Invisible wrote:
> 
> First of all, all the diagrams are for a left-hand drive car. You think
> that doesn't matter? Well, the buttons on the central console are the
> other way around on a right-hand drive car. (E.g., the lock and start
> buttons are the other way around.)

Still the gearbox is the same etc, so not everything is mirrored?

> Thirdly, the manual contains endless instances of "if you have this
> option, press button A. Alternatively, if you have this other option,
> press button B." But which freakin option do *I* have?!

If you don't know, you test it.

> My favourit is the manual for the stereo system, which tells you how to
> load and unload CDs from the CD changer, but omits to mention WHERE THIS
> IS! (I have since discovered that I don't actually *have* one - contrary
> to the information given to me when I purchased the car.)

Ask them to lower the price for that or to change a CD-changer to the car.

> I spent 20 minutes trying to find the airbag disable switch on the
> passenger door before I figured out that when they switched the car to
> right-hand drive, they forgot to move the switch. So it's still on the
> right-hand side, it's just that that isn't the passenger side anymore!

Aaahahahaaa :-D

> And another thing. Does anybody remember when if you wanted to fit
> seatbelts, you just went to B&Q, bought some seatbelts, and bolted them
> to the car? 

OTOH you now have officially room for 5 passengers (really for 4) and
also seatbelts for 5 passengers. Why would you fit more of them?

> Well of course *this* car has seatbelt pre-tensioners,
> force-limiters, front and side air bags, and who knows what else. So if
> you want to do *anything* to the seats or seatbelts, you have to get a
> qualified Renault engineer to do it.

Isn't it actually a *good* thing that it's a lot safer than your old car?

> Now manufacturers *always* want you to use their own parts. They make
> way more money that way. And I'm pretty sure that no matter what the
> manual says, putting non-approved engine oil into my engine isn't going
> to destroy it (provided that it's of the correct type). 

Yep. It just can void the warranty.

> But it seems
> there are so many things on this car that require specialist equipment
> to work on.

Yes, there are.

> You're supposed to get the crash sensors and air bag pyrotechnics
> checked annually - which can only be done by specially-trained Renault
> technitions with specialist equipment.

That's probably in the service program, right?

> Good thing I don't have the Xeon lights though - those have to be
> referred to a qualified service technition due to the high-voltage
> components inside. (Seeing a pattern here yet?)

OTOH you don't need to change xenon bulbs so often. I drove 90Mm's with
the original xenon bulbs on Audi. Just try to do that with halogen.

> And then there's the controls. I think I'm going to have to build a
> flowchart or something. Take one example:
> 
> The control for the wipers has 4 positions, A, B, C and D. In position
> A, the wipers are off. B is intermittent. C is normal speed, and D is
> fast speed. Unless your car is fitted with the automatic wipe option, in
> which case B is intermittent wipe depending on the amount of water
> detected.

Well yes, this is pretty normal.

> [Don't you just love the way *you* have to know what the spec of the car
> is to figure out which instructions apply?]

Yes. The other possibility would be that the manual says that you
*don't* have that one option and then it's added afterwards.

> Mine evidently has the automatic option, since it wipes every 20
> seconds, but now and then it suddenly starts frantically trying to file
> through the glass! o_O

If you have a properly working automatic wiper option, you simply don't
need to touch the lever yourself except for some rare wipe-once
-situations - just keep it in the automatic position.

> This is probably THE single most annoying feature. It's raining, you
> stop at some traffic lights, and suddenly you can't see ANYTHING. Or
> even worse, you stop at a busy junction, trying to find a gap to pull
> out into. This is THE MOST CRITICAL TIME to need to see what's around
> you, but no, your wipers have turned themselves off without your
> permission.

Yes, that sounds stupid.

> Now of course, the lights turn themselves off, not when you stop the
> engine, but when you open the door. So somebody has programmed in a
> feature [I forget how you select it] where the lights stay on for 30
> seconds after you lock the car. (They call it "guide me home" -
> presumably so you can see your front door or something...)

Yes. You can see the lock in your door to fit the key, it's very
practical :-).

> And the middle part of the back seat folds out into a table with cup
> holders. WTF?

If you'll take some nice girl to a car-picnic and it starts to rain, you
can benefit from that table ;-).

-Aero

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