[SOLVED] Design flaw Miata

I was taking a picture today when I decided I was to far from the right spot and that it would be better to drive there than to walk. Turning back to the car, still with its engine running, I noticed a thick, dark black-brown, stripe over the hood all the way from the front to the windshield.

I very quickly recognized the problem: when I had added some oil some pictures back, I had probably forgotten to put the oil filler cap back. Yet no buzzer alerted me to the omission. There is a seat-belt buzzer, and a door-open buzzer, but no buzzer for the case you forget to put the oil filler cap back. I never forget my seat belt, even with its buzzer disconnected, but an easy thing to forget like the oil filler cap has no buzzer at all! (OK, sometimes I do drive away with a door still open. No problems so far.)

Anyway, it took me half a roll of paper towels to get the worst oil out of the engine bay, especially from the cam cover and plug wires. The hood is still bleeding oil stuck below its stiffeners. With Miatas having yellow stickers telling you to put children in the rear seats, you would think they could put a buzzer on the oil filler cap, not?

Leon

Reply to
Leon van Dommelen
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After all these years of getting it right, I also forgot to put my cap back on earlier this week. I drove off and, when making the turn to get out of the neighborhood (right turn), I heard the faintest little thump in the engine compartment (left side).

Strangely enough, I immediately understood what happened, pulled over and, luckily, the cap was resting against something and was accessible. No mess, but it could have been worse.

We are getting older....but are we getting...well, looser?

Ken

Reply to
KWS

Absolutely. I think you should suggest this as an aftermarket opportunity to your pals at Moss Motors.

How about a buzzer that goes off when it's raining, to remind you to put the top up? Or a buzzer when it's sunny to remind you to apply sunscreen? Or a buzzer to remind you to pay attention to all the other buzzers? (Maybe that last function would be better served by a flashing light.)

Sheesh. You engineers...

Reply to
Lanny Chambers

Well, you might joke, but when I was buying a new car last year, I found a lot of "idiot-proof" features like automatic headlights and rain sensing windshield wipers. So instead of a buzzer to tell you that it's dark, the headlights turn themselves on. Instead of a buzzer to tell you that it's raining, the wipers just start wiping on their own. So a power top will automatically close when it starts raining. And instead of a buzzer telling you to put the engine oil cap back on, the engine will be fitted with an automatic cap that closes the filler hole automatically as you start the engine.

On this subject, Mercedes-Benz just announced that they are getting rid of hundreds of "useless" electronic features in an attempt to increase reliability of their cars. It's about time. It's getting ridiculous. For example, the car I bought (not a Mercedes-Benz) can be programmed with any combination of one-touch closing/opening for driver's, passenger's, and rear windows. So, you can have for instance one-touch closing (but no one-touch for opening) for the driver's window, one-touch opening but not closing for the passenger's window, and no one-touch operation for the rear windows. Who the hell needs that?!

Reply to
Marcio Watanabe

I read the initial post with disbelief. I know you USA guys are pretty litigious, but would it not be simpler to have a sticker which said "This car is designed to be driven by people with a modicum of intelligence". For goodness sake, how difficult is it to remember to put the oil filler cap back on when you're filling it with oil? You have a gallon can of oil in one hand, that should remind you....

As for seat belt buzzers, what a wate of money. You should do it without even thinking about it every time you get into the car.

Alastair

Reply to
Alastair

My Lexus SC400 had that feature. It was useless. It pretty much had to be pitch black before the lights would come on. I prefer to run them at dusk (given that it's also the law). I also found on the dark, rainy, overcast days we sometimes get here in Oregon that it wouldn't be dark enough for the headlights to come on, even though they were needed not so you could see but so others could see you.

Reply to
Craig Wagner

Hi,

You obviously don't read this NG vey often.

Otherwise, you would know Leon. And that would put the message (and yours for that matter) in a whole other perspective!

Steven

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Reply to
Steven Spits

Craig Wagner wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I understand the US will adopt Daytime Running Lights in the near future. From what I read, DRLs are attributed to having dropped head-on accidents in places that have mandated their use by a wide margin. I find it surprising that in such a vehicle safety concerned country (USA), DRL weren't mandated a decade ago as in Canada.

Reply to
a

Hey, you hang out over here too, huh ??

Reply to
Chief_Wiggum

Since my 94 has started using a little oil I've become obsessive compulsive.

Pop the hood, raise the hood, remove oil filler cap, add quart of oil, replace oil filler cap, close the hood, get in car, pop the hood, raise the hood, check for replacement of oil filler cap, close the hood, get in car.

Reply to
stroidman

Since my 94 has started using a little oil I've become obsessive compulsive.

Pop the hood, raise the hood, remove oil filler cap, add quart of oil, replace oil filler cap, close the hood, get in car, pop the hood, raise the hood, check for replacement of oil filler cap, close the hood, get in car.

Reply to
stroidman

LOL! Perhaps Leon should take a class in memory enhancement since I'm sure he gets free tutition where he teaches!

Tom

Lanny Chambers wrote:

Reply to
Tom Howlin

Yeah, there's still a lot of questions about whether that's actually true or not.

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Reply to
tooloud

"tooloud" wrote in news:2ic5reFlg6t4U1@uni- berlin.de:

Wow...this guy(s) is really nuts. I read all the propaganda on this site and had quite a laugh. Calling manufactures like GM "The Enemy" for selling cars with DRL???

I have never experienced the dangerous "glare" the author continually sites on this website, and using his methodology, we should all be driving around with our lights turned off at night as well. It seems to me that you would most certainly get more "glare" at night, when your pupils are dilated, than during the day.

He seems to think Scandinavia is located at the north pole and that Canada is shrouded in perpetual darkness. Funny, here in Calgary it doesn't get dark until 10:00-30 pm or so this time of year.

Here is a more statistically balanced view of DRL.

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Personally if it helps someone driving an F-250 see me better in my 40 something inch tall Miata, I am all for DRL.

Cheers,

Rod

Reply to
a

a lot of the rhetoric on

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is about the obnoxiousglare of DRLs... maybe I've just gotten used to them, but I can't say thatI've ever been bothered by bright headlights during daylight hours. I doappreciate the obvious effect, though... oncoming cars are more noticeable,particularly those grey or tan colored cars that just seem to blend into thescenery. Some implementations are trouble prone, though... my '94 Miata's DRLs are implemented by keeping both front turn-signals on. Unfortunately, the DRL module has developed a bug wherein I'm often driving with only the right unit lit, even though both bulbs function with the turn-signals. Another issue we see here in Canada is drivers who forget to turn their full headlight system on at dusk or later. I suppose they figure they can see where they're going, so all is well... meanwhile they're cruising along in the dark with no tail or side marker lights on. You would think the absence of instrumentation illumination would be a clue.

Pete Breemhaar Georgetown, >

Reply to
Pete Breemhaar

Cool!

I recently got bit by the Miata bug, and am currently seeking out a 99 that I can afford.

There are a bunch in So California, it seems, but very few here in Vegas.

I'm trying to negotiate on a couple by telephone, but it's kinda scary to not be able to see / drive the car!

anyway.. I'll have one soon, I'm sure :)

Reply to
Chief_Wiggum

It never ceases to amaze me that when the government says they're going to do something you can always find some crowd of nutcases who thinks it's a bad idea.

I like this line:

"The mission of the organization is to end hardwired daytime running lights and to encourage the responsible use of vehicle lighting."

But you can be sure the first time this bonehead gets a ticket for not having his lights on he'll be bitching about that too.

Reply to
Craig Wagner

Whenever I see errors like that in someone's 'facts' it always makes me question their entire stance.

Calgary is my home town too. Go Flames!

Reply to
Craig Wagner

Yep, second love is my Miata. Little less arguing going on around here thanm in the "other" group. One of these days I'm going to put a hitch on the Miata and tow my jetski with it and then I will truly have the proper toys at hand at all times.

Tom

92 Red

Chief_Wiggum wrote:

Reply to
Tom Howlin

Good idea Leon and Lanny!

I think "Mazdaspeed" or some other, could put on a flashing light for the "Oil Cap". The lable could be : "COCD" ....... "Check Oil Cap Du....", well you know what it should say! :-) (I did it on my wife's Toyota last month !!!! What a mess!!!! )

Bruce RED '91

Reply to
BRUCE HASKIN

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