What would happen if I turned my car off without lifting the electric brake first?

[BKK Jack]

You are joking, right? You have to be.

Yes, you can turn your wipers off, but that's not a lot of help when it's raining. When it is, your only choices are to use the schizophrenic intermittent function, or low or high speeds.

The off position on the headlights is a momentary switch. It does turn the headlights off, but only when the vehicle is completely off or if the parking brake is engaged. Good luck trying to drive under either of those conditions.

 

[ABPDE5]

You are joking, right? You have to be.

Yes, you can turn your wipers off, but that's not a lot of help when it's raining. When it is, your only choices are to use the schizophrenic intermittent function, or low or high speeds.

The off position on the headlights is a momentary switch. It does turn the headlights off, but only when the vehicle is completely off or if the parking brake is engaged. Good luck trying to drive under either of those conditions.

Understood on the headlights. Like I said, I hadn't tried that. They work fine. They turn on when it's dark; they turn off when its not, and the auto high beams work pretty well, too.

re: the wipers... I'm not sure I understand what your complaint is, then. I thought you were bothered by them activating when they shouldn't, given your grouping of headlight and wiper complaints and shared example re: headlights turning on when it's unnecessary. So, I figured pointing out that they can be disabled might be helpful.

Really can't understand the vitriol in response, lol.

Sorry if I'm missing something obvious, but as far as the wipers go, it seems to me:
You can turn them off if you don't want them to activate automatically (i.e. if there's something on your windshield that might fool the system), you can set them to auto, which works pretty well, or you can pick 1 of 3 set speeds. I guess you're maybe missing out on 1 additional set speed that you might have had the option to toggle to in an adjustable system? Personally, I'd rather have the auto option than 1 extra set speed.

 

[BKK Jack]

What you are missing is that the auto intermittent function is completely schizophrenic. It takes inputs from both the speed and rain sensors to calculate the frequency of sweep, and a slight change in either of those can result in a drastic change in the wipers.

I've had mine go from a nice rate to full on high speed "throw the wiper blades off the arms" solely because my speed increased by a few mph. Trying to get them to wipe according to conditions and stay that way is virtually impossible and I end up devoting far more attention to adjusting the sensitivity to try to get it right than I should have to.

The fix is simple: Have a setting in the menus somewhere that allows the owner to defeat the auto intermittent function and revert to a simple adjustable time delay. That's the kind of technological advance made easy through software I could get behind.

 

[NoelPR]

Some auto cars put the transmission in park when you open a door.. talk about a nanny transmission

The latest Ridgeline/Pilot/Passport puts the transmission into P when you open the door and the driver's seatbelt isn't on.

 

[Escobar929]

What you are missing is that the auto intermittent function is completely schizophrenic. It takes inputs from both the speed and rain sensors to calculate the frequency of sweep, and a slight change in either of those can result in a drastic change in the wipers.

I've had mine go from a nice rate to full on high speed "throw the wiper blades off the arms" solely because my speed increased by a few mph. Trying to get them to wipe according to conditions and stay that way is virtually impossible and I end up devoting far more attention to adjusting the sensitivity to try to get it right than I should have to.

The fix is simple: Have a setting in the menus somewhere that allows the owner to defeat the auto intermittent function and revert to a simple adjustable time delay. That's the kind of technological advance made easy through software I could get behind.

This is how it is in BMWs, the Auto button is at the end of the stalk and works on its own. You can still have auto off and use intermittent w/ the frequency adjustment on the stalk. However, w/ all my BMWs, I always used the Auto option, it worked perfectly. It adjusted the frequency depending on how hard it was raining and would drastically reduce the frequency if you came to a stop.

I have just gotten used to the Acura system but just know what you're asking for does exist and it wouldn't have been difficult for Acura to copy BMW

 

[BKK Jack]

This is how it is in BMWs, the Auto button is at the end of the stalk and works on its own. You can still have auto off and use intermittent w/ the frequency adjustment on the stalk. However, w/ all my BMWs, I always used the Auto option, it worked perfectly. It adjusted the frequency depending on how hard it was raining and would drastically reduce the frequency if you came to a stop.

I have just gotten used to the Acura system but just know what you're asking for does exist and it wouldn't have been difficult for Acura to copy BMW

Thanks for that. I just got a BMW, but it only has 2 wheels and no wipers, so that's not an issue.

I can't help but think it's not too late for Acura. They could easily push a software update to put the option in a menu. I don't see that happening, but one can hope.

 

[nawfoo]

I was on my driveway with a slight incline in gear and decided to turn the car off first to see if it will hold while in gear. For some reason the car was rolling back. I played around and put it in second and reverse to see if it will hold with just the gear and it will not. You have to use the e brake at all times.

 

[PRDE5]

I would have never considered this to be a issue, sort of like forgetting that your kids are in the back seat of the car. I wish the headlights had a permanent OFF position. But considering how many people are driving at night with no headlights on, I understand why they do it.

 

[Integra23]

I would have never considered this to be a issue, sort of like forgetting that your kids are in the back seat of the car. I wish the headlights had a permanent OFF position. But considering how many people are driving at night with no headlights on, I understand why they do it.

If it was a hand brake then I agree. Being a dumb digital switch that if you enable brake hold it engages when you turn off the car. Therefore it could be an optioned on all the time.

 

[StingertimeNC]

I can't believe having the car in gear, with it off, doesn't hold the car still. I'll have to try it tomorrow. every manual I've ever had stayed still if it was in gear and the car off.

 

[Frenzal]

I can't believe having the car in gear, with it off, doesn't hold the car still. I'll have to try it tomorrow. every manual I've ever had stayed still if it was in gear and the car off.

I though so too, until I parked my car in gear on an incline driveway (very mild slope). After a while, someone rang the door bell to tell me that my car is in the middle of the street! That was with my 1991 Civic Si back in the days...
After that, always used the handbrake, wherever I park!

 

[StingertimeNC]

That crap happened to me back in 2004. RSX Type S, left it with the parking brake only, not in gear, and I guess after the brakes cooled, it started to roll backwards. Nothing behind me fortunately, but it jumped a curb and was sitting on the frame rails with it's ass end up in the air. Bunch of guys from work came out and lifted the back end so I could get enough weight/traction on the front to drive it off the curb. I had the brake on, just only on a click or two.