 Poster: A snowHead
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| Hurtle wrote: |
| @rob@rar, how do you manage to lose other things multiple times and not lose your phone? I tend not to lose things but I did once drop my phone without realising it. |
Don’t know, just more careful with the phone I guess, as it’s an intrinsic part of my day to day life. When I’ve lost keys or wallets I think it’s mostly because they’ve dropped out of my jeans pockets, or I’ve taken them out of a pocket to sit down and left them somewhere. If I carried some kind of bag or pack then maybe I’d not have lost things so often. Last time I lost my wallet was at the end of a teaching week in Meribel, when I was sitting on a bench in the boot room in the chalet we used, to put on my shoes at the end of the day when returning up to Mottaret. I think my wallet slipped out of my back pocket and down the back of the bench, not to be seen again until the end of the season when the chalet did a deep clean. This caused a big problem as I had no means of payment other than the cards and cash in my lost wallet, and needed to fill up the car with petrol do do an airport run to collect Jane when she arrived for Christmas, as well as ordering a new drivers licence in order to rent a car a few weeks later. Fortunately I borrowed sufficient cash from Scott to make do for a week, so it wasn’t a complete disaster. This was before the days of Apple Wallet, so if I lose my phone today I can use my watch for payments while I work out best arrangements for replacing my phone, including disabling Apple Pay on that device but not globally suspending the use of my credit cards on other devices such as my watch.
I have more redundancy in my contactless payments system than I ever had when my wallet contained the sole means of payments. This is now the same for unlocking and driving my car: even in the unlikely event that both my phone and my watch are out of commission, Jane can remotely unlock the car and allow me to drive it, no matter where in the world she or I are. That, plus the day to day conveniences of keyless driving and digital wallet payments make life just a bit more straightforward. None of this is life-changing, but I’d not want to go back to the old way of doing things.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
when my wallet contained the sole means of payments
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No one "wallet" of mine has EVER contained my sole means of payment. My "redundancy" is also my untidiness. Typically I will have one credit card in the back pocket of jeans, one in the car (with my spare £20), one in my purse and one in the table beside my chair, where I spend most of my time and where my diary, cheque book and address book are also to be found. I don't always know where they all are, and occasionally I have to stop one, only to have it turn up in a bag I've not used for weeks. They are all paid off on direct debit every month.
When I travel abroad I'm more organised and careful! I did once have wallet pinched on a crowded bus in Genoa. But it didn't have my passport in it, fortunately.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@rob@rar,
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Jane can remotely unlock the car and allow me to drive it, no matter where in the world she or I are.
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Now that I love!
@abc,sadly, not everyone is consistently as brilliant as you paint yourself to be. I've just had my usual tussle with changing the clock in my car, upon the change to BST; no idea why this doesn't happen automatically (the car isn't particularly ancient) but the task would certainly be easier if the handbook were not written in Swahili and if it weren't applicable to every single model of car ever sold by VW, but often not to mine. And exactly the same applies to my Panasonic land line - the handbook is completely impenetrable. I can't help feeling that I might be defeated by some of the new technology in cars on those grounds alone. But I'll certainly give it a go, if and when the time comes to change my car, there's no point in bucking a genuine trend.
But whatever technology one does or doesn't adopt, of one thing I am sure, that is that the jeans back pocket is a singularly unsafe place to store anything. The phone I dropped into the Beaumont loo did not survive.  
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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The central locking on the previous car I used to drive failed to work when temperatures dipped below -5C. The boot opened so I climbed in through the boot and drove off to ski. I was hoping it would start working again when the car warmed up, which it did when I got to Glencoe.
I much preferred the van with limited electrics in it, as electronics stop working when ice makes contacts and batteries fail.
However, even the van had an electric issue when the horn would come on randomly when parked and key out engine off. Melting ice would make a contact under the wheel arch where the horn was located. The rear light inside the van had to be removed for similar ice contact reasons.
I eventually decided to disconnect the battery when parking up in resort to stop random short circuits due to ice.
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For every technophile like Rob there's a neo luddite like me who would rather not have superfluous tech that creates novel problems. My most egregious example is an unlocked hire car with a proximity key. I'm loading something in the back seat withe all doors unlocked. Toss the key onto driver's seat. Shut rear door and less than a second later go to open driver's door. Too late sucker we've locked it all up for your own safety. Phone is also in car of course ready for the journey. Have to scrounge phone to call a locksmith to get in - pricy little safety feature.
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| Quote: |
I've just had my usual tussle with changing the clock in my car, upon the change to BST; no idea why this doesn't happen automatically (the car isn't particularly ancient) but the task would certainly be easier if the handbook were not written in Swahili and if it weren't applicable to every single model of car ever sold by VW, but often not to mine.
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Ah - I get one of my grandchildren to change the clock in my car. In France, if I don't have one handy, I just remember the extra hour. Keeps the brain flexible.....
My phone's too big for my jeans pocket.......
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Hurtle, if it gives you any consolation, Mrs a's 2022 Peugeot, also doesn't change time automatically. The handbook was non existent bar a few slivers of paper. The handbook is available via an app, and has difficult to comprehend in terms of the precise model we have. The workround was to use the excellent community support forum set up by Peugeot.
Manufacturers used to ensure that decent equipment were supported by decent user manuals. No more.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Bigtipper, I prefer older vehicles as well, at least anyone can fix them instead of it being a computer job or nothing. I must admit when I obtained a classic vehicle (not that old but old enough-1989) I enjoyed the simplicity of the engine and I can solve most problems myself unless it’s a heavy job. That said, it never seems to go wrong!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Too late sucker we've locked it all up for your own safety.
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 I think that anecdote must be up there, @Dave of the Marmottes, in the shortlist for top spot in the "pointless innovation" annals. So, if you put one of those big clunky reminder things on your key, as suggested further up the thread, so you will notice it when you leave it on the roof of the car, but can't keep it in your pocket, if you step out from behind the wheel without it, the car will lock you out and stick its tongue out at you!!
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For my battered old pickup I have this big pointy thing, I think its called a key. You stick it in a slot and turn it and usually everything springs to life. It's really clever.
My clock gains about a minute a week so I have had loads of practice resetting it, and that is getting easier
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I'd really like heated seats - went out with a neighbour with one recently, and it was lush.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@pam w, I do like heated windscreen with the wiring through it, the snow and ice melts really quickly and it is a lot quicker than having the blowers on (and more convenient than tipping some warm water on the screen and mirrors). In my van though I’ve got a diesel heater you can set going a short while before setting off and that can be on without the key in the ignition too as long as there’s enough leisure battery charge.
So really the windscreen is not normally a problem because of that toasty heater.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
the benefits are definitely there, IMO
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I imagine there must be benefits - but I'm still waiting to hear of one which trumps these major downsides - not the least having car pinched with cloned key.
None of my usual garments have pockets I can safely leave a set of cars in. Walking to the village shops I put door keys in my back jeans pocket, but that doesn't work for car keys, as they are uncomfy to sit on - and if they have that clunky thing to stop you leaving it on the car roof (as recommended above) you would need a huge pocket to put them in.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Not sure what remote climate is...
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Really useful, that's what it is. Basically, the ability to tell your car to warm up and get ready to go, from your phone.
I used to do this around the same time as yelling at the kids to put their phones down and their shoes on. We would get into a toasty warm car, with the windows cleared of fog.
This feature is very useful for electric cars, where driving on a warmed-battery can extend the useful range.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Quote: |
Really useful, that's what it is.
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That does sound useful. Though I grew up being advised not to let cold engines idle, so would have to get over that (probably very old fashioned) advice.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
Really useful, that's what it is.
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That does sound useful. Though I grew up being advised not to let cold engines idle, so would have to get over that (probably very old fashioned) advice. |
Yes definitely related to fairly inefficient means of control in past vehicles. They are far more intensive in their monitoring and setting of combustion process now, and with very fine control over the fuel used without wasting. Ordinarily there's strategy (by manipulation of fuel burn ) to bring the catalytic converter up to temp as soon as possible too in keeping to emission standards.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Quote: |
Really useful, that's what it is.
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That does sound useful. Though I grew up being advised not to let cold engines idle, so would have to get over that (probably very old fashioned) advice. |
These usually use an auxiliary heater to warm everything up before you start your engine.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| pam w wrote: |
| Ah - I get one of my grandchildren to change the clock in my car. |
I'm not sure whether the car clock or the oven clock is easier to change: both of mine are an hour out from October to March, as they're about as easy to change as a sundial.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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My grand-daughter does the oven clock too. It makes her feel superior...... 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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A very enjoyable and useful thread, thanks all.
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| Hurtle wrote: |
@abc,sadly, not everyone is consistently as brilliant as you paint yourself to be. I've just had my usual tussle with changing the clock in my car, upon the change to BST; no idea why this doesn't happen automatically (the car isn't particularly ancient) but the task would certainly be easier if the handbook were not written in Swahili and if it weren't applicable to every single model of car ever sold by VW, but often not to mine. And exactly the same applies to my Panasonic land line - the handbook is completely impenetrable. I can't help feeling that I might be defeated by some of the new technology in cars on those grounds alone. But I'll certainly give it a go, if and when the time comes to change my car, there's no point in bucking a genuine trend.
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I need not be brilliant at all (whether I am or not is irrelevant). There’s a YouTube clip for just about everything I, or YOU, need to do. Just google it!
Perhaps my turning to YouTube for much of my technological need is a sign of my being brilliant? But I doubt it.
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You know it makes sense.
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| pam w wrote: |
| ... My phone's too big for my jeans pocket... |
Foldable mobile phones fit in a jeans front pocket. I no longer break phones as a consequence.
I remember as a kid that old people always found new things difficult to deal with. That hasn't changed, but I don't think it's a technology issue.
User manuals... these days the point is vaguely that you shouldn't really need to read them. The manual's a reference if you don't happen to be able to work some obscure feature out.
Alan Sugar's user manuals were famously bad, something I once challenged him on as I thought it unnecessary. He pointed out, correctly, that none of his customers used the features in the manuals anyway: they were for pre-purchase product comparison and reviewers, not end users. Car manuals? I often rent cars, but I'd consider it a terrible car if I needed to use the manual to drive the thing!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@phil_w, more than once I've needed the manual...aka Google...to work out how to.open the fuel cap.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @phil_w, more than once I've needed the manual...aka Google...to work out how to.open the fuel cap. |
Rented a car on our honeymoon ski trip to Vail, took me 3 days to work out how to open the boot (trunk). No obvious buttons or catches. Turned out the boot release was inside the glove box. Go figure.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It took me a while to work out how to open the bonnet on my Fabia. Fortunately it was not urgent, I just needed to know, for the day when I needed to top up washer fluid. Had to resort to youTube where I learnt it was on the passenger's side of the car. Doh.
It does take you longer to learn new tricks when you're an old dog. I don't mind the effort when it's a good trick. But I've yet to be convinced that "proximity keys" are anything but a gimmick which can produce some serious problems and offer only trivial advantages. Like opening the boot when you have your arms full of parcels. But I would like heated seats.......
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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So thought I’d provide an update on this tale. We made it to Val Thorens at 23.15 in the end. Very heavy rain on the road through Chambery towards Moutiers. Why don’t the French have better road markings / cats eyes? Made for a very testing drive. Really heavy snow past St Martin De Belleville - winter tyres and 4WD system left many cars struggling in our wake. Accommodation at Club Med so a late dinner provided and then bed.
I received a call from my local BMW garage on Wednesday - my key had been found on the side of the road 3 miles from our house and had been handed in and is now at the garage for me to collect next week.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@pam w, the heated seats can be sorted with a cover you plug into your 12v socket. Loads on ebay
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Griggs wrote: |
| I received a call from my local BMW garage on Wednesday - my key had been found on the side of the road 3 miles from our house and had been handed in and is now at the garage for me to collect next week. |
What a relief: glad it’s all working out pretty well!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've got remote locking/unlocking. Ordinarily it's fine, and you can leave the key in the car and it won't lock as in @Dave of the Marmottes, example. But I did once discover that its not failsafe if the battery is low on the key. Managed to lock myself out of the car. Fortunately I was only dropping something off on the next street, so I was able to walk home and get my spare. I usually put my house keys in the car, but luckily had them in my coat pocket on that occasion.
Even the old fashioned way isn't foolproof. I memorably once locked myself out of the car and the house simultaneously by locking the house keys in the car and the car keys in the house.
I'd been getting the kids coats out of the boot ready to walk to school. I put my house keys down in the boot whilst I retrieved them. Then shut the boot and locked the car without remembering to pick them up. I hung my car keys back up in the house, shouted goodbye to hubby, and closed the Yale lock front door. Dropped the children at school and nursery and went to retrieve my house keys from the buggy basket, but of course they were not there. Also didn't have my phone as I'd planned to go for a run straight from drop off.
Hubby had left for work about 5 minutes after I left, so he wasn't home to let me in and was incommunicado until he arrived at work - 25 miles away.
Fortunately, I was stood next to my best friend when I made the discovery. So I borrowed her phone to ring hubby once I knew he'd arrived to tell him I was driving to his work to collect his keys, and same friend then loaned me her car to do it.
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| pam w wrote: |
| I'd really like heated seats - went out with a neighbour with one recently, and it was lush. |
Hubby has them. My car is newer, but has part leather/part fabric seats, so doesn't have that feature and his is full leather. The feature has definitely improved over the years. On his R reg Z3, we never used them as it felt like you'd wet yourself. But they've changed the way they heat up now, and it's fabulous.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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And - just to rant again - it isn't even convenient. Just rented a car in Geneva and was very relieved that the key had a proper thing to stick in a hole. But there wasn't a hole - no ignition, no keyholes anywhere that we could see, it just sat in the car. But you did press a button on the fob to lock and unlock. How is that even remotely "convenient"? And the damn car was so sensitive to everything around it. Driving carefully into a parking space, at very slow speed, it screamed at the top of its voice and I slammed on the brake. Turned out to be some grass. Not even long grass.
It was a VW T-cross or something, not a car I knew. Clunky thing. Lifting the tailgate took two strong men. And it was reluctant to change down sometimes on hills. Nothing like as smooth as my Skoda Fabia..... 
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FAQ
Regardless, my humble 6 year old Astra has none of those features, but still gets me to the airport and ski slopes just fine 