea for those of us who are incapable of judging the level of darkness, such as the blind.

Cars these days are littered with pointless additional weight and complexity. Electric windows for example. Probably will have been a very long time since you did manual wind, but if you do you will remember how little effort it is.

Central locking on the other hand is a genius idea.

less pointless than auto sensing wipers – "oh look there is rain on the screen I need to move my finger two inches to a lever".

I think this is great. Go through a big puddle/past a lorry and the screen gets obliterated by water the wipers clear it before you can. No more messing getting the right speed for the intermittent wipe, it's all done for you. Put the wipers on auto and leave it there.
May even mean that wipers last longer and therefore better for the environment 😉

Auto lights?

Central locking on the other hand is a genius idea.

Not when you consider that normally cars only have one door used for most of their lives and you might as well open and close one lock rather than 5 at a time.

Our car turns the aircon on when you point the blower at the windscreen too. Which annoys me.
I can see the thinking behind it, but we have a heated windscreen FFS! Why not turn that on?

My Berlingo has manual windows!

Feel free to come round for that retro experience if you like. I could open a theme park!

Auto lights and wipers are great. I love gadgets and stuff in cars that I don't really need. Heated seats, trip computers,Auto dimming rear view mirrors. I couldn't live without them

inner fuel releases, surely for partial security, and for cleaner lines (though you dont HAVE to have a finger hook hole to open the flap)

the most pointless gadgets in/on cars are DRLS!!!
F off with you Fing twinkley lights you german driving TOOL

wiper setting known as "disco"

its pointless, regular wipe/intermitent is all you need.
(and off)

my Mums mini has 32 options of colours on her interior lighting (or something like that)
crap and useless.

button ignition would annoy me, i prefer physical control over the starter.

Cos ones linked to the central locking break, and leave you looking a tit on the forecourt? I had to rip my fuel flap* off on the M5, and the looks you get!

*I know, I should never have bought a Renault.

PP:

Please explain the thinking on this one

Harder to get into the fuel tank and nick the liquid gold?

Auto-lights – excellent, should be compulsary to stop those muppets who presume that just because they can see you (with your lights on), you can also see them (without their lights on).

Keyless ignition – not too keen but seeing as my parents-in-law were broken into last week just to get the car keys, I think the sooner they come up with some reliable method of doing away with keys/cards completely, the better.

"Autosensing lights is a good idea for those of us who are incapable of judging the level of darkness, such as the blind." 😀

Come on – you see loads of people driving who have forgotten to switch on their lights – but you don't see people who have forgotten to switch on their wipers in the rain.

Harder to get into the fuel tank and nick the liquid gold?

How?
As I already said, our locks with the central locking (As did out last 2 cars dating back to 1996…), so it's only going to stop people when you're waiting at traffic lights! 🙂

Why do you need a button to open it? You've still gotta open the flap wide with your finger when you get there…….

£22,000 cost option!!!

oooh it tells the time too.

You win!

Not when you consider that normally cars only have one door used for most of their lives and you might as well open and close one lock rather than 5 at a time.

Some (not all) systems only open the driver's door with a short press/first press and need a long press/second press to open other doors.

I think that system makes sense mainly for the security issue (bag snatching from open doors in traffic etc).

ahaha, theyve uilt the blipper part of the key, into the watch.
thats crap.

remember how jermain glued brets camera to his phone in flight of the conchords?
i think i might glue my car fob onto a watch.
save myself £22,000.

he still puts the key in too.
why not have it like on posh renaults, as long as your watch is in the car, it will start? it unlocks as you approach it?

The fact is, the more gadgets lights there are, the closer you are to owning the Batmobile!
Buttons and flashy lights = awesomeness!

Some (not all) systems only open the driver's door with a short press/first press and need a long press/second press to open other doors.

Yeah, whilst we're at it, that's bloody annoying too. What's wrong with opening them all with one press?

Come on – you see loads of people driving who have forgotten to switch on their lights – but you don't see people who have forgotten to switch on their wipers in the rain.

Fair point 😀 But mine was funnier 😆

Yeah, whilst we're at it, that's bloody annoying too. What's wrong with opening them all with one press?

I guess so if you are driving alone, someone can't open your rear passenger door and get in an use it as a taxi/steal your man bag/rape your botty.

Ashtray and fag lighter. Every car I've had has one fitted!

What would be useful is a USB socket for charging. I've replace the lighter with one of these:

what happens if the fob stops working- lots of older cars have had the (expensive) fobs fail, if you rely on them to open anything the cars basically got to be thrown away.

Auto wipers sooner or later become rubbish. My Peugeots ones were – I suspect it was down to wear to the screen upsetting the sensors. And then you have no intermittent mode. Lovely!

Yeah, whilst we're at it, that's bloody annoying too. What's wrong with opening them all with one press?

Dunno but I find it annoying as well. Need to get a copy of Vag Com to change that option on our Golf.

i can release the boot on my key, but it doesnt open it.
it just clunks it free.

if ive got enough free hand to pull the boot open, ive got enough to click the release button under the sill surely?

its more of a faff to be holding the key to release the boot tbh!

praps i should rewire it, so it starts the car before ive got to it, in a james bond "get away" stylee

I guess so if you are driving alone, someone can't open your rear passenger door and get in an use it as a taxi/steal your man bag/rape your botty.

I think some cars lock the doors when it starts moving.

ooo gravity-slave i want one of those 😉

a lad a work came in in his mate rangerover that had all been done out. it had skysports in it , we dont even have skysports on the station lol (or at home come to think of it ;-()

My Peugeots ones were – I suspect it was down to wear to the screen upsetting the sensors

Mine are fine 130K in, I suppose scratches may affect it, but if you keep your car fairly clean and use washer fluid…. 😀