PRNDL on its way out?

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I personally like the Mercedes/Prius shift-by-wire shifters - the Mercedes one is on the steering column, the Prius one is near the power button. I don't like the American implementations of shift-by-wire except for the Allison one.

The push-button shifters for Voith/ZF bus tranmissions are simple, but crude compared to Allison - no feedback from the LCD, just blinks if something is wrong and you need to press N to clear out of it.

productPhoto1801_14967138054e85dee4b0a0.JPG
 
I like an actual shifter lever and analog key to turn. I hate push button starters and knob shifters,yuck.
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: CKN
New tech phobia is alive and well on BITOG.

True, but with the help and guidance of BITOG my last auto purchase was a...twenty year old Camry. I like to think I will get low cost per mile. And when it does break down, it'll be simple to fix. And simple to jerry rig in case whatever it needs has gone obsolete. And if whatever it needs is outside my range of ability, cheap for someone else to fix.

I guess we'll see how this tech goes....

...Staying behind the tech curve is safer & cheaper.

I have to confess I'm a bit worried about all the new safety gear. When it works it'll be great. But when your car can brake and steer on its own, all sorts of things could go wrong. As one example (according to CU) the problem with lane control is that when you try to steer around a cyclist, the car steers you right back into your lane. Seems you get around this problem by signalling a lane change - just don't ever forget.

And that assumes it will stay working more or less as it should.

Or as we used to say, "it's all that reliable electronic stuff."
 
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
I have no particular use for the "START" button. Especially the one which leaves you little or no control over the cranking process.


Most newer vehicles these days that still have a key, are tip to start anyway.badically the same as the button. You put your key in, turn it to "start" for just a second, and the ecu handles the actual cranking.
 
Originally Posted By: earlyre
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
I have no particular use for the "START" button. Especially the one which leaves you little or no control over the cranking process.


Most newer vehicles these days that still have a key, are tip to start anyway.badically the same as the button. You put your key in, turn it to "start" for just a second, and the ecu handles the actual cranking.


Right, my finance's Dart is like that. The advancement of the key to start has no actual impact on the cranking process. The computer starts it no matter what you do with the key. You can just blip to start for a fraction of a second and it cranks until it starts. Doesn't matter if the key falls back to the On position, it still cranks until it starts.

Keyswitch must be cheaper than putting in the wireless connectivity necessary for keyfob use with a button. Beyond that all the electronics must be the same.
 
Originally Posted By: ecotourist
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: CKN
New tech phobia is alive and well on BITOG.

True, but with the help and guidance of BITOG my last auto purchase was a...twenty year old Camry. I like to think I will get low cost per mile. And when it does break down, it'll be simple to fix. And simple to jerry rig in case whatever it needs has gone obsolete. And if whatever it needs is outside my range of ability, cheap for someone else to fix.

I guess we'll see how this tech goes....

...Staying behind the tech curve is safer & cheaper.

I have to confess I'm a bit worried about all the new safety gear. When it works it'll be great. But when your car can brake and steer on its own, all sorts of things could go wrong. As one example (according to CU) the problem with lane control is that when you try to steer around a cyclist, the car steers you right back into your lane. Seems you get around this problem by signalling a lane change - just don't ever forget.

And that assumes it will stay working more or less as it should.

Or as we used to say, "it's all that reliable electronic stuff."


Well, it only steers you back into your lane if you let it.

We have a 2017 Toyota with the Safety Sense or whatever they call it.

If the lane departure system is turned on, it will warn you and nudge the wheel. But you can easily override it by continuing the lane change. And of course, it will not bark at you if you signal the lane change.
 
Originally Posted By: ecotourist
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: CKN
New tech phobia is alive and well on BITOG.

True, but with the help and guidance of BITOG my last auto purchase was a...twenty year old Camry. I like to think I will get low cost per mile. And when it does break down, it'll be simple to fix. And simple to jerry rig in case whatever it needs has gone obsolete. And if whatever it needs is outside my range of ability, cheap for someone else to fix.

I guess we'll see how this tech goes....

...Staying behind the tech curve is safer & cheaper.

I have to confess I'm a bit worried about all the new safety gear. When it works it'll be great. But when your car can brake and steer on its own, all sorts of things could go wrong. As one example (according to CU) the problem with lane control is that when you try to steer around a cyclist, the car steers you right back into your lane. Seems you get around this problem by signalling a lane change - just don't ever forget.

And that assumes it will stay working more or less as it should.

Or as we used to say, "it's all that reliable electronic stuff."


So you can't change lanes in that car?
 
Originally Posted By: ecotourist
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: CKN
New tech phobia is alive and well on BITOG.

True, but with the help and guidance of BITOG my last auto purchase was a...twenty year old Camry. I like to think I will get low cost per mile. And when it does break down, it'll be simple to fix. And simple to jerry rig in case whatever it needs has gone obsolete. And if whatever it needs is outside my range of ability, cheap for someone else to fix.

I guess we'll see how this tech goes....

...Staying behind the tech curve is safer & cheaper.

I have to confess I'm a bit worried about all the new safety gear. When it works it'll be great. But when your car can brake and steer on its own, all sorts of things could go wrong. As one example (according to CU) the problem with lane control is that when you try to steer around a cyclist, the car steers you right back into your lane. Seems you get around this problem by signalling a lane change - just don't ever forget.

And that assumes it will stay working more or less as it should.

Or as we used to say, "it's all that reliable electronic stuff."



Look how long motors/transmissions have been controled by computers. While I guess ECMs go out-I have never known anybody to replace one-even in a car a decades old-or more.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: CKN
Look how long motors/transmissions have been controled by computers. While I guess ECMs go out-I have never known anybody to replace one-even in a car a decades old-or more.

The ABS control module on my BMW went out - in stages. My specialty repair place wanted something like $2,500 to replace it and the related stuff. As that was at least half the value of the vehicle I decided to wait and see. It slowly revealed itself as the "trifecta" (traction control gone initially, then check brakes and ABS light off in the morning but came on after a few miles, then speedometer worked for a while in the morning but failed after a few miles) and I was able to have the appropriate module rebuilt for $300. It was just a little nervous making driving a car with warning lights on (even though the brakes still worked fine) and using the tach as a speedometer. I think many owners would have dumped the car and it would have ended up being parted out.
 
Originally Posted By: Alfred_B
So you can't change lanes in that car?

I don't have that "feature" on my 10 year old and older cars so I can't say. I understand that unless you signal a lane change (which you should) it will try to bring you back into your lane. Which would be a scary proposition is you're trying to give a cyclist some room and haven't signaled.
 
I like column shifters for automatics too. They use minimal space, usually are pretty reliable, and aren't mixed in with other controls. Lots of buttons isn't really ideal ergonomically. The dials actually aren't a bad idea and use minimal space as well, but I like column shifters. They just work well. I like the feel of a cable operated one, but I'll take something electronic. I just don't want more buttons amongst many other tiny buttons to operate something like the transmission.
 
Column or a console shifter works for me. I do not want buttons or a knob, but it looks like eventually I will have no choice.
 
I can do a better job of starting a car with a low battery or in really cold weather than an "ECU". My experience with electronics which "never fail" resulted in my owning a whole bunch of test gear, from meters to an O scope.
At least my Tektronics scope is reliable.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Panzerman
Really who ever uses the Low?


On a truck only used occasionally that is parked in mud, I use L to get the truck going across the lawn.
 
I would imagine It's just a matter of time before the cable linkage between the driver and transmission goes away completely. No point in having a shift lever then. Easier for computer control, more options for interior space to name a few.
 
Originally Posted By: Alex_V
It's already electronic, anyway. What's the difference? *Shifts TH400 into D* (that's third gear for you unacclimated millennials) *and motors away*.
Thumbs up to that Alex. Just leave that *@#$&^ alone and work on improving lighting like mentioned above.
 
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