WHY all this complexity?

[jejeosborne]

No I am not. They take others out of the way. Out here in rural Texas there are streets with the same name and same zip code/town. Unless you know which county the address is in you are out of luck. The GPS does not always give a choice. I agree with you that listening to a GPS is less distracting than viewing it and it makes travel more efficient - but - it is still a distraction. The Ramirez family will attest to that.

I have listed a specific GPS distracted driver that caused a fatality. Can you list a specific one from map reading?

I guess I could go to the archives and find a map reading accident. Do you really thinks in all the years, maps haven't caused any accidents? In today's world, something that happens is now available for the whole world to read. Not too long ago, all you had was the local news. Sounds like where you live there isn't much local news.

I too use the shorts route option so I see a lot more back roads than you do using your trusty map that doesn't even list them. I am about as adventurous as you can get. In fact, I own and "adventure" class motorcyle to take me on dirt roads as well. Find those on your map.

 

[txdon]

Distraction using the GPS is just one danger the second is using it instead of common sense. That's why, in my opinion, it is more dangerous than just the distraction of reading a paper map. I hope all the GPS information is corrected because this next generation will not know how to use a paper map.
GPS Accidents: List of Car Crashes Caused by Google Maps and SAT NAV

 

[jejeosborne]

Distraction using the GPS is just one danger the second is using it instead of common sense. That's why, in my opinion, it is more dangerous than just the distraction of reading a paper map. I hope all the GPS information is corrected because this next generation will not know how to use a paper map.
GPS Accidents: List of Car Crashes Caused by Google Maps and SAT NAV

Looks like natural selection at work. We need more natural selection in the human race. When it comes to able minded individuals, we are the only living beings allowed to pass on stupidity traits. Those are great examples of stupidity.

 

[jejeosborne]

Another area in which GPS saves lives is in automatic phone calls if air bags go off. My F150 will dial 911 and send coordinates to the dispatcher if I am involved in an accident. The response vehicles also rely on gps to arrive to most all emergencies.

Five Reasons Why You Are a Safer Driver With GPS

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I'm 45 years old and I won't buy a new vehicle that doesn't fully integrate with my iPhone 6. No streaming toe-tappers with meta tags? No deal. No wireless Bluetooth? No deal.

The dash matters because drivers look at it for tens of thousands of miles.

 

[k0ua]

I'm 45 years old and I won't buy a new vehicle that doesn't fully integrate with my iPhone 6. No streaming toe-tappers with meta tags? No deal. No wireless Bluetooth? No deal.

The dash matters because drivers look at it for tens of thousands of miles.

How do you like you Iphone 6? I thought about getting one yesterday, but I am not sure I want to leave the Android/Google universe. I like the fact that all of my Chrome bookmarks are on my little Android phone automatically. What say you?

 

[k0ua]

How do you like you Iphone 6? I thought about getting one yesterday, but I am not sure I want to leave the Android/Google universe. I like the fact that all of my Chrome bookmarks are on my little Android phone automatically. What say you?

Well, apparently I have answered my own question. A few YouTube searches reveals that Chrome is available on the iPhone6 and IOS8, so is google calender etc.. looks like I can't use that as an excuse for not getting that iPhone6. :laughing: When am I going to learn to search first and ask second?

 

[PILOON]

"Around here we have "distracted driver" laws, no texting, dialing, GPS programming, etc... only hands-free allowed. And then they allow these new vehicles with a complex menu system just to turn up the heater. Can't figure that out. "
..........................................................................................................................................................................

And now they advertise TV availability on your Iphones so I presume that includes streaming to the in dash GPS screen?

In our local news a lady got fined because she had looked at the cellphone to read the time.(some show time with the lid closed)

Now tell me that following a map on the dash GPS is safe! heck tweaking that map is far more dangerous than talking on a phone, but it is legal.
I also fly, constant scanning (in and out) is simply a good and necessary practice and not all that hard to accomplish.
Sure we use headsets with mike and PTT switches for communications but B4 we survived with hand mikes all while monitoring gauges and traffic left/right and up/down.

 

[aczlan]

If you haven't guess by now, I hate that crap too. We have two vehicles that sit for most of the winter. One is old, I have to do nothing with it. The other is not so old, after the electronic crap drained the battery, it froze and broke last year, so I bought and run a float charger on it all this past winter. The battery was still dead this spring, the electronic crap drain was more than the charger could overcome, but at least it didn't freeze. So the procedure next year will be, continue to do nothing special with the older vehicle, the newer one, remove the battery and run float charger all winter, in spring, reinstall battery, go through the 5 minute procedure of convincing the computer it's ok to start the engine again because the battery was removed. PITA!!!

Have you checked how much power its drawing with the key off? Also, how much power does the float charger put out?
All the "electronic stuff" should be turned off with the key off (other than the radio station and ECU keepalives and the receiver for a remote if you have one installed).
Any power draw over 30-40 milliamps (0.03-0.04 amps) with the key off is too much and is indicative of something wrong with the vehicle.
Most float chargers put out at least 300 milliamps (0.3 amps), so it should be putting in more than 10x the amount of power that is being pulled out by the car.
Try the steps at How to Find a Parasitic Battery Drain: 9 Steps (with Pictures) to find out what is pulling the power and either fix it, or pull that fuse before parking it.


Aaron Z

 

[Diamondpilot]

Have you checked how much power its drawing with the key off? Also, how much power does the float charger put out?
All the "electronic stuff" should be turned off with the key off (other than the radio station and ECU keepalives and the receiver for a remote if you have one installed).
Any power draw over 30-40 milliamps (0.03-0.04 amps) with the key off is too much and is indicative of something wrong with the vehicle.
Most float chargers put out at least 300 milliamps (0.3 amps), so it should be putting in more than 10x the amount of power that is being pulled out by the car.
Try the steps at How to Find a Parasitic Battery Drain: 9 Steps (with Pictures) to find out what is pulling the power and either fix it, or pull that fuse before parking it.

Aaron Z

Both my father's Corvette and my wife's Grandma's Cadillac will not start if left for more than a week. That don't work too well when you are in the airport parking lot for more than a week.

Chris

 

[timswi]

Both my father's Corvette and my wife's Grandma's Cadillac will not start if left for more than a week. That don't work too well when you are in the airport parking lot for more than a week.

Chris

First I've heard of that and that's knowing people with Cadillacs and Vett's. In fact a guy at work's 6.2 2013 Camaro sat all winter an fired right up..Who knows.

Odd that I only find serial GM problems on TBN and now where else.

 

[Diamondpilot]

First I've heard of that and that's knowing people with Cadillacs and Vett's. In fact a guy at work's 6.2 2013 Camaro sat all winter an fired right up..Who knows.

Odd that I only find serial GM problems on TBN and now where else.

Truth is both of these vehicles are used very little and have tons of electronics. I'm sure any brand with this much stuff that sits would do the same.

Here Grandma's Caddy is a 2003 model and just turned 36,000 miles. My father's Corvette is a 1997 and has about the same.

Chris

 

[txdon]

Another area in which GPS saves lives is in automatic phone calls if air bags go off. My F150 will dial 911 and send coordinates to the dispatcher if I am involved in an accident. The response vehicles also rely on gps to arrive to most all emergencies.

Five Reasons Why You Are a Safer Driver With GPS

There's a #6 - In an unfamiliar area you can call 911, the Sheriff's Dept., and tell them which road the drunk behind you (that almost ran you off the road) turned off on so they can intercept him and before you get home can have him safely in their backseat so he won't kill himself or others.

 

[JDgreen227]

There's a #6 - In an unfamiliar area you can call 911, the Sheriff's Dept., and tell them which road the drunk behind you (that almost ran you off the road) turned off on so they can intercept him and before you get home can have him safely in their backseat so he won't kill himself or others.

The sad truth is that in many areas you will not have a police officer within a half hour of your car.

 

[txdon]

The sad truth is that in many areas you will not have a police officer within a half hour of your car.

I know. The Sheriff's department finally got him after 45 minutes and called me back (before I got home) and said the driver was very drunk - I had to go 90MPH at night because he was swerving behind me all over the road and I could not chance him passing - he was in a Hummer, I was in a Prius with Nav.

 

[bcp]

It's getting closer and closer to the old joke "If Microsoft built cars."

Here is an expanded version:
IF MICROSOFT BUILT CARS

Bruce

 

[Fordman1981]

"Around here we have "distracted driver" laws, no texting, dialing, GPS programming, etc... only hands-free allowed. And then they allow these new vehicles with a complex menu system just to turn up the heater. Can't figure that out. " .......................................................................................................................................................................... And now they advertise TV availability on your Iphones so I presume that includes streaming to the in dash GPS screen? In our local news a lady got fined because she had looked at the cellphone to read the time.(some show time with the lid closed) Now tell me that following a map on the dash GPS is safe! heck tweaking that map is far more dangerous than talking on a phone, but it is legal. I also fly, constant scanning (in and out) is simply a good and necessary practice and not all that hard to accomplish. Sure we use headsets with mike and PTT switches for communications but B4 we survived with hand mikes all while monitoring gauges and traffic left/right and up/down.

"And now they advertise TV availability on your Iphones so I presume that includes streaming to the in dash GPS screen?"

No they will not allow this very few vehicles work with CarPlay or android auto yet. Neither mirror your phone they run an app that allows certain things such as Siri or OK Google instead of your cars voice recognition and apple maps or Google maps. They also have a quicker cleaner interface for the audio selection than the factory setups.

The map apps that are available via the phone will be the same as the factory Navs it will not allow you to enter addresses and make changes while moving through the cars interface.

Please educate yourself before spreading false info.

 

[jejeosborne]

There's a #6 - In an unfamiliar area you can call 911, the Sheriff's Dept., and tell them which road the drunk behind you (that almost ran you off the road) turned off on so they can intercept him and before you get home can have him safely in their backseat so he won't kill himself or others.

I wish this would have happened last Saturday night. I am currently sitting bedside in the ICU next to my 16 year old son who was hit by a drunk driver driving the wrong way on a divided highway. The drunk already had an accident minutes before that took out his headlights. Head on collision killed my son's passenger and critically injured my son and a third passenger. It has been a terrible week and unfortunately you hit the nail on the head.

 

[JDgreen227]

I wish this would have happened last Saturday night. I am currently sitting bedside in the ICU next to my 16 year old son who was hit by a drunk driver driving the wrong way on a divided highway. The drunk already had an accident minutes before that took out his headlights. Head on collision killed my son's passenger and critically injured my son and a third passenger. It has been a terrible week and unfortunately you hit the nail on the head.

Oh....that is sad and shocking...sending my sincere good wishes and prayers to you now.

 

[Oaktree]

My two new Dodge Dakotas and my 08 Sierra have precious little heat or air flow to the floor area!

What year are your Dakotas? The heater in my '02 is a blast furnace! My only complaint is that the lowest fan speed is a bit too high...either too much fan or off. One of these days I'll futz with the blower resistor and try to find one that drops the speed a bit more. Of course I've been saying this for the 10 years I've had it...

Most of that electronic crap is there because it's high profit for the corporate CEO, and the American consumer no longer thinks for themselves. The ads say they "need" this crap, so they think they "need" this crap. Thus, corporate gets rich and the consumer goes on being gloriously ignorant sheep.

Unfortunately, this is the trend. Don't learn how to actually drive or park your car, let some electronic wizardry do it for you..

It's a selling point. Fuel economy, reliability, etc. are about as good as they can get, and there really isn't a big difference between brands in that regard. This is how they compete, on gadgetry. It's relatively cheap to include since 'most everything goes thru one of the on-board computers these days and buyers think it's cool.