Volume control on car radios

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micky 2 years ago

My rental car, and likely the next cars I own, have a digital or touch or whatever control interface. That is, there are no mechanical buttons for most things, like 5 buttons for preset radio stations.

That's fine except for one thing. When I see someone walking by and I need to ask a question, I can't hear him or even myself until I turn the radio down, and that takes 6 seconds, using the Volume Down button the steering wheel. By that time he's gone or he's losing patience with me

Is there some Mute button on any of these car radios, or should I plan on installing my own in my next car?**

Also there are news stories I won't listen to, like the recent story about the report on the shootings and murder of little school children at Uvalde Texas. I listened once and that was too much and then they went on for an hour it seems. To know when the topic had changed, I had to turn the volume up, 6 seconds, and down again, 6 more seconds.

My current car, the 2005 Toyota, has a "digital" radio but they left the volume control. One flick of the thumb and forefinger, less than a second to put the volute to mute or undo that.

**I had to make iirc 7 modifications to my current car. 1) a button on the so I could open the trunk while the car was running and without the fob (which is hard to use when in the ignition and would not work when the car was running.) 2) crush the beeper that beeped whenever the car was runing and my seat belt wasn't on and the door was open, or something like that. All I know is it was very annoying and my life was better once I got rid of it. 3) cut the wire the top motor that prevented raising or lowering the top when going over 8? mph. I've been doing this for over 50 years and only the last 2 cars had this rule. I only do it when leaving or arriving home and going under 10, or when hurriedly putting the top up in the rain, and going under 15. I know enough not to do it at 40mph or I'll ruin my top, probably the mechanism too. 4) I know t here were 3 or 4 more and I always have trouble remembering all at the same time

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micky 2 years ago

I wanted to include at least one car group and somehow I posted when I was trying to remind myself of its name.

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hubops 2 years ago

My big peeve is the digital heater/defroster/AC controls. They require some considerable distraction - eyes off road - especially when not accustomed to the car. The simple old dial controls require just a quick glance to get the right knob - and make the adjustment with eyes-on-road. For Micky's radio volume problem - the OFF button would be my preference, regardless .. John T.

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Dean 2 years ago

Maybe Mickey needs an International Harvester pickup.

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It's only a 1/2 ton pickup though. He couldn't take the Sports Illustrated models for rides.

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Clare Snyder 2 years ago

What's wrong with just turning the radio off? Takes about 1 second That said, their is a mute button on the digital radio I installed in the truck The 2014 Sorento has a muter buttonon the steering wheel

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Paul in Houston TX 2 years ago

micky wrote: (snip)

(snip)

I rent a different car at least once per month. Most of the radios have a mute button but it may be hard to find. All of them have some sort of OFF button. That is what I use.

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micky 2 years ago

This car has a simple version of that, I'm glad to say.

No off button afaik. There is an owners manaual in the glove box, but I figure it's a) in Spanish, and b) 300 pages long. I can read spanish pretty well, although an owners manual will probably use many words I've never seen before, but, I'm daunted by 300 pages.

Still should look ftr

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micky 2 years ago

I'm only at 42 out of 60.

Haha.

Yes I do.

Often and for long periods. As I said. it's "something like that" I forget the exact scenario, but I would want to do something with the door open or whatever and the buzzer kept buzzing way too loud.

Thanks a lot. I will probably need one more car, for my 80's, and if I'm healthy and alive enough not to stop driving at 88, one more car after that. My mother drove until she was 84 and never had an accident. She died at 88 but would have lived longer if something bad unrelated to her health had not happened.

My SIL has a 2020 Mustang she talks about selling, but she got made at me for taking a test drive for several hours (after doing an errand for her.) She didn't tell me their other car is broken, but she says I knew. So I never got around to asking what the price is, or why it was salvage. It looks beautiful and everythign seems to work perfectly but it's a smaller car with a sportier harder ride than my 2005 toyota Solara. I'd rather keep what I have but otoh, it might blow the engine or the transmission the day after I get home.

Not salvage, iirc such cars are about $30,000. My sil is a ditz and she might want 28,000, salvage or not. I"ve never paid more than 9000, but this might be my last car, so I should be willing to spend more.

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