Good example of when form over function is a bad idea. This will end up in product design textbooks.
Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
171–180 of 448 posts
Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
#172Earlier quoted context omitted.
I got really frustrated when I started to see 3 rapid flashes when a Toyota or Kia driver put on the brakes on the Highway. What had been a common signal for “you’re a little too close” was now shown every time the driver pressed the brake pedal. I guess I could’ve complained to one of the manufacturers, but what do they care? I’m not buying their cars.
This is the Pulse[0] "safety system". I was trying to buy a new truck this spring, and going through the back-and-forth of talking to a number of dealers. I had a vehicle specced out, and ready to commit to, and I asked to review the final paperwork. There was a $400 charge listed that hadn't been disclosed earlier. I was frustrated because I'd asked numerous times, "Am I going to see any additional charges on the fi…
> The dealer explained that this is a "critical safety feature" that they install on all the vehicles they sell. He then explained that it makes the brake light flash whenever you press the brake pedal. I read about it for 10 minutes, and found there's a legitimate system in use in Europe that detects emergency braking and flashes the brake light. Since that system detects emergency braking and not just pressing the brake pedal, it doesn't go off all the time and actually means something to other drivers.
Good god, slimy sales tactics asides that sounds like complete cargo-culting of the feature making it not just useless for its original purpose but actively misleading.
And I would expect the original feature grew at least in part from the common habit (I don't think it's ever required) of enabling the hazards when reaching an unforeseen obstruction: on many cars these days the hazards will automatically switch on during emergency braking (usually detected via an accelerometer, it tends to come on at the same time as brake assist though I don't think the two are coupled), it's possible that on some the brakes will also flash though I can't remember ever seeing that.
Of course many US cars have red turn signals / hazards, and US standards even allow brakes and turn signals to use the same lights, which is… not sane.
Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
#173To me, this sends another signal. One that says "don't work at Mini". If something like this is able to make it all the way through design, production and testing -- with no one raising a red flag along the way -- what other less visible but equally bone-headed ideas are making it into their cars?
I think the problem lies, as usual, with america. These lamp clusters were designed in a European environment where we have brake lights and turn indicators. By the time the design was nearing production it was probably too late to cancel when they realised that some parts of this planet have the boneheaded idea that flashing the red stop light was a good idea. Mini therefore had three options:
1) Sell the global spec in the states, which they can't do because there will be at least one state who thinks its too foreign or "un american".
2) Don't sell in the states, which I guess they could do since this is a factory modification and not part of the standard spec, but now they have a lot of undesirable cars because you can no longer visually distinguish the up-specced car from the basic model.
3) Change the orange bulb for red and sell cars to the boneheaded (and dangerous) american standard of flashing the stop lights.
Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
#174Off topic, but NoScript blocks around 19 JS from different (tracking) sources on this jalopnik article. I will never visit this site again.
Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
#175Earlier quoted context omitted.
I do check my car every couple of weeks. I have a routine that takes about 3 minutes total. About twice a month so about 24 times 3 minutes ~ 1 hour per year. Although I could argue it actually takes zero time because I usually do this while waiting for somebody else to get into the car. As a side note, if you are too busy to brush your teeth you should consider talking to a health professional about consequences of…
My dad put little mirrors in the garage so he can check the blinkers easily without leaving the vehicle.
I just check my lights in either glass window reflections or paint reflections from parked cars depending on how and where I’m parked.
The only car that needed the engine oil checked regularly was our second car, a 12 year old Opel Corsa. All other cars kept their fluid and just needed the oil changed at the regular intervals.
Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
#176I don’t even like it when they blink a light that should be permanently on instead of a real indicator.
This is another level of dumb.
Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
#177I'm a taillight enthusiast, but, I must say, it never even occurred to me that these look like an arrow, even after watching the gif.
It's much less awful than the Mini Clubman, which, like so many new vehicles, have decided to install brake lights and signals IN THE BUMPER. My understanding is there's an EU (?) regulation that taillights must be visible when the trunk/hatch is open; eg, for roadside emergencies where you are broken down but are getting things out of the back, your lights must still be visible.
Manufacturers have designed around this by having taillights that go up with the hatch, but still have brake/signal/various lights way down in the bumper. So you'll be driving behind a vehicle, seeing its normal taillights lit up with the headlights, but when they go to brake or signal, segments 2 feet lower come on. The visibility of this 'solution' is far worse than using lights up high. Yes, we have the center-mounted high stop light, but this is a step in the wrong direction, and makes turn signals less visible than ever.
Also, my standard rant, ban red turn signals. They should always and forever be amber, which gets rid of a ton of confusion due to pulsing brake lights.
Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
#178> Mini has not heard any concerns from customers regarding the rear turn indicators I wouldn't expect them to: they cannot see their own turn signal lights while driving. If they happen to be behind another Mini, they already know about it and it may not throw them off-guard like others who aren't familiar with it.
I do hope that all it takes is a few customers in a showroom asking the salesman "does it come without those stupid fucking indicators?"
The salesperson doesn't care, and the dealership sells whatever the manufacturer ships to them. The Mini dealer isn't about to start stocking Kias instead of Minis.
Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
#179Amusing to see this on HN. I saw one of these Minis on the road the other day for the first time and I admit I got confused for two seconds. But then again I’m used to Chicago drivers who signal left when they want to turn right and vice versa — it’s a thing here. When I realized that the Mini’s turn signal was one half of the Union Jack I laughed because the design language reminded me of Austin Powers and perhaps it was meant to be intentionally funny and tacky by being jingoistic.
Re: Congratulations, Mini, you made the stupidest turn signals ever
#180Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is the Pulse[0] "safety system". I was trying to buy a new truck this spring, and going through the back-and-forth of talking to a number of dealers. I had a vehicle specced out, and ready to commit to, and I asked to review the final paperwork. There was a $400 charge listed that hadn't been disclosed earlier. I was frustrated because I'd asked numerous times, "Am I going to see any additional charges on the fi…
> The dealer explained that this is a "critical safety feature" that they install on all the vehicles they sell. He then explained that it makes the brake light flash whenever you press the brake pedal. I read about it for 10 minutes, and found there's a legitimate system in use in Europe that detects emergency braking and flashes the brake light. Since that system detects emergency braking and not just pressing the…
There are a fair number of vehicles on the road already with enhanced emergency brake lights; BMW in particular comes to mind. If you REALLY romp on it, another set of segments will light up, I think it might be the rear fogs that come on, along with a single additional flash. Not the godawful strobing every time you brush the brakes like with these "pulse" systems. (which thankfully seem incredibly rare on the west coast.. for now).
One particularly awful safety feature actually ramps up brake force assist when it "detects" emergency braking behavior; typically abrupt lift off of the throttle and subsequent application of the brake.
They never considered that maybe I WANT to abruptly lift off the throttle and then GENTLY apply the brakes, without having my head thrown towards the steering wheel.