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

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This is something that's been in the back of my mind for a long time. Whenever I hear a car horn honk when its owner presses the remote, I wonder why the car makers couldn't have used something a bit more... subtle.

It's annoying, and the "beep" is usually unnecessarily loud. (Some automakers are worse than others.)

Don't we have enough ambient noise already? Every year, the number of vehicles making this sound increases significantly... probably.

Anyway, what got me thinking about this again? Someone actually started a petition to bring this to the attention of the automakers:

102 signatures so far. Not a lot, but I bet it gets a lot more.

My sister's Toyota makes a digital "beep" sound when you use the remote. My brother's Dodge Caliber, on the other hand, makes a too-loud "honk" of the regular horn. To me, one says "somewhat sophisticated", while the other says "look at me! I'm cheap and annoying!"

My 2000 Honda Insight is the first car I've ever had with remote locking. It doesn't honk at all. You need to watch the blink of the signal lights, or listen for the actual click of the lock mechanism.

Most of the time I just use the physical key anyway, to save power. :D

I know that on some you can disable the horn portion of the locking confirmation. It should be in the owners manual, but that assumes someone actually reads the owners manual. You know one of those weird hyper milers.

regards
Mech

Oh. I wonder if I can set the UFO's locking thingamajig to be annoying then?

Automakers should make "quiet" and/or "subtle" the default, and "annoying" the user-settable option. (If it must exist at all.)

Just one more reason not to like newer cars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JC Whitney used to sell an aftermarket horn/siren thing that could make like 26 different sounds, many of them were barnyard animal sounds.

With everything supposedly so high tech, for most people's use, would'nt the blinking lights be confirmation enough?

After all, a deaf personcan legally drive a car, not a blind one, though in todays
traffic I wonder!

I'd rather hear 5 seconds of a Joe Satriani guitar riff than a car horn, or a churp!

Just noticed one of the comments for the petition:

I just want to add my own pet peeve to your list.

Cars that turn off the headlamps when the ignition is turned off. It is annoying as heck to be sitting in my car and wanting to shine deer or other critters in the backyard and have only the parking lights come on because the ignition is not turned on. It is also a PITA when I want to fas at night.

Kirk

Old Mechanic -

I took apart my remote and disabled the "honky horn" button. That doesn't stop what you are talking about, but at least I won't set it off by accident.

MetroMPG -

The *remote* could give off a little beep when the car sends back a confirmation message. But that would require more pri$ey two way communication.

I suspect that in short order new cars will be "smartinized" so that your iThing will be able to lock it.

CarloSW2

Which of course raises the possibility of causing your car to honk from the other side of the world.

Which of course raises the question: if you un/lock your car from far away with your iThing, should it make a sound?

Which reminds, me... if a tree falls in the forest...

I've never been able to really understand why people use those stupid remote lock things anyway. You put the key in the door, you turn it: what could be simpler?

But think of the precious time savings!!

(And I for one can never remember which way to turn the key in the door lock.)

Mine doesn't make any sound when it's (un)locked, it just flashes the indicators, and it's that way with most cars here.
Some do have a beep-beep sound when they lock though.

Cars shouldn't honk, as it's illegal in my neck of the woods to honk unless to warn for an accident (or when overtaking ).

I don't use automatic locks, or the remote locks on my car. But I do notice a lot of people are just terrified to walk 3 feet from their car without locking it. What's in it? Some CD's?

I have left my car for 3 weeks straight unattended in a bad part of town completely unlocked. Never had a problem. If someone really wants to steal something, they can. I would much rather they open the door than they break the glass, however.

What does get on my nerves is the way the car beeps at me if I leave the key in the ignition with the door open. I know the door is open! Quit beeping at me.

I know I haven't put my seat belt on! Quit beeping at me!

I know the passenger hasn't put their seat belt on. Quit beeping at us!

Lowest Common Denominator style thinking makes me sad. So do bean counters.

Remotes don't freeze shut, locks do.
Remotes don't scratch the paint, keys do.
Remotes work from afar, keys don't.
The remote lightens up the indicators, showing me where my car is in an unfamiliar lot.
Remotes mean you key doesn't wear out by (un)locking the door(s) - the key on my first (hand-me-down) car had worn so thin over time, it could fall out of the ignition all by itself. It was worn so badly, I couldn't get a duplicate made off it, so I've spent days searching for the lost reserve key.

Recently, I've left my keys in the ignition after parking the car at work for the nightshift.

I only found out hours later, on my way back to the car.
It hadn't locked up automatically either, just stood there, ready to be driven away.

Walking up to your locked car, touching the handle and it automatically unlocking for you (spoiled smart key user here). :)

It's really more like the CLUNK of the lock. I can hear it from thirty feet away. Its saving grace is that it's a much lower frequency than the horn, kind of on the down low.

by using the keyfob you're sure to never lock your keys inside the car.

I had sooooooo much trouble with freezing locks on every car I had in winter, now with remote I don't even know if they works!

James, I understand your point with the keys but on my car at least the remote locks not just the doors but the engine (electronically) and the transmission too so even if someone gets access to the vehicle it goes no where since they can't start it and even if they can get it going it won't select Drive (Auto trans).

As an aside on my vehicle there are several options to "customise" things like "lock alert: Indicators only ; horn only ; indicators and horn" and time delays on the headlights , interior lights etc.
The owner's manual takes up about fifteen pages just on the various combinations.

Peter.

I really dislike all these so-called "luxury" items on the Sable- doors that lock themselves, dome light that doesn't go off right away, automatic this, automatic that, half the time I don't know what the damned car is thinking of doing next. I WANT TO CONTROL IT.

So there are a few big parking lots within a mile of my house and I can hear this stupid **** all the time, especially the car alarms that go off for no apparent reason, and how long it takes for someone to respond to them. :mad:

No? Granted I've never had a frozen lock myself, but it would seem that the remote lock mechanism would be just as subject to freezing as the key lock.

a) Not if you're minimally coordinated;
b) And who cares, anyway?

But why would you want to unlock your car from a distance?

OK, for some people, but my memory isn't that bad.

But I imagine they have batteries that run down, likewise leaving you unable to get into the car.

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.

I can understand why a woman at night would need that quick entry
at the precise moment she wants to.

Myself, I like simplicity, hate having to buy weird batteries for gadgets.

Am unashamedly old school. Like older cars with engine sounds so pleasant,
that one wouldn't even want to cover it up with music.

I have competed in time-distance rallies, there is a class called equipped, (any electronic device imaginable is allowed) and the class I was in was called
"seat of pants!"
I used MY brain to interpet rates of acceleration, braking, and sense of direction.

Great satisfaction of doing it myself!

The expression of one w the machine doesn't seem to ring true whenyou add cupholders, and everything, ad nasuem since!!!

I wouldn't be caught dead using a fishfinder on a pleasure boat !

Where is the reality of any fun in that? It's simply a plastic life!

I'm not calling for scan gauge non use. Just saying can there be some
moderation?

The thought of living simple so other's can simply live is refreshing!

There is a definite relaxation factor when you own a perceived beater which most people would never want to steal. It frees you up big time!

Pier pressure be hanged. We aren't in Junior High anymore!

Got a question for you experienced in very hard core winters: After a few years,
have you ever had a plastic doorhandle (outside) just break off, because
everything was so frozen?

Thanks for your eyes, ears, and a sense of humor ! Much needed these days!

Any horn can be disabled, but the manual doesn't always tell you which wire to cut;)

Has anyone watched Noise?

MetroMPG -

... then don't mess with 'em. Because if you do ...

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-cf...373-before.jpg

This might happen to your Del Sol :

http://ecomodder.com/forum/member-cf...3375-after.jpg

Santa Ana wind damage stuns Southland residents - Los Angeles Times

CarloSW2

I find this thread ridiculous. A little beep of a car horn causing all this fuss! Next you'll be griping about light pollution from the parking lights blinking from the same source event.

I have 5 doors on my car and no desire whatsoever to go back to the days of manually operating the windows and locks on all of them. Face it, flat earthers ;) - there are some 'conveniences' that make so much sense that they quickly become standard features.

One thing at a time... One thing at a time. :)

wdb -

I miss my manually operated windows, especially when I had a $350 repair for one of my power windows. On the other hand, I readily admit they are convenient for controlling airflow/refreshing cabin air while I drive. I also admit that power door locks make 4-door car lock/unlocking easier.

But power door locks have their own foibles. I had a whacky problem when my car started "machine gun locking/unlocking" the door. Fortunately in that case I was able to :

1 - Temporarily disable the power-locks by pulling a fuse.
2 - Order new door lock button and door lock actuator.
3 - Fix it myself. The front driver side door lock button was worn out.

So now I have a spare door lock actuator. I suppose I will able to use it for something else.

MetroMPG -

You know how they have websites dedicated to disabling DRLs (Daylight Running Lights)? You could probably start one for disabling car honking in different car models. In the easy case I have to think it's just an extra wire going to the horn. Snip and done!

CarloSW2

I think it's cumulative. Take something that in and of itself is only a "mild" irritant. Then pile on other things that in and of themselves are also only "mild" irritants. Then multiply that by a dozen or a hundred or a thousand numbnuts people doing them. Before you know it, you are under assault by some stupid GD ignorant unnecessary things practically constantly throughout the day- and NIGHT- as one passes the torch to the next. Wake up.

Cranking a window crank or pulling a lock knob- ooo, the effort! :rolleyes:

No, Frank, don't! You might break a sweat...

Yeah, I'd have to actually move! And if I moved enough I might sweat, and if I sweat enough I might stink, and if I stink enough the girls won't like me anymore. So I guess I better embrace power windows and locks! And park the bicycle for good! :eek:

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.

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.

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.

Maybe that's your problem right there :-)

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...

Otherwise known as automatic transmission.

... From Hatchback - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :rolleyes:

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

Peter.

I count the big one in the back. :p

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...

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)