Aftermarket Cruise Control Systems

They're so big that there's no advantage to making a RHD version.

Reply to
SteveH
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I'd have to work it out or dig out my old spreadsheet and it's too cold and too early for that...

Reply to
DervMan

Hmmm. It's a good job one of us knows what to expect then...

Over 1,500 metres I believe?

I'm keen to avoid needing snowchains to be fair because for the Ka, Ford specify a certain wheel and tyre size, which of course we don't have. We'd need to bring along two or four steel wheels and the chains. Now admittedly it might look cool to have four spare wheels on a roof rack, this isn't what I had in mind. :)

I got you.

Charlie says, "go around," heh. At first I dismissed this as lunacy but then she pointed out that if we went nearly as far south as Marseille and cut along the coast, wouldn't we avoid the need for bad weather wheels? I'll have a look of the map but it sounds like the _long_ way around...

Reply to
DervMan

Who does that then ?

It's not an option for anyone with half a clue about driving. Apart from people not moving left a lane or two when they can, nothing annoys me more on the motorway ! If I used my Cruise, I'd be doing exactly the same thing myself :)

So you're suggesting you constantly vary it up and down ? Which is infact what I do with my right leg anyway ?

I just don't *get* cruise control.

What the hell is it for ?

No. I have no reason to. It doesn't make my life any easier, it doesn't get me there any faster, it doesn't improve my economy - hell, it doesn't do anything :)

Same sort of thing in the Pug.

Turn it on, and you remain at the current speed. There's a dedicated stalk for the cruise, on the steering wheel. Shove it up to raise the speed, and down to lower it.

Why does it exist ?

Reply to
Nom

So were there not plenty of occasions where you took a good while to pass somebody, and you were holding up (and hence pissing off) the folks behind you ?

Reply to
Nom

I've never had any problems the few times I've done 8-hour jaunts down to Devon in one day ?

Yes, because everyone else is ! You don't hold other people up by driving at those limits.

That's certainly not the case on the motorway - I tend to cruise around

90mph ish, and I *regularly* have to move over to let folk past.

No, usually about 80mph. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower - depends on the road and conditions.

I go as fast as I safely can. But I usually try to stay within about 30mph of the speed limit, just for avoiding-jail reasons. Obviously this means I stick to 30mph and 40mph limits - because it's not safe to go quicker...

If you were sat in the outside lane at 70mph for lots of minutes, whilst very slowly passing the 69mph middle-lane traffic, then you'd have lots of angy folk behind you !

Constant speed doesn't interest me. I drive as fast as the conditions allow, with lots of emphasis on not getting caught (ie, I slow down when I can't see the next Police-parking-place etc.)

Cos that would make you a knobber :)

HGVs taking far-too-long to get past each other on Dual-Carriageways is the ultimate pisser !

So what's the point ?

Get rid of your shopping trolley, and get a real car !

Why ?

Why ?

Then don't keep your speed constant ! And don't drive an uncomfortable car !

Reply to
Nom

Easy enough, there's about 1000 teaspoonfuls in a gallon and 1600 meters in a mile, so just 1.6 * the mpg figure = 38, call it 40 M/tsp for round figures.

Reply to
Questions

No, I'm suggesting that setting the cruise at 70.5mph is a bit anally retentive and in fact, you'd get there quicker and avoid the long-lasting overtaking manouvres that you seem to find so incredibly embarassing by setting it at a more realistic speed, like where fewer people have chosen to cruise.

With Cruise control I also used to find that other people are constantly speeding up and slowing down, if you want to pass someone who is travelling at a very similar speed quickly and safely, all you need is a few seconds blast of the loud pedal. I rarely had to do this at the speeds I was cruising at.

So you haven't actually tried using it, but it still isn't any good?

Actually, I'd wager that it does improve economy, as you are not constantly speeding up and slowing down with your right leg, it uses gentler throttle openings than you probably would. I got 42mpg once (trip computer reading) over about 100 miles from my 2.6 auto Carlton at a cruise controlled indicated 60mph (56mph on the trip computer). Without cruise, I don't generally have the self control to drive at a constant 60mph over that particular 100 miles of dual carrigeway, and I almost certainly could not have managed that sort of fuel economy, even if I had managed to restrict myself to around 60 and not my normal >75 cruise. So from a license keeping and fuel economy point of view, yes it does make sense.

I don't have a car with cruise any more, I drove my BX from Hatfield to Aberdeen, and basically only really stopped for fuel. I missed my cruise control. That is a long motorway journey. That is where cruise control makes sense.

Specifically to irritate you so it would seem.

Douglas

Reply to
Douglas Payne

Wimp!

Reply to
AstraVanMan
[...]

Nahhhh, he'll just give the throttle a poke to get past neatly and let it settle back to cruise.

A
Reply to
Alistair J Murray

Heh - with me you got both! You just happened to stumble across "AstraVanMan's two for the price of one offer", valid only today. Lucky old you.

Reply to
AstraVanMan

No, if I need to pass in a hurry there's this accelerator pedal I can use. Not that I need to use it that often when cruise in engaged.

I thought your car had cruise, do you not understand how it works?

Reply to
Steve Firth

Umm not Marseilles that's miles out of your way. You need to go down to Nice/Monaco then take the coast road. That is a stunning route but as you say longer. It's different from the mountain route in not havign the lofty peaks with eagles and buildings that just look damned unreasonable (how do they get them to stick up there) but it has a gorgeous rocky coastline full of harbours and roads with many, many hairpin bends.

If you've seen the original "Italian job" you'll get the picture.

BTW, snow chains, if you do need them buy them over there. We get ripped of in the UK (what a surprise). They make sets in sizes to fit almost anything.

Reply to
Steve Firth

cool! what else can we get on these one day only offers? :)

Reply to
Vamp

Like everything in this world, there's some degree of needing to work with it. You have to adapt to the circumstances. My right foot seems to react to motorway driving without me thinking about it - if I'm slowly catching up with somebody it'll decelerate me to match their speed whilst we're some distance off, or accelerate past.

But that happens with a half mile to go, or three minutes, or whatever...

Reply to
DervMan

But when we read on...

But there's more than one lane...?

Well there you go then!

I picked the M180 because it's quiet. But with the above circumstances I'd either adopt a 69 mph cruise a half mile behind, or accelerate up to get past them.

Hehehehe.

That holding 31% to 35% Throttle for six hours (barely movement in the ankle) starts to hurt.

Ew no.

Because:

(a) that was the speed limit. (b) there were no gradients or bends where I had to reduce speed. (c) maintaining a constant speed is relaxing.

See above.

I understand why you don't like cruise control... you don't cruise...

Reply to
DervMan

Yes yes... :)

Surely not! Our problem is wheelarch clearance. Ford say one should only use 155/70/13s on a 4.5J rim, we have 185/60/13s on a 5.5J rim... We'll see...

Reply to
DervMan

BMWs? :)

Reply to
DervMan

If I were to use it, I'd have it set to just under 90mph I think.

I'll tell you what, when I trundle down to Heathrow in 10 days (w00h00 !) I'll give it a whirl, just for you :)

Noted.

Correct.

Ah, that's exactly what it's for !

Reply to
Nom

My point was that I'd have thought you'd be using-the-accelerator-to-pass-folks on a *very* regular basis - hence making the Cruise Control redundant. Is this not the case ?

I understand perfectly, and that's why I haven't used it !

As above, I'm off down to Heathrow in 10 days - I'll give it a whirl on the way down...

Reply to
Nom

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