Pet peeve? Cars that honk their horns to announce doors un/locked or alarm status

[deathtrain]

My dodge has power everything.... even power adjusting pedels. My yoda has power nothing. any given day I would rather drive the yoda than the Charger. Like frank says because I am in controll not HAL 9000.

[NachtRitter]

Agree with the OP on the unnecessary extra noise, but I really do like the remote. I like that I can unlock the doors before I reach the car so I can open the door for my wife in 'less than ideal' weather. I like that I can pop the trunk with an armful of stuff by simply pushing the button. I like that I can unlock and open the rear passenger doors without having to dig out the key, go to the driver front, unlock, and then go to the passenger rear (passenger front doesn't even have a key hole!).

I also like (for my Jetta) that on a hot day (which we get lots of here in the Sacramento Valley), I can roll the windows down all the way as I get in range so the worst of the heat has a chance to get out... and verse veisa, I can roll up all the windows as I walk away.

A 'smart key' would be even better!! (I'm jealous Daox!)

While there's a huge list of automotive 'gewgaws' that I would rather not have at all, the remote is one I'm glad to have.

[Peter7307]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

And taking the key out of the ignition and using it to lock the door doesn't do exactly the same thing? Does on mine - except for not being equipped with a handicap-assist transmission, of course.

No it doesn't.
Removing the key and locking the door locks the door and that is all.
If someone can gain access to the car they can still hotwire the ignition and drive the car away.

Not sure what the comment about "handicap assist transmission" is about.

Peter.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by wdb

I have 5 doors on my car...

Maybe that's your problem right there :-)

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by Peter7307

No it doesn't.
Removing the key and locking the door locks the door and that is all.
If someone can gain access to the car they can still hotwire the ignition and drive the car away.

So you know more about how my car is built than the Honda engineers that designed the system? The key has an electronic chip in it. If it isn't within a very short distance of the ignition, it disables the ignition/ECU. Cutting an identical key without a chip won't start it. Of course a determined thief could shift into neutral and push it...

Not sure what the comment about "handicap assist transmission" is about.

Otherwise known as automatic transmission.

[NachtRitter]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Maybe that's your problem right there :-)

Hatchbacks may be described as three-door (two entry doors and the hatch) or five-door (four entry doors and the hatch) cars

... From Hatchback - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Peter7307]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

So you know more about how my car is built than the Honda engineers that designed the system?

I wasn't commenting on your car , I was saying how mine operates and I have never said I know more than the designers.

The info I have came from an engineer at Holden (local builder of GM based products) who has been a friend for years. He works on the electronics / engine management side of the cars.
He was also the one who showed me how to access the onboard display using the cars built in trip computer.


Otherwise known as automatic transmission.

Ahh , OK. Didn't pick that one up.

Peter.

[wdb]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

Maybe that's your problem right there :-)

I count the big one in the back.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by wdb

I count the big one in the back.

Yeah, I understood that. What I was trying to get at is the oversized car syndrome: that if you have just two doors plus hatch, it's much easier to lock them by hand.

And in reality, I only need to (un)lock the passenger door maybe 1% as often as I do the driver's door, and the hatch maybe 10%. But the automatic lock thing has both those locks cycling every time...

[NachtRitter]

Interesting... in both my 4-door cars, the button unlocks only the drivers door on the first press and all doors on the 2nd press. The key works basically the same way (first turn, driver door unlock only; 2nd turn, all doors unlock)