A few questions about modernish automobiles

[Alpo]

My newest vehicle is 1986. So

 

I've noticed that when you turn the key on the headlights come on automatically. That happen on all new cars?

 

The girl across the street drove up as I was coming in from walking the dog, and she got out to go in the house and the headlights were still on. How long do they normally stay on?

 

Hatchbacks are a thing now. Are they normally locked, like a trunk lid, so if I wanted to open the hatchback I needed the key? Or are they lockable and unlockable like a normal door, so you can leave it unlocked and just open it without the key?

 

I will probably think of more but these three will do for now.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

As for headlights, my 2021 Tacoma, I have to turn the headlights on for them to come on automatically but I leave them on all the time.  They stay on for 3-4 minutes after I turn off the ignition. 
 

[Blackwater 53393]

Yes.

 

A minute or two. 

 

Depends on the vehicle. 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

3 minutes ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

As for headlights, my 2021 Tacoma, I have set the  the headlights to come on automatically when I start the engine but I leave that feature on all the time.  They stay on for 3-4 minutes after I turn off the ignition. 
 

My Impala has headlights that I have set to come on when the engine starts or when I unlock the doors with the remote.  When I shut the engine off the headlights stay  on for four to ten minutes, my choice.  I can open the trunk with the switch on the key chain or a lever  on the left side of the dash, or with a conventional key

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

My 2007 Tacoma the headlights turn off automatically when you open the door. You have to turn them on initially.  My wife's 2011 Honda You turn on the lights but they do not turn off automatically when you turn off the motor or open the doors.  You have to manually turn them off. It's lead to a couple of dead batteries.

[Creeker, SASS #43022]

DRL's or Daytime Running Lights are required on all new cars.

These come on with the ignition and generally turn off with the ignition or a door opening after ignition turn off.

As was discovered years and years ago with motorcycles; the human eye picks up objects with lights on much faster than objects without even in broad daylight.

 

These DRL's "may" utilize the headlights or some other lighting mechanism (new vehicles with LED systems often have other lighting to act as the DRL).

 

Most new cars utilize systems that allow the driver to choose their headlight settings - either choosing the setting linked to a sensor which automatically turns the headlights on at dusk (mine are set to stay on for one minute after ignition turn off - which can be adjusted in the cars settings) or the driver may choose the headlight setting requiring manual turn on by the driver.

 

All my cars are set to auto mode for three reasons...

1. Easier

2. As noted above by another poster; forget to turn them off and you drain batteries.

3.  Lastly, the above mentioned DRL's are so bright on some vehicles that drivers don't realize their "headlights" are not on and it is very easy to be driving around in the dark without having your tail lights illuminated.

 

As to keys - most new cars are controlled by their fob.  The vast majority do not utilize a key in any traditional sense.

My car uses proximity to sense the fob; unlock my doors, allow the push button start to operate or pop the trunk.  The fob never leaves my pocket to physically interact with the vehicle - there is a physical key within the fob (that requires popping apart the fob to use) and a SINGULAR key slot in the vehicle to allow access in the event of battery failure of the fob or vehicle.

On a couple of my cars - that mechanical key slot is "hidden" under a cover on the drivers door handle - on another it is below the rear license plate and opens the trunk which then gives me access to the door releases.

[Alpo]

I remember Mama's van. She had the headlights set up to come on automatically when it got dark. And when she would take it to the dealer to get work done, and they drove it into the shop the headlights came on, so the mechanics would turn that part off. And they never turned it back on when they were through. And she wouldn't find out about that until the next time she was driving it after dark and the lights didn't come on. And she would be sitting there panicking trying to find the headlight switch, because she never used the headlight switch so she didn't remember where it was.

[Rye Miles #13621]

I have a 2022 Buick Encore, lights are set to automatic. I have a fob no key ( there is one in the fob to get in the car) I also have remote start which I love! The tailgate I can just squeeze the handle and open it. The driver door has a keyhole and also a button to unlock the door if you have the fob on you. The neat thing is I can remote start the car but no one can get in and drive away without the fob because it won’t go into gear. I’m digging the new features.

Edited February 8 by Rye Miles #13621

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

 

I bought my wife a new 2024 Ford Bronco Sport and it has way too many switches and gadgets to set. The headlight switch main setting is the headlights go on automatically when it gets dark and the high beams are automatic also. I can also set them for manual on & off. It has push button start, just have the gear shift in Park and your foot on the brake and push the button. Th decklid has a switch on the dash to open, it also has a button switch on the door. The lights (interior & exterior) stay on until you open the door after you are stopped. It also has lane control and warnings for everything....which I have manually shut off.

 

Most of the stuff is a PITA except for a few that I am getting to like. The automatic high beams are pretty good except I have noticed when I drive on the county road going to my place (pretty narrow & no street lights) the reflective street signs turn off the high beams. They are pretty sensitive. It also has automatic windshield wipers which I don't like and they are off too. 

Edited February 8 by Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

I wonder if my wife's 2011 Honda can be set up for the headlights to turn off when you turn off the engine or open the door. Didn't know that you have a choice on some cars.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

1 minute ago, Smokin Gator SASS #29736 said:

I wonder if my wife's 2011 Honda can be set up for the headlights to turn off when you turn off the engine or open the door. Didn't know that you have a choice on some cars.

My 2013 Ford F350 doesn't have any of the choices the new Bronco has. 

[Alpo]

25 minutes ago, Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life said:

 

I bought my wife a new 2024 Ford Bronco Sport and it has way too many switches and gadgets to set. The headlight switch main setting is the headlights go on automatically when it gets dark and the high beams are automatic also. I can also set them for manual on & off. It has push button start, just have the gear shift in Park and your foot on the brake and push the button. Th decklid has a switch on the dash to open, it also has a button switch on the door. The lights (interior & exterior) stay on until you open the door after you are stopped. It also has lane control and warnings for everything....which I have manually shut off.

 

Most of the stuff is a PITA except for a few that I am getting to like. The automatic high beams are pretty good except I have noticed when I drive on the county road going to my place (pretty narrow & no street lights) the reflective street signs turn off the high beams. They are pretty sensitive. It also has automatic windshield wipers which I don't like and they are off too. 

That is a neat optical delusion. The grayish roof shingles kind of fade into the tree. The white edge of the roof looks like a chair edge. The porch supports coming down from the roof make it look like there is a white chair sitting on the top of that bronco. The porch supports look like the chair legs. The edge of the roof looks like the edge of the seat and the edge of the back. And as I say the shingles just kind of fade away amongst the tree.

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

I'm a borderline luddite. My 2002 Jeep has manual everything. I like it that way. The only thing that happens automatically is that the radio connects bluetooth to my (flip)phone so that in the event my wife calls I don't have to drag the phone out of my pocket to answer.

[bgavin]

I dunno about mine.
I have a new 2023 Tacoma, but I am SO trained to manually shut off the lights, I have never used any auto-off process.

I don't like automatic nannies, so the less of them in my truck, the happier I am.

 

My wife's 2016 RAV4 complains like crazy if the lights are left on after the key is turned off.
It does not auto-off the lights.

The deal breaker for me is the auto-shutoff at stop lights.
If I couldn't over ride this, I wouldn't buy the vehicle.
My 2023 does not have this feature, which is a blessing.

Edited February 8 by bgavin

[John Kloehr]

An '86? That is 40 years ago!

 

Currently have an '18 and a '22 (from this century).

 

Fob stays in pocket unless I want to double-lock them or remote start (the '22). Also for full unlock of all doors or activate the Panic alarm or unlock the trunk ('18).

 

For most use, I just walk up, touch the back of the door handle to unlock, and push the dash button to start. Headlights are automatic, I think I can disable this in menus. Wipers are also automatic (turned off on the '18), can disable on the '22 when I want but usually let them do their thing.

 

Trunk (or tailgate) lock/unlock are also by handle touch and dash button. Assume hatchback would fall into this pattern.

 

Lights are automatic, can choose several modes in the menus. The stay on for a few to maybe 10 minutes, I forget what mine are set to. Radio and such stay on for a few minutes after Sutton off the car. They don't really go completely to sleep for about 20 minutes. Actually, they never go completely to sleep. My '18 does have an even lower-power storage mode, I have not used it but do put a battery maintainer on it during brine season.

 

One thing I turned off on the '22 is automatic braking when backing up. The truck would come to a hard stop about 6 inches sooner than I want because to the weeds growing across the street.

 

One thing I set from a security standpoint is to only automagically unlock the driver's door when touched. The lazy part of me wants to change it back as I often have groceries to put in the back seat. Can set it to unlock all doors on first touch. Or get the fob out of my pocket. This is definitely a first-world problem.

 

Another thing I would like to change but may not be able to is the three honks on exit while the truck is running. The truck is instantly stuck in park when I get back in, so I'm not sure what the point is other than walking away from a running vehicle (the get mail from the roadside mailbox).

 

The '18 has phenomenal traction control, turning it down partially is a couple buttons, turning it mostly off is a longer push and wait for a chime. Then it burns rubber effortlessly. The '22 has an electronic rear diff so I can have a locked rear axle or not at will.

 

Overall, I like all the modern capabilities and most of the nannies.

 

Maybe I'll discuss auto-start and a few other things later.

 

 

 

 

 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

The buzzword description for the lights is daytime running lights,  DRL.  Required some places.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

1 hour ago, John Kloehr said:

An '86? That is 40 years ago!

 

 

 

 

I also have a 57 Ford Ranchero (that's almost 70 years ago!!!) It's in winter storage now.

[Eyesa Horg]

35 minutes ago, Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life said:

I also have a 57 Ford Ranchero (that's almost 70 years ago!!!) It's in winter storage now.

And it's down right sweet!!

[Chili Ron]

Howdy,

Highly recommend you read the owners manual.   A friend of mine bought a 2017 because it

still had features he wanted.  He could have bought new or anything on the lot.

There are even a few new with stick shift.  Dont ask the car sales folk as they dont know

what stick yer talkin about.

I know honda civic si has stick if you can find or order one. I heard the local dealer got one

but I dont test drive in icy weather.

Best

CR

Try before you buy. You may want to just fix that one you have.....

[MizPete]

I drive a 2007 Chrysler van (yeah, we tend to drive them until the wheels fall off).  I have options for the features y'all are talking about, but I keep pretty much everything on auto b/c that vehicle knows more than I do.

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

43 minutes ago, Chili Ron said:

Howdy,

Highly recommend you read the owners manual.   

s

The owners manual on the new Bronco is terrible. It doesn't even have the recommended oil change, service recommendations on the tranny or any of the stuff I am used to setting up my service schedule. It says the information window in the car (computer) will let me know. The problem with that is if I am getting ready to take a trip and I am almost ready for an oil change, I usually do it early. If I wait for the message Oil Change Due Now to show up during the trip, I lose time getting it done. 

[Eliphalet R. Moderator]

My newest vehicle is more than 20 years old.   The headlights stay on for about 2 minutes after I turn it off.

It doesn't have DRLs, but I've trained myself to automatically turn on the headlights when I get in and turn them off as I get out.  Sort of like when I was the remote control for the TV when I was a kidlette.

[Rye Miles #13621]

14 hours ago, Eliphalet R. Moderator said:

My newest vehicle is more than 20 years old.   The headlights stay on for about 2 minutes after I turn it off.

It doesn't have DRLs, but I've trained myself to automatically turn on the headlights when I get in and turn them off as I get out.  Sort of like when I was the remote control for the TV when I was a kidlette.

20 minutes??? That’s a long time! My 2022 Buick only stays on for a couple minutes in fact my last 3 cars were the same! 

[Blackwater 53393]

My newest vehicle is 13 years old and is approaching 200,000 miles.

 

It is the vehicle that I like the least of all of my cars and trucks.  It is a good vehicle and it’s comfortable and reasonably economical to operate, but much of the electronic stuff is just annoying!!  
 

If I change the seat position pre-set, I then have to reset the automatic mirrors, sometimes two or three times, before I can just get in and drive.  The window switches are multiple purpose and too sensitive.  I sometimes have to switch back and forth three or four times to get the window open to the place I want it.

 

There are a number of features that I would like to turn off completely, but they are set and are ROM and not programmable.

 

Yesterday, I used my 28 year old truck to haul away over a ton of scrap and shop trash.  It’s well used and very simple, but entirely capable.  The EFI has been reprogrammed to give me excellent performance and as much as 16mpg fuel mileage from a 7.4 liter engine with a pulling/towing gear. It’ll run about 135mphand can easily tow a five car trailer, LOADED!

 

It has power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, an automatic overdrive transmission, crank windows, and manual door locks. Outside of a radio and disc player, there’s NOTHING else to mention.  
 

It did its job with ease and grace and ran smoothly and rode comfortably!  I can’t buy a new one like it at any price, but it has already outlived and outperformed the newer and more expensive ones that my relatives and many friends have had since I bought it.

 

My motorcycle is 46years old. My other truck, and FC170 DRW Jeep is 65 years old! It’s partially disassembled right now, but still a solid vehicle that I drove every day until I decided to resto-mod it.

 

Then there’s the Rat Rod. It’s more or less a 1928 Model A that’s first cousin to Johnny Cash’s Cadillac.  It’s simple, crude, and extremely rude, but it’ll get you down the road.  I’d rather drive it than the Buick I described first!

 

And the final vehicle is my current number one major project.  I hope to have it finished by its 100th birthday, sooner if possible. A 1927 Model T coupe that will be simple, strong, fast, and unique!!

 

If I never buy another new car, I wouldn’t be disappointed.  If I hit the lottery, I’ll buy a new Z06 C8 Corvette and have as much of the extraneous electronic stuff removed to the point that I can maintain it in my shop and drive it like it should be driven!

 

 

[Alpo]

Somebody up the thread mentioned standing on the brake to start his car.

 

Is that common now?

 

I know several years ago they started where you had this stand on the brake to shift gears. You couldn't take it out of park unless you had your foot on the break. And you couldn't shift from reverse into drive without putting your foot on the brake.

 

Since all the new cars have fuel injection - right? - you're not supposed to pump the gas when you start them. Right? Both of my vehicles have carburetors, and if I could not pump the gas as I was starting the car they would never start. So having to stand on the brake to start the car would not work.

[Blackwater 53393]

43 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Somebody up the thread mentioned standing on the brake to start his car.

 

Is that common now?

 

I know several years ago they started where you had this stand on the brake to shift gears. You couldn't take it out of park unless you had your foot on the break. And you couldn't shift from reverse into drive without putting your foot on the brake.

 

Since all the new cars have fuel injection - right? - you're not supposed to pump the gas when you start them. Right? Both of my vehicles have carburetors, and if I could not pump the gas as I was starting the car they would never start. So having to stand on the brake to start the car would not work.

WHAT?  Why can’t you put one foot on the brake and pump the accelerator with the other??

 

EDIT: If your carburetor is adjusted correctly, you SHOULD be able to depress it once to set the choke and then crank the engine without “pumping the gas”.  If you’re having to “pump” the accelerator, your vehicle is out of tune.  Either the carburetor needs repair or adjustment, or the ignition or engine mechanics need repair.

 

This is something most people don’t know or understand.  All of the electronics and emissions stuff that has been added in the last forty/fifty years was initiated because the average car owner/driver doesn’t take proper care of their vehicle.  Many of these have given a bonus of better mileage and performance and mostly improved dependability.  It has also quadrupled the cost of repairs and production!!

 

 

Edited February 10 by Blackwater 53393

[Alpo]

Because I learned to drive on a standard, and you never put your left foot on the brake.

[Blackwater 53393]

Never learned to heel and toe!!  🙄

 

How many stick cars or trucks do you own/drive these days??

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

44 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

This is something most people don’t know or understand.  All of the electronics and emissions stuff that has been added in the last forty/fifty years was initiated because the average car owner/driver doesn’t take proper care of their vehicle.  Many of these have given a bonus of better mileage and performance and mostly improved dependability.  It has also quadrupled the cost of repairs and production!!

I think that you have it backwards, Blackwater. Government Mileage Standards caused car manufacturers to start all the electronics and emissions stuff that has been added in the last forty/fifty years. If I were a betting man, I'd bet that the manufacturers were perfectly happy with people tearing their cars up and having to replace them every few years. Most people STILL don't take care of their cars. They just put gas in it and go. When something inevitably DOES go wrong, they blame manufacturers and/or the Government for making their cars so complicated.

Anybody younger than about 60 doesn't remember the days of 10,000 mile tune ups, changing points, plugs, and condensers, setting timing, or adjusting the carb. They just expect a car to not need anything for a couple 100,000 miles. 

[watab kid]

yes my 2016 suburban's lights come on when i start it , but then they come on when i open it or close it at night , it does a lot of things i need to read the manual on , it has an auto feature hor the high beams that ive got to look up as it sometimes works and others doesnt 

[Blackwater 53393]

No ! Actually, the electronics were a product of emissions controls mandated by the government. The government made the auto makers build in emissions devices to correct for the lack of maintenance that many, if not most vehicles received.

 

In the late 70s and early 80s, we took numerous five, ten, and even fifteen year old cars that failed emissions testing and tuned and adjusted them to pass standards that were set for cars and trucks in the late 80s and early 90s without any unusual modifications.

 

We also took one of my personal cars, one built to middle 1960s specifications, and tuned it to not only pass the silly static emissions tests of the day, but the short and long run and driving cycle tests required for new manufactured vehicles to receive approval for sale in 1985 and later.

 

At the same time, that car was producing over 450 wheel horsepower and getting nearly 22mpg!!  This with dual exhaust, point style ignition, three two barrel carburetors, and NO catalytic converters, EGR valve, air injection, or other mandated emissions devices!

 

It required occasional maintenance and vigilant tuning, but it could hold its own with most of today’s premium production vehicles in performance, economy, and drivability.

 

Others produced similar results all over the nation!  We were told point blank, by government representatives and manufacturers alike, that the reason for the emissions mandates was that most people didn’t or wouldn’t keep their vehicles maintained properly, so they made the vehicles meet emissions no matter how lousy they were cared for or how badly they ran!!

 

Later, some of us took the new junk and modified or replaced it with parts and settings outside of manufacturers design and intent and added them to older, more performance oriented designs and theories and made those low performance garbage scows actually run worth a damn!!

 

The manufacturers saw what we were doing and finally caught on and caught up!  Almost all of the great advances of the last couple of decades are the result of development by private individuals and the aftermarket industry!!

 

 

Edited February 10 by Blackwater 53393