Still don't know much about my new car..........

[CathyA]

I got a new car in August. It's more like a mobile computer. So far, I can almost figure out the ventilation.......for the front of the car...........although the settings for the passenger are different.

I only have one channel on the radio so far. I lost my compass (in the car.........I lost my personal compass a long time ago..).....anyhow, I can't figure out how to get the compass direction back up on the screen. I've looked through the manual several times and it has nothing about the compass. I did figure out I can get the compass direction by pressing on the end of the turn signal stick momentarily, and it will come up on the screen.
I am able to understand the one small screen that either shows me Trip A, or Trip B., or my gas mileage average for each trip, or how many miles since I bought the car and the percent oil life, or what I ate last, or
when my last B.M. was.

Let's see........I sort of figured out how to lock or unlock the one door, or all the doors.
I can't figure out how to turn those lights out on the front of the car that run all the time I'm driving it.....even in the day. How am I supposed to sneak up on anyone at night if I can't turn all those lights out?

I discovered my remote device has a hidden key in it. But I don't think there's any place on the car to stick it into.

Yes, I have a manual..........but it's like reading an insurance policy. At least it's in english.

I do love my new car, but I only really need to drive it forward and backwards, turn on the lights, honk the horn......you know....the basics.

I just wonder how many older people have major problems with these computers on wheels? I really think it's all sort of unnecessary and silly.

[frugal-one]

I got a new car in August. It's more like a mobile computer. So far, I can almost figure out the ventilation.......for the front of the car...........although the settings for the passenger are different.

I only have one channel on the radio so far. I lost my compass (in the car.........I lost my personal compass a long time ago..).....anyhow, I can't figure out how to get the compass direction back up on the screen. I've looked through the manual several times and it has nothing about the compass. I did figure out I can get the compass direction by pressing on the end of the turn signal stick momentarily, and it will come up on the screen.
I am able to understand the one small screen that either shows me Trip A, or Trip B., or my gas mileage average for each trip, or how many miles since I bought the car and the percent oil life, or what I ate last, or
when my last B.M. was.

Let's see........I sort of figured out how to lock or unlock the one door, or all the doors.
I can't figure out how to turn those lights out on the front of the car that run all the time I'm driving it.....even in the day. How am I supposed to sneak up on anyone at night if I can't turn all those lights out?

I discovered my remote device has a hidden key in it. But I don't think there's any place on the car to stick it into.

Yes, I have a manual..........but it's like reading an insurance policy. At least it's in english.

I do love my new car, but I only really need to drive it forward and backwards, turn on the lights, honk the horn......you know....the basics.

I just wonder how many older people have major problems with these computers on wheels? I really think it's all sort of unnecessary and silly.

I would go to the place that I bought the car from and have them go through everything with me. I'm sure they would have no problem doing this since they want a "repeat" customer and one who tells others about their great service.

[iris lilies]

I still haven't figured out how to find and use the trip odometer on the car I bought in 2009.

That same car sometimes goes into kilometer mode rather than miles mode, and I have to pull out the damn manual every time to read up on resetting it. The "reset" button doesn't re set that feature.

my dream computerized feature is to have, on each one of my digital devices, a master setting that would always recall past settings by hitting a big red button labelled "Re-set all settings to original"

When I win the lottery I am going to have my own personal programmer build this in to each device. Or maybe I just need a 15 year old boy living here.

[Float On]

A lot of people have that problem. When we were looking at trucks 2 years ago I kid you not, 2 people stopped by the dealer to see if they could get someone to teach them about the computers in their new cars. I wonder if anyone has done any youtube videos for the make/model you bought.

I've been driving an '09 since '11 and just last weekend figured out that I could put my phone through the radio (well, actually my son asked why I'd never set it up and I said "we can?"...so he did it for me).

[SteveinMN]

One wonders why Apple and Google have not done more to integrate their mobile operating systems into other things. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to leverage whatever you've learned about using your phone to operate features in your car? Maybe that's where their mobile efforts are headed. But I would have thought at least some of that would be here by now.

[CathyA]

The guy that sold us the car did go over things........but it was just too much too fast. The dealership is about 45 miles away. I might call him. But you know how some people are.......they just aren't good teachers and they just assume everyone knows what they know.
Float On......I'll check out YouTube. There's a lot to be learned there! I guess you can connect your iPhone to the one screen in this car, and it pretty much shows everything that's in your phone. And you can text (I think), just by talking. But all this just leads to less safe drivers.
I had my last car for 15 years and I'm sure I had things that I never discovered.
DH brought up something........with these side-mirror cameras (actually, I only have one on the right).......think of how much it might cost if you knock your mirror off, as compared to if it's just a plain old mirror.
I'm pretty happy with not using a lot of the functions. Just wish the simple things haven't been made difficult.

I wonder if accidents will go up because of all this extra stuff......especially with older people? I get distracted by just trying to adjust the fan!

[Float On]

I wonder if accidents will go up because of all this extra stuff......especially with older people? I get distracted by just trying to adjust the fan!

That is exactly what both older couples said when talking to the dealer. Both stated they hadn't really gone anywhere because they were afraid of their cars!

[CathyA]

I was afraid to go out for awhile too.........but I always have been, when I first get a new car. It's scary to think how much you've spent on that thing, and you might be going out in crazy traffic!

I guess the approach I took was to just use it to drive first.....and not worry about the ventilation/radio/all the computer screens. I figured as long as I knew how to make it go forward and backward and where the turn signals were, I was probably okay.
(But even the front/rear wipers were a bit complicated.) I wonder if someone will come out with an "old fashioned" new car, to meet the demands of the aging? I had considered an older used car, but then you worry about how long it will last.

So now that I have going forward and reverse down pat, I'll try to learn something new every so often. I just want to find that compass though, and can't seem to.

[Dhiana]

One wonders why Apple and Google have not done more to integrate their mobile operating systems into other things. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to leverage whatever you've learned about using your phone to operate features in your car? Maybe that's where their mobile efforts are headed. But I would have thought at least some of that would be here by now.

A friend of mine in Tokyo has been working on just this for the last couple of years. It's coming. Maybe.

[Teacher Terry]

I was laughing so hard when I read this. I replaced my 1999 Volvo 2 years ago with a 2010 HOnda Accord & had plenty to learn. My hubby knows how to do lots of things I don't. If I can use the heat/air, wipers. lights, radio/dvd player, move the mirrors & the seats then I am a happy camper. I can remember when we got our first VCR and my hubby was not home & I couldn't figure out how to program it to record a show & I was reading the manual etc. My youngest son was 8 at the time-took the remote from me & programmed my show. After that I figured I was good if I always had a kid. Just like when I get a new phone & have to learn how to use it-ugh!