Weird automotive engineering solutions

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TheCracker
I was wondering the same thing. Maybe they automatically swing from side to side rather than the manual action of moving them to point one way or the other?
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They do. The original MX-6 had them too. The center vent would oscillate back and for like a pedestal fan does. I suspect most people just turned them off, or they broke a lot, and were discontinued.
 
The staggered tire fitment on the 2005-08 Pontiac Grand Prix is unique; the tires in the front were wider (255/45R18) than the rears (225/50R18). This was apparently created to reduce understeer when you have 300 horsepower in a rather large front-wheel drive car.

niky
One clever, but rare, touch is the swinging air vents on my old 626. It's something which I've never seen anywhere else.

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(sucky pic, but it's the best I could find on short notice)
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My boss mentioned this to me last month, since he used to own an old 626. It took a decade for it to show up again in the Lexus LS 430 from 2001-present. On a one-hour delivery trip in the heat of a Florida summer, I can attest they are a great idea, so your hands and arms do not freeze, while the rest of your body isn't as cool.

The problem was, the temp sensors inside the car would automatically stop the movement unless you pressed on a button to start them up again. Customers always complained about that, and I'd re-print page 160 from the PDF-version of their owner's manual, and attach it to the repair order. It did break on a few occasions on the early models.
 
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Gil
This is also why we haven't seen a GM police car in ages.
Police often cruise at night in "stealth" mode, with out lights.
If you can't turn out the headlights, you can't be "stealthy".
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I know someone with an ex-police Impala. (2000 iirc)

SURV mode cuts the DRLs, the interior lights, everything save brake lights.
 
GM still does 9C1 versions of the current W-Body Impala, as well as the GMT900 Tahoe. There stands to be a very good chance of seeing the G8 become a Lumina or Impala in this country, offered with the 9C1 package... Not sure if the headlight-off option will be standard.
 
Gil
And while we are on GM, what is the deal with the high beams on GM cars?
GM is the only manufacturer I know of that has the low beams turn off when the high-beams turn on.
It is a feature I find very annoying on all my GM vehicles. Consequently, if I'm going someplace that is likely to be DARK, dark in the evening I will take ANY of the other cars over the GM's because I like having the extra lumens provided by having the high beams ADDED to the lowbeams, rather than INSTEAD of the lowbeams.
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It seems that on all single bulbs that have low and high filament in them that only one beam is lit up at a time. I'm not sure about our G6, because the beams are separate, but my Civic's lows turn off when the highs are on.
 
Keef
It seems that on all single bulbs that have low and high filament in them that only one beam is lit up at a time. I'm not sure about our G6, because the beams are separate, but my Civic's lows turn off when the highs are on.
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I've noticed several cars that do that. My Fiesta just adds extra light with the high beam - it doesn't switch off the dip beam. In contrast, my mate's E46 3-er very obviously turns the lows off when he puts the highs on.
 
a112
I heard somewhere that Audi used that layout so the engine could dive under the chassis if crash occurs.
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Layout of the engine alone doesn't determine this, rather the use of collapsible engine mounts and guide rails ensure the engine on most modern cars head under the chassis in an accident.


Now onto one that drives me mad (and the reason I will never buy a Saab)

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First its a stupid place to put the ignition key, and the the requirement to put the damn car in reverse before you can get the key out. I know it has logic for Scandinavian countries (allows the car to be parked in gear rather than using the handbrake) but its still drives me potty.

Which is however not as daft as the placement for the Cassette player on the Citroen CX....

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...I couldn't find a picture of a fitted one, but as you can see its in between the seats, which means within days its full of dust and dirt and other rubbish. Not a smart idea at all.


Regards

Scaff
 
homeforsummer
In contrast, my mate's E46 3-er very obviously turns the lows off when he puts the highs on.
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I had the DRLs turned off by the dealer when I bought my E46. It also has bi-xenon lights, meaning both high and low beams are handled by the outside unit in each pair of lights. So the only time the inside pair of lights is lit is when I flash the "high beams" using the stalk - that briefly lights the inside pair, which are halogen, not HID.

My wife's TSX turns off the low beams when switching to highs as well, though if you hold the stalk back, it will keep both sets on.

Scaff
Which is however not as daft as the placement for the Cassette player on the Citroen CX...
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The horn button on the CX was on the dashboard, too, for reasons known only to some weird French engineer.

Which reminds me of my wife's old Ford Fairmont (basically a Fox body Mustang in an uglier body). It was back in the very early days of optional airbags, and did not have the horn button on the steering wheel because they hadn't figured out to accomodate both. So you pushed in on the end of the turn signal stalk to blow the horn. I don't think I ever successfully beeped at someone in time to have avoided an accident.
 
Actually putting the key somewhere other than the steering column makes sense to me. On a lot of cars these days the key gets in the way of my knee when I try to heel toe.:dunce:

I'm surprised Abarth hasn't been mentioned in this thread.:sly:
 
I know the layout doesn't determine this,but i read somewhere that it was easier to make it that way.
Also for the horn button on the turn signal stalk,more cars have that,Fiat Uno MK1,Renault 4 and so on.

Paulie
I'm surprised Abarth hasn't been mentioned in this thread.:sly:
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What about Abarth?
 
Scaff
Now onto one that drives me mad (and the reason I will never buy a Saab)

93long05.gif


First its a stupid place to put the ignition key, and the the requirement to put the damn car in reverse before you can get the key out. I know it has logic for Scandinavian countries (allows the car to be parked in gear rather than using the handbrake) but its still drives me potty.
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Bad example picking the current 9-3's interior - the ignition key is still in the centre console but the car no longer needs to be put into reverse, or indeed any other gear, before the ignition can be switched off.

It was also originally used as a safety feature, as it meant that the rather solid ignition barrel wouldn't take your kneecap off in an accident if the steering column was pushed back.

If we're looking at odd places to put things - how about the vertical heater controls in the Mazda AZ-1? The car was so narrow they had to arrange them in this manner just to fit them in the car:

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I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the BMW Z1's doors yet either:

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notes: first Post; ford also used this 4wd setup on early american 4wd pickups

center handbrake: they were designed BEFORE everybody was thinking center consoles. oh, and over here, it's considered a "Parking brake", and is only supposed to be used for such...which is why it usually gets transfered to a pedal on the extreme left side on most american vehicles.

ignition key placement: in the console is a Saab trademark, but I've seen it flipflop between on the column and flat on the dash oh, i can't heel-toe...I'd shatter my entire foot.

above pic: actually, I believe that's a Kaiser Darrin...and the sliding doors were unique to it. gill better confirm.

some personal gripes
US ford: who's the fool engineer who decided to provide a 2 inch gap for access to a 6-8 inch headlight bulb, and put a solid backing plate behind it?!

there was a quadruple import from Britan as a last hurrah. it was labeled as Sterling, here. it was basically RHD Honda, given a LHD Acura treatment, given a RHD british treatment, then reconverted to LHD for export to america. the idiots left the parking brake handle, hood release, and fuse pannel on the RHD side!

Chevy's version of the W body. GM was in the middle of it's pushbuttons everywhere phaze. they put the one for the lights underneath the turn signal stalk because of oe of the HVAC vents, where it was very hard to get to.

other gripes:
Ford's motorized seatbelts, in the pre airbags phase. people ignored them
GM bolting the seatbelt retractors to the doors in liu of airbags
rotary controlls in US fords for the wipers, either WAY off on the backside of the dash, right next to the door, or on the tip of the LH controll stalk. they also seem to have made it to twist counter-intuitivly

I can see why older adults are complaining you can't work on anything...you can't access things easily even on eighties cars.
 
Sniffs
center handbrake: they were designed BEFORE everybody was thinking center consoles. oh, and over here, it's considered a "Parking brake", and is only supposed to be used for such...which is why it usually gets transfered to a pedal on the extreme left side on most american vehicles.
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I always wondered why what I'd always just known as the handbrake over here, was known as the "emergency brake" in the States, until I realised that it's very much dual-usage - useful for keeping your car from rolling when it's parked, but also useful should your main brakes fail (as it's on a different circuit) as you can use it (carefully) to bring yourself to a halt. Autocar even used to test the braking ability of the e-brake in their road tests - apparently it's a requirement to have at least half a G of braking power from the handbrake alone.

The need for a mechanical handbrake has been reduced slightly with newer braking techology such as cross-linked brakes and such, but I think I'd still always rather a proper handbrake than a little foot pedal like you get in Mercedes or electronic handbrakes like many luxury cars are beginning to come with.
 
Paulie
Some of the cars he talks about on Top Gear should name but a couple I suppose.:dopey:
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I don't see anything special in here,as i also can't see anything Abarth in the new 500,it's just not it.

Abarth main focus was race cars,so i actually don't see the problem with engine lid on the 600,and Recaro had various types of head rests.
 
Scaff
Now onto one that drives me mad (and the reason I will never buy a Saab)

93long05.gif


First its a stupid place to put the ignition key, and the the requirement to put the damn car in reverse before you can get the key out. I know it has logic for Scandinavian countries (allows the car to be parked in gear rather than using the handbrake) but its still drives me potty.
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You get stupidly used to it, and now every time I drive another car I go to put the key into the middle and I look like a spaz.

It's actually supposed to be a security feature, as even if someone breaks in, and manage to start it (by hot wiring or something I guess), they're not going to get very far in reverse.
 
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Kind of boring, but the Volvo XC90 handrake. The design is ridiculously stupid and laughably weak - it's a foot operated mechanism that seems to be different for the sake of it with the unit in the footwell breaking easily, has no obvious adjustment and is clumsily implemented.
 
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Leonidae
foot-activated parking/ e-brake is a stupid invention in a first place.
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Not when you have a reason to try and keep everything off the floor of the car, i.e when you design the car to seat 3-wide somewhat comfortably up front. Where else are you going to put the handbrake?
 
Leonidae
Permission to think granted. it could easily be integrated into the dash.
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It COULD, yes, but you do realize how cheap a metal lever, a pivot point, a ratcheting/locking mechanism and a little rubber pad is don't you? It's the obvious choice imo.
 
Rotary Junkie
It COULD, yes, but you do realize how cheap a metal lever, a pivot point, a ratcheting/locking mechanism and a little rubber pad is don't you? It's the obvious choice imo.
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Probably just as cheap as a metal lever, a pivot point, a ratcheting/locking mechanism and a little plastic handle is, right? Better choice IMO.
 
bergauk
Like those funny Honda's with the shifter integrated into the dash?
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Or even the second gen CR-V with the handbrake lever on the dash:

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(You can see the lever just to the right of the steering wheel and directly above the gearlever in that image).

Rotary Junkie
Not when you have a reason to try and keep everything off the floor of the car, i.e when you design the car to seat 3-wide somewhat comfortably up front. Where else are you going to put the handbrake?
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How about on the opposite side to the centre console (/centre seat), such as in the Lotus Esprit below?

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Many other sports cars did that too but it's amazingly difficult trying to find good pictures of it! That said, here's another one, in the Aston DB5 I spotted the other week:

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I have to agree with Leo, I hate the foot pedal parking/e-brakes. I can see how they'd be okay in an automatic once you'd got used to it (but even then you'd still not be able to use it in an emergency situation) but Mercedes are dim enough to use them in their manual cars too. Can you imagine a hill-start in a manual-transmission car with a foot-operated parking brake? What a faff...
 
a112
I don't see anything special in here,as i also can't see anything Abarth in the new 500,it's just not it.

Abarth main focus was race cars,so i actually don't see the problem with engine lid on the 600,and Recaro had various types of head rests.
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What the? Having a permanently open boot to help aerodynamics and cool the engine not wierd enough for you?:odd:

Leonidae
foot-activated parking/ e-brake is a stupid invention in a first place.
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+1
 

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