Annoying 'helpful' features on C4 Picasso - Stop/Start and auto parking brake.

Jenni_D

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Oh, and doesn't apply the bludy parking brake unless I tell it to... Creepers.

Most people would say that's a good idea. (There was a post here recently where someone complained about the parking brake being applied automatically when they switched off the engine - it meant they couldn't leave the car for a period - on level ground, maybe locked in place with bricks - without the pads binding to the discs).

Jeepers_Creepers

Jenni_D said:

Jeepers_Creepers said:

Oh, and doesn't apply the bludy parking brake unless I tell it to... Creepers.

Most people would say that's a good idea. (There was a post here recently where someone complained about the parking brake being applied automatically when they switched off the engine - it meant they couldn't leave the car for a period - on level ground, maybe locked in place with bricks - without the pads binding to the discs).

That could have been me...

The more it's thought through, the less sense it makes for the pb to be applied automatically at only that time; at all other times it needs doing manually (such as at red lights to prevent the car blinding folks behind). It's absolutely great that it only needs a pull on a switch rather than a hefty yank - soooo much more civilised... - and the auto-release is truly brilliant; on steep hills it still makes me smile.

But, AARRRGH!, give me the option when parking up too. Jeepers. The process of disabling it is nuts.

Feels gooood to rant...

NBLondon

Buy a Ford    My Focus behaves as Jenni_D describes - restart as soon as the clutch goes down again to put the car in first.  To override this - I can push one button on the dash.  Going down the menus would annoy me too.

Herzlos

Jeepers_Creepers said:

What I can't abide - I really dislike 'cos I'm old-school - is the car conking out when I'm stopped for a half second. Eg, pull up to red light that I know will likely be changing very soon, neutral - conks out - light's change immediately.

If you're only stopped for half a second, how are you managing to disengage the clutch in neutral?
If I'm pulling up to something that I know is just about to change, I'll dip the clutch and stay in gear since there's no point going to neutral and back.
If you're in neutral with the clutch up, then the engine should be on before you engage 1st gear no matter how quickly you think you can do it.

The handbrake thing is kind of annoying too, but I suspect it's probably safer for the occasional brake to lock on than it is for someone to forget to engage it and have it roll away. The bigger concern is that once you get used to the handbrake applying magically you'll almost certainly forget to do it in a car that needs manual work. I've done that before

Jenni_D

NBLondon said:

Buy a Ford    My Focus behaves as Jenni_D describes - restart as soon as the clutch goes down again to put the car in first.  To override this - I can push one button on the dash.  Going down the menus would annoy me too.

My Vauxhall is the same ... dip the clutch or the accelerator and the engine restarts and stays on. Likewise there's a button to turn off S/S (needs to be pressed every time you get in the car after being parked up - i.e. S/S automatically enables).

Jeepers_Creepers

Herzlos said:

If you're only stopped for half a second, how are you managing to disengage the clutch in neutral?
If I'm pulling up to something that I know is just about to change, I'll dip the clutch and stay in gear since there's no point going to neutral and back.
If you're in neutral with the clutch up, then the engine should be on before you engage 1st gear no matter how quickly you think you can do it.

The handbrake thing is kind of annoying too, but I suspect it's probably safer for the occasional brake to lock on than it is for someone to forget to engage it and have it roll away. The bigger concern is that once you get used to the handbrake applying magically you'll almost certainly forget to do it in a car that needs manual work. I've done that before

'Cos I don't know it's only going to be for a half-second at the time! I pull up, into neutral, engine stops - lights change - grrrr. It's just unnecessary.

And when waiting to slip into fast-moving gaps in traffic at junctions, the sorry process repeats itself each time.

Jeepers_Creepers

Jenni_D said:

My Vauxhall is the same ... dip the clutch or the accelerator and the engine restarts and stays on. Likewise there's a button to turn off S/S (needs to be pressed every time you get in the car after being parked up - i.e. S/S automatically enables).

Yup - the C4 ain't like this. Dip the clutch and it refires. Release with still in neut and it stops again. Repeat ad nauseam. Or until the battery says 'enough already'.

Ah! A solution! Go to a scrappie and buy a half-knackered battery!

(Grabs coat...)

Jeepers_Creepers

NBLondon said:

Buy a Ford    My Focus behaves as Jenni_D describes - restart as soon as the clutch goes down again to put the car in first.  To override this - I can push one button on the dash.  Going down the menus would annoy me too.

Yup - one button... Ah, the bliss. One button is all I ask for.

(Oh, and a non-auto parking brake.)

cajef

My Honda has a button on the central console which switches the stop/start system off, only problem with it is that it defaults to on again every time you switch the engine off, i have got use to remembering to press the button whenever I start the engine.
    

[Deleted User]

My car is only 3 years old yet has a normal 1.6 litre non turbo petrol engine, 6 manual gears with a normal clutch. An old fashioned hand brake. An engine that only turns off when I want it to and it’s a joy to drive.  It’s a Toyota so will probably last 20 years!