Mobile speed cameras not just checking speed!

[MSG2004]

Switch positions are probably determined for left hand drive cars, where they’re more logically placed.

In my car, gle, they seem to be placed for a RHD, IMO
The good thing is, I read a while back that EuroNCap is to start taking into account the ease of use of gadets, touch screens etc. Hopefully, more
car makers will then go back to a few more knobs in cars. However, I do know its cheaper to just put in touch screens.

The other day a Youtube vlogger was talking about car makers not making smaller cars as the profits are so small due to rules and regulations for new cars, ie mandatory stuff in the EU. Therefore, any new, small cars if they still make them will, are much more expensive. Ford stopped making the fiesta and I'm not sure if they still make the Ka.

 

[m80]

It's possibly a factor, but the heated seat switch (which does get used a fair bit) would be furthest from the driver in LHD!

Nope, the left seat would then be the drivers seat. So the far switch would be closest to the passenger.

But you can't swap these switch functions.
The rocker with the icon is clipped onto a circuit board behind.
The circuit board is matched to the canbus instruction/s.
So you could easily swap the rockers, so a different icon, but it would still operate as the original function was designed.

Tbh the arrangement of many things on the 639 just demonstrate that MB did things on the cheap.
The bonnet pull is n/s,
the emergency blade for the unlocking only works on the n/s front door.
They couldn't be assed adapting the vehicle to driving on the correct side.

 

[BTB 500]

It's possibly a factor, but the heated seat switch (which does get used a fair bit) would be furthest from the driver in LHD!

Nope, the left seat would then be the drivers seat. So the far switch would be closest to the passenger.

That's what I was saying - in LHD the heated seat switch would be the furthest one from the driver?!

 

[m80]

That's what I was saying - in LHD the heated seat switch would be the furthest one from the driver?!

View attachment 162812

Sorry, I didn't pick up on that as both ours are heated.

I assume on the LHD Dualiner / Traveliner the left seat would be the heated one.

 

[StMarks]

The other day a man aged probably about 50+ was riding out of a side road on a bend to my left into a one-way road that is relatively wide as I negotiated the bend at 20mph in the 20 zone, the next time I saw him he was heading my way, ie wrong way - he panicked/wobbled and I quickly moved my car to the right - he must have approached the junction close to 20mph - I then saw him hit the kerb but he remained upright and carried
on the wrong way up the road. The wider pillars do not help. Thought the inbred was at fault, he would have damaged my car if he had hit me and caused me problems. Incredibly, a few mins up the road, I saw the same inbred ride past me at the red lights at a pedestrian crossing, he just road through the red lights.

Reminds me of something that happened to me a few years back. I was posted to a city at the other end of the country, and hired a car whilst I was down there.
One afternoon I was in (lightish) city traffic & out of nowhere I heard a "thunk" behind me. I looked in my rearview mirror & confirmed that there were no vehicles behind me. As I did so, a figure clambered upright against my O/S rear corner.
I got out of my car, and could see his bicycle splattered on the ground. I could also see substantial damage to my hire-car.
My opening gambit was "are you alright fella, you went with one hell of bump". His aggressive & incomprehensible retort left me in very little doubt that he was pi$$ed as a newt.
Long & short of it, he left the scene (having pushed some poor lady over, who had announced herself as a nurse & wanted to see if he was injured).
Hire company were "happy" when it came time to return my car..

 

[BTB 500]

Sorry, I didn't pick up on that as both ours are heated.

I assume on the LHD Dualiner / Traveliner the left seat would be the heated one.

Yep we have the dual passenger seat so only the driver's is heated.

 

[TC350]

It's possibly a factor, but the heated seat switch (which does get used a fair bit) would be furthest from the driver in LHD!

Depends on the car. On mine the seat heating (and cooling) switches for the driver are on the driver's side, and for the front passenger they're on the passenger side.

 

[BTB 500]

Depends on the car. On mine the seat heating (and cooling) switches for the driver are on the driver's side, and for the front passenger they're on the passenger side.

Very sensible. Our W205 C Class has the heater switches on the doors, which isn't too bad.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Depends on the car. On mine the seat heating (and cooling) switches for the driver are on the driver's side, and for the front passenger they're on the passenger side.
View attachment 162813

Same a my 2010 E350.

 

[MSG2004]

Same a my 2010 E350.

Same on mine a gle/2016/w166

 

[Pontoneer]

As an aside some of the controls on older cars were an ergonomic nightmare - I remember the headlight switch on my Viva HC being below the speedometer, in the instrument cluster.

The rear wash/wipe and HRW switches on our Vito are on the dashboard, at the far end of a bank of similar rockers (circled below). They're impossible to operate without looking.

View attachment 162785

Control layout is likely arranged for LHD and not adapted for RHD ; same with car radios where the on/off/volume knob is on the left and tuning on the right - suits LHD market .

 

[Pontoneer]

Listen to your kids. Keep the air con on. Unless you have a very small engine (<1000cc) the difference in energy consumption with modern cars (<15 years old) is negligible whether on or off. The overall costs could be even higher when turning it off because there’s far more chance of something going wrong if it’s not used. Repairs can be expensive, even regassing.

I’m fortunate in that I have a garage to keep my car in, so it doesn’t even get that cold in winter here in Cambridgeshire. I just start up, back out, shut the garage door and go. No misting up because the air con keeps it clear.

Most of my Mercs with air con , from some of my W124s ( current one doesn't have it ) , W126s , R129 , W140 all defaulted to air con on at startup , and you had to select ECO ( aircon off ) each time . If I had windows open , sunroof open or roof down , I would turn it off as it then made no difference and cost money to run . usual advice is to run it once a month to keep everything working . DIY regassing was always cheap as I have the kit and a bottle of gas would last me a year or two over a couple of cars .

 

[Pontoneer]

When driving on my own I turn my mobile telephone off. However , I find all the other toys on my car far more distracting particularly the DAB radio that cannot lock onto a radio station.

My phone is , by default , off unless I'm either expecting a call or need to make one ; if using it just for music , i can turn it to aeroplane mode , which leaves the Bluetooth on to connect to the radio .

 

[Pontoneer]

other than access to switches and on my car they are ok/good, its my sight that makes it a slightly bigger problem as per my previous post re glasses, the switches are of good size and temp knobs and sat nav knobs good, easy access. I find the massive front pillars a big problem when turning out into roads and especially rounabouts eg, so many drivers drive a lot faster than the 30mph limit and take roundabouts at speed and don't indicate - the blind spot is big as it can at a certain distance blank out smaller cars and those idiots on ebikes/scooters and add to the woes those that don't indicate etc..

The other day a man aged probably about 50+ was riding out of a side road on a bend to my left into a one-way road that is relatively wide as I negotiated the bend at 20mph in the 20 zone, the next time I saw him he was heading my way, ie wrong way - he panicked/wobbled and I quickly moved my car to the right - he must have approached the junction close to 20mph - I then saw him hit the kerb but he remained upright and carried
on the wrong way up the road. The wider pillars do not help. Thought the inbred was at fault, he would have damaged my car if he had hit me and caused me problems. Incredibly, a few mins up the road, I saw the same inbred ride past me at the red lights at a pedestrian crossing, he just road through the red lights.

One of the many reasons I stick with W124 and similar aged cars : the A pillars are not excessively wide and they are still very safe cars .

 

[Pontoneer]

It's possibly a factor, but the heated seat switch (which does get used a fair bit) would be furthest from the driver in LHD!

Heated seat switches in any of my cars which had them have always been either side of the gear lever , or in the back door ( W126 ) so always accessible to occupant of whichever seat ...

 

[Pontoneer]

In my car, gle, they seem to be placed for a RHD, IMO
The good thing is, I read a while back that EuroNCap is to start taking into account the ease of use of gadets, touch screens etc. Hopefully, more
car makers will then go back to a few more knobs in cars. However, I do know its cheaper to just put in touch screens.

The other day a Youtube vlogger was talking about car makers not making smaller cars as the profits are so small due to rules and regulations for new cars, ie mandatory stuff in the EU. Therefore, any new, small cars if they still make them will, are much more expensive. Ford stopped making the fiesta and I'm not sure if they still make the Ka.

EuroNCap never existed for any of my cars ...

 

[Pontoneer]

Nope, the left seat would then be the drivers seat. So the far switch would be closest to the passenger.

But you can't swap these switch functions.
The rocker with the icon is clipped onto a circuit board behind.
The circuit board is matched to the canbus instruction/s.
So you could easily swap the rockers, so a different icon, but it would still operate as the original function was designed.

Tbh the arrangement of many things on the 639 just demonstrate that MB did things on the cheap.
The bonnet pull is n/s,
the emergency blade for the unlocking only works on the n/s front door.
They couldn't be assed adapting the vehicle to driving on the correct side.

in earlier cars the sockets behind the switches were on the end of wires and could , up to a point , be moved around .

 

[Pontoneer]

Nope, the left seat would then be the drivers seat. So the far switch would be closest to the passenger.

But you can't swap these switch functions.
The rocker with the icon is clipped onto a circuit board behind.
The circuit board is matched to the canbus instruction/s.
So you could easily swap the rockers, so a different icon, but it would still operate as the original function was designed.

Tbh the arrangement of many things on the 639 just demonstrate that MB did things on the cheap.
The bonnet pull is n/s,
the emergency blade for the unlocking only works on the n/s front door.
They couldn't be assed adapting the vehicle to driving on the correct side.

Worst is cars like Audi who wouldn't adapt the windscreen wipers to suit RHD , so the passenger got the screen swept up to the A pillar , while the driver had an arc unswept on the right top corner ; likewise the brake master cylinder was on the left and there was an awkward linkage from the right over to the left - this happened on VW versions as well - resulting in very poor brake feel .

 

[Pontoneer]

That's what I was saying - in LHD the heated seat switch would be the furthest one from the driver?!

View attachment 162812

there's a blank position on the other side . Wouldn't the switch be there on a LHD version ?

 

[Pontoneer]

Depends on the car. On mine the seat heating (and cooling) switches for the driver are on the driver's side, and for the front passenger they're on the passenger side.
View attachment 162813

pretty much like my cars which had them either side of the gear selector